Apple Introduces the iPhone 15 Lineup With USB-C

Apple has revealed the iPhone 15 lineup, giving users the most powerful model yet, with the Pro and Pro Max powered by the all-new A17 chip....
Apple Introduces the iPhone 15 Lineup With USB-C
Written by Matt Milano
  • Apple has revealed the iPhone 15 lineup, giving users the most powerful model yet, with the Pro and Pro Max powered by the all-new A17 chip.

    The iPhone 15 lineup is largely an evolutionary update, although it does include a couple of standout features. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are powered by the A16 Bionic chip and largely build on the features of the previous model.

    In particular, the iPhone’s satellite-based safety features took prominent place in Apple’s presentation and have been expanded:

    Building on this innovative satellite infrastructure, iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus introduce Roadside Assistance via satellite. Beginning in the U.S., when a user has car trouble and cellular and Wi-Fi coverage are not available, they can now connect to AAA, the country’s largest roadside assistance provider. An intuitive interface, including a short questionnaire to capture important details, will transmit the information via satellite so AAA can message with the user directly and dispatch help to their exact location. Access to Roadside Assistance via satellite will be included for free for two years. Service is covered according to AAA membership, but is also available separately for nonmembers.

    The iPhone also sports a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for better phone-to-phone communication:

    Both models feature the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, enabling two iPhone devices with this chip to connect at three times the range as before. This opens up a new way to use Precision Finding for Find My friends, so iPhone 15 users can share their location and find each other, even in crowds. Precision Finding is built with the same privacy protections that users have come to trust in Find My.

    The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max up the ante with Apple’s new A17 Pro chip, the industry’s first 3nm chip:

    Bringing pro performance and capabilities, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are powered by A17 Pro, the industry’s first 3-nanometer chip. Continuing Apple’s leadership in smartphone silicon, A17 Pro brings improvements to the entire chip, including the biggest GPU redesign in Apple’s history. The new CPU is up to 10 percent faster with microarchitectural and design improvements, and the Neural Engine is now up to 2x faster, powering features like autocorrect and Personal Voice in iOS 17. The pro-class GPU is up to 20 percent faster and unlocks entirely new experiences, featuring a new 6-core design that increases peak performance and energy efficiency. Now with hardware-accelerated ray tracing — which is 4x faster than software-based ray tracing — iPhone 15 Pro offers smoother graphics, as well as more immersive AR applications and gaming experiences. iPhone 15 Pro brings true-to-life gaming to the palm of users’ hands with console titles never before seen on a smartphone, like Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

    One of the Po and Pro Max’s hallmark features is the camera system, a major upgrade over previous models:

    With the power of computational photography, the 48MP Main camera, built exclusively for the Pro lineup, gives users even more flexibility with a new 24MP super-high-resolution default, offering incredible image quality at a practical file size ideal for storing and sharing. The Main camera allows users to switch between three popular focal lengths — 24 mm, 28 mm, and 35 mm — and even choose one as a new default. In addition to 48MP ProRAW, the Main camera also supports 48MP HEIF images with 4x more resolution. iPhone 15 Pro features an expansive 3x Telephoto camera, and iPhone 15 Pro Max provides the longest optical zoom ever on iPhone: 5x at 120 mm.

    Not surprisingly, the entire iPhone 15 lineup has moved to USB-C following the EU’s legislation requiring smartphone makers to adopt the standard. The iPhone 15’s USB-C port is limited to USB 2 speeds, while the Pro and Pro Max offer USB 3 speeds.

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