Apple (AAPL) officially debuted its iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro on Tuesday during its annual fall event held at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. And I got to get my hands on them for an ever-so-brief moment of time.
The new phones sport a slew of large and small updates, but it's clear that the most important one is the changeover from the company's long-used Lightning connector to USB-C. Apple says that it will provide increased data transfer speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second. The iPhone 15 transfers data at 480 megabits per second.
USB-C also means both iPhone lines can output video up to 4K and 60 frames per second. That means you'll be able to connect your iPhone to a secondary screen for things like viewing important documents, browsing photos, or even playing games.
Changing over to USB-C, though, is going to be a pain. You'll have to purchase new cables to replace your old Lightning wires, which could be pricey if you've got them throughout your home and office. Still, it's a welcome update considering most modern devices already use USB-C. It also means that you'll be able to charge your iPhone using the same cable you use to charge your MacBook or any other USB-C cable. You can also now use your iPhone to charge your Apple Watch and AirPods, which should prove helpful in a pinch.
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
Outside of new USB-C ports, Apple has outfitted the iPhone 15 line and iPhone Pro lines with their own set of updates. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max get the biggest upgrades, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus get more modest improvements.
On the outside the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max now feature titanium cases that make the phones feel a bit lighter than their predecessors. Thinner display bezels mean that Apple was able to shrink the phones' overall bodies while keeping their screen sizes intact.
Apple has also dropped the Silent switch on the side of the iPhone in favor of a new, customizable Action button. You change the button's functionality in the iPhone's settings menu and can set it to turn on the flashlight, activate the camera, enable accessibility options, and more. Importantly you can access these features while your phone is locked. So if you want to capture a quick photo of your kid, you can do it with a quick double press.
Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max also get Apple's new A17 Pro chip. Apple says the processor gets faster central processing and graphics processing units. The company went to great lengths to position the Pro models as ideal for gaming, including showing off games from the "Resident Evil" and "Division" franchises.
I tested out "Diablo Immortal" and "Genshin Impact" on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and both games ran buttery smooth. "Diablo Immortal," in particular, offered fantastic lighting and reflective effects. Apple makes a good deal of money from game sales via its App Store, so it's no wonder it wants to show off its gaming prowess.
On the camera side of things, Apple has added 48-megapixel cameras to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Both phones can now change between and save individual focal lengths as their default shooting modes, but it's the iPhone 15 Pro Max that gets the most attention with its new 5x optical zoom.
Like the iPhone 14 Pro models, the 5x zoom is easily accessible from the main camera screen and should be especially useful when you're trying to take photos at sporting events, concerts, or just want a close-up of your cat because it looks incredibly cute while sleeping.
But the enhanced zoom will cost you, as the iPhone 15 Pro Max now starts at $1,199, a $100 increase over last year's starting price.
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus also get new 48-megapixel cameras with wide-angle and ultrawide-angle lenses. To compensate for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus's lack of telephoto lenses, Apple uses that 48-megapixel main camera and crops in on the 12 megapixels in the center of the image to give the illusion of a 2x optical zoom.
I tried it out, and overall, the few shots I captured with the 2x zoom looked as good as those taken with a telephoto lens. I'll need to give the feature a more thorough test to see if that holds up in everyday settings. As for Portrait mode, Apple has added the ability to automatically switch to the setting for both people and cats and dogs when you tap to focus on them.
In addition to the new cameras, Apple has equipped the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus with the Dynamic Island. Originally only found on the iPhone 14 Pro line, the Dynamic Island is now available across Apple's iPhone lineup. The feature provides users with a dedicated multitasking space, offering up important updates for things like timers, flight information, directions, music, and incoming calls.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lines hit store shelves on Sept. 22.
Daniel Howley is the tech editor at Yahoo Finance. He's been covering the tech industry since 2011. You can follow him on Twitter @DanielHowley.
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