iPhone 15: New features, release date, pricing and everything you need to know about Apple's latest reveal

Apple's annual September event will take place on September 12. The event is set to debut a new iPhone 15 series, alongside several other products.

The iPhone lineup has been on a three-year cycle for major releases since the release of the iPhone 6 in 2014, with subsequent overhauls represented by the iPhone X in 2017 and the iPhone 12 in 2020.

While the iPhone 14 Pro models made some waves last year with the release of the Dynamic Island and a 48-megapixel main camera, that was about it in terms of transformational changes. The iPhone 15 series, on the other hand, lines up with a major release window in that three-year cycle and is expected to be among the best iPhones to date.

The iPhone 15 is expected to come in four variants and mark Apple's transition to USB-C as its smartphone charging standard, brought on, at least in part, by regulatory moves to require the standard in European markets. This is an iPhone series to watch for with great interest, though its rumored price range might turn out to be a bit of a sticker shock.

Four models are expected to be included this year in the iPhone 15 lineup: two standard models, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and two higher-end models, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, according to Bloomberg's chief tech correspondent Mark Gurman, who has accurately reported on Apple's product plans for more than a decade.

The largest changes are likely to be reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro lineup, but there's consensus among analysts that one transformational change expected to come to all four models is a discontinuation of Apple's Lightning connector and introduction of a USB-C charging standard.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a renowned Apple analyst, says this will include at least USB 3.2 speeds for the higher-end models and match the speed of Lightning connections — USB 2.0 — for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models.

Earlier reports from Gurman suggested Apple may either switch the "Pro Max" moniker to "Ultra," or introduce a new model with the "Ultra" branding that comes with more premium or differentiating features than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, Gurman most recently believes Apple will keep the "Pro Max" naming scheme and won't introduce a new "Ultra" model this year.

iPhone 15: release date

Apple's annual September product event will take place on September 12 at 10 am PST. It is expected to launch the iPhone 15 series, which could see a release date "around" September 22, according to Gurman's sources.

iPhone 15: price

Though the standard iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus are not expected to see year-over-year price increases, the two higher-end models are likely to increase in price relative to their iPhone 14 series predecessors, the Barclays analyst Tim Long says in an investment note which was first reported by MacRumors and has been cited by numerous tech and financial publications.

In exchange for a more durable, titanium design with thinner bezels, the starting price for the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to increase by $100 to $1,099, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max could go up as much as $200 in price, with a projected starting price of $1,199 or $1,299, Long says.

iPhone 15: cameras

This year, the entire iPhone 15 lineup is expected to receive a 48-megapixel main camera, ITHome reports (via The Verge). The main camera will be of a new stacked sensor design that will allow for better low-light performance, according to Ming-Chi Kuo.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max's are expected to receive new ultrawide and zoom lenses with more megapixels than the current 12-megapixel versions on the iPhone 14 Pro series, according to Gurman. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, specifically, is expected to get a new 5-6x optical-zoom "periscope" lens, Ming-Chi Kuo says.

It was previously reported the iPhone 15 Pro models would receive similar 12-megapixel cameras for the ultrawide and zoom lenses, along with a now-standard 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. However, that doesn't appear to be the case.

iPhone 15: battery life

The iPhone 15 is expected to feature up to a 15% boost to its battery capacity, ITHome reports. ITHome says that the base model iPhone 15 will see that 15% figure while the iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max will see 12%, 12%, and 11% increases in battery capacity, respectively.

iPhone 15: displays

There's little to indicate that display sizes will deviate for the iPhone 15 lineup, as it's widely expected to adopt the same display sizes as the iPhone 14 series.

Those hoping the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models will finally receive Apple's 1-120Hz variable refresh-rate (LTPO) ProMotion displays may be disappointed, as the premium display technology of the iPhone 14 Pro models is expected to remain exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple and its partners don't have the capacity to produce ProMotion displays for the entire iPhone 15 lineup, according to analysts Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors) and Ross Young.


iPhone 15: design

Gurman reported the iPhone 15 lineup would have "thinner bezels" than last year's iteration and the iPhone 15 Pro models would have a "titanium frame that feels lighter and more premium than the current stainless-steel design."

While a thinner bezel can be attractive for those who remember the days of early iPhones with their chunky designs and massive borders, this change is ultimately likely to be a minor one, and the enthusiasm for it is probably misplaced, as Insider's Kai Xiang Teo reports.

The titanium frame will have a brushed metal aesthetic rather than the shiny look from the iPhone 14 Pro models, and it'll save around 10% on the phone's weight, according to Gurman's sources.

iPhone 15: performance

Apple is widely expected to continue distinguishing the iPhone 15 models from the iPhone 15 Pro models with different processors — a trend the company started with the iPhone 14 series.

Only the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to run on Apple's latest processor, known as the A17 Bionic, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to receive the A16 Bionic processor from the iPhone 14 Pro series, according to Gurman.

iPhone 15: Action button

The iPhone's "ring/silent" switch is set to be replaced with an "Action" button on the iPhone 15 Pro models. Dave Johnson/Insider
Apple is expected to replace the iPhone's longstanding ring/silent switch with a programmable "Action" button on the iPhone 15 Pro models, according to Gurman. The Pro model Action button is expected to mirror the existing feature on the Apple Watch Ultra in name and function.

According to developer Steve Moser at MacRumors, code in a beta version of the coming iOS 17 software update suggests that the Pro model Action button will allow for up to "nine different options that users can customize and assign to different actions," such as the ability to easily launch the phone's Camera app, flashlight, or Do Not Disturb mode.

iPhone 15: USB-C

All phones in the iPhone 15 lineup are expected to get USB-C charging ports. Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider
It is widely believed that the entire iPhone 15 lineup will be ditching Apple's proprietary Lightning connector in favor of a USB-C port and various speeds of connectivity.

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models are expected to get USB 3.2 speeds whereas the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus should expect Lightning-equivalent USB 2.0 speeds, but in the USB-C format, Ming-Chi Kuo says.

This move is set to bring Apple in line with the rest of the industry on this front and earn them a respite from the ire of European Union regulators who forced the change on the tech giant; Apple has until late 2024 to comply with the new law and is expected to roll the change out globally rather than creating a region specific variant of every phone. The goal of EU regulators is to create a universal standard for all devices.

Apple's change to USB-C as a smartphone charging standard could mean that a plethora of USB-C accessories and gadgets will technically become available to iPhone users, which would allow for easier interconnectivity as more devices move to USB-C in the coming years.

iPhone 15: Dynamic Island

An improved Dynamic Island is expected to come to all iPhone 15 models. Apple
The Dynamic Island, first introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro lineup, is expected to see improvements this year and roll out to all iPhone 15 models, Ming-Chi Kuo says.

Ming-Chi Kuo expects that the iPhone 15 lineup's renovated Dynamic Island will include an integrated proximity sensor. That sensor would be used to detect when the phone is being held close to the user's ear so that it can turn off the display to help prevent accidental key presses from being detected. In the iPhone 14 lineup, this sensor was included separately under the screen.

Should you wait to buy an iPhone 15?

If you're planning to buy a new iPhone in the near future, you should hold off until after this week's Apple event and see what the iPhone 15 lineup has to offer, as it's likely to provide transformational upgrades across the board and displace several models on our best iPhone list.

For example, if the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus both feature a Dynamic Island and a 48-megapixel main camera, as analysts anticipate, those phones are set to represent a significant upgrade over the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, both of which have a non-interactive notch and a 12-megapixel main camera.

That said, following the iPhone 15 lineup's release this month, phones in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 lineups are likely to be available at new, significant discounts. We recommend not purchasing any of the available iPhone models ahead of Apple's event this week, as those models may soon be much cheaper.