iPhone 15 event: all the news on Apple’s new phones

Apple has just announced its new iPhone 15 models, and the big news is USB-C, a camera upgrade, the addition of the Dynamic Island, and even some improvements to the display.

We’ve just managed to get a first look at the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, and the new colors look great. The matte back and rounded sides are noticeably nicer to hold than the prior models, and it’s essentially the great parts of the iPhone 14 Pro in a lighter, nice-to-hold casing.

Apple has announced the release date of macOS 14, better known as macOS Sonoma. The operating system will be available to the public on September 26th.

Sonoma brings a number of features to macOS that make the operating system look and feel much more like iOS. Mac users will see desktop widgets, videoconferencing features, and a new Game Mode that’s said to raise frame rates and reduce latency during gameplay. New video conferencing features are also on the way, including screen sharing tools and a Presenter Overlay that allows speakers to move around in front of a shared screen.

During the iPhone 15 launch event in Cupertino, Apple announced it’s adding satellite-powered Roadside Assistance to the iPhone in a partnership with AAA. Buying and activating a new iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 series device will include two years of Emergency SOS and Roadside Assistance access for free. The services they connect you to are covered under the AAA membership terms or available on a pay-per-use basis for non-AAA members.

The Roadside Assistance service — which is US only at launch — is an expansion of the Emergency SOS via satellite feature launched with iPhone 14 last year. If you have car trouble, you can text AAA for assistance for your emergencies, such as being locked out, running out of fuel, or a flat tire (you know, those times when you wouldn’t call 911 but still need help). The service works by leveraging Apple’s Emergency Text via satellite option when you have no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

iOS 17 will be available for public download on September 18th, introducing iPhone users to new features like Live Voicemail, StandBy mode, and a new Journal app. Apple made the announcement during its iPhone 15 launch event on Tuesday after first unveiling the operating system at WWDC on June 5th.

The full-release version of iPadOS 17 will also launch on September 18th, adding new ways for iPad users to interact with widgets and personalize their lock screen. iPadOS 17 is compatible with sixth-generation iPad models, fifth-generation iPad mini, third-generation iPad Air, and second-generation iPad Pro 12.9-inch models or later. You can find a full list of compatible models on the Apple website.

The mini-sized iPhone is dead. Apple quietly dropped the iPhone 13 Mini from its lineup on Tuesday, discontinuing the last of its smaller-sized phones.

The new lineup now consists of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and the second-generation iPhone SE (2022).

It’ll cost you a little more to buy an iPhone 15 Pro Max this year. The new phone has undergone some big changes, and with them comes a new starting price of $1,199 for a 256GB model phone. Last year, you were able to get a Pro Max starting at $1,099, but it came with 128GB of storage. That option isn’t available for the 15 Pro Max, so you’re stuck paying more — but getting more storage in exchange.

The iPhone 15 Pro will remain $999, and Apple will release both phones on September 22nd, with preorders starting this Friday.

Apple revealed the new iPhone 15 Pro today, and there’s a brand-new button on the side that can be customized to trigger a specific function. This new “Action Button” is similar to the one introduced on the Apple Watch Ultra, which can activate workouts, among other abilities.

The Action Button, which replaces the ring / vibrate switch, can be programmed to do things like activating the camera, turning on the flashlight, starting a Voice Memo, opening a note, switching Focus modes, or running your own custom shortcuts. You can also set accessibility options like Magnifier.

Apple just announced its new high-end iPhones: the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. They’re made of titanium, they have Action Buttons, and Apple promises they’re the most powerful smartphones Apple has ever made. The 15 Pro starts at $999 with 128GB of storage, and the Pro Max at $1,199 with 256GB of storage. Both will be available for preorder this Friday and on sale September 22nd.

This year’s Pro has a 6.1-inch screen, and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display — same as the new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Both are powered by the A17 Pro chip, which Apple says has the fastest performance in any smartphone and can even challenge some high-end PCs. Along with a redesigned GPU, Apple seems to think these devices could be poised to level up the kinds of games you can play on your phone. (Of course, Apple likes to talk a lot about high-end gaming, and the results… don’t always keep up.)

Apple has just announced the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, and the big news is a USB-C port. Finally! We’ve been waiting for the day that the iPhone would switch to the widely used USB-C standard instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector. Apple confirmed last year that it would make the change to USB-C to comply with the European Union’s upcoming regulations, and the iPhone 15 is now the first iPhone to make the switch.

The iPhone 15 is priced starting at $799 for a 128GB model, and the iPhone 15 Plus starts at $899 for a 128GB version. Both will be available on September 22nd, with preorders starting this Friday.

Apple has a new premium material for Apple Watch bands, iPhone 15 cases, MagSafe wallets, and AirTag key rings. It’s here to replace its leather offerings that, in the case of phone cases at least, have been declining in quality for several years now. The new material is called FineWoven, a soft fabric material Apple will offer in an assortment of iPhone 15 and Apple Watch band colors. The change comes as leather “has a significant carbon footprint at Apple’s scale,” according to Lisa Jackson, Apple’s environmental policy VP.

FineWoven is a microtwill material that Apple says is constructed from 68 percent post-consumer recycled material. It has a suede-like feel, and its use in Apple Watch bands is complemented by Magnetic Link and Modern Buckle closures. As for the iPhone 15 FineWoven cases, they continue supporting Apple’s MagSafe ecosystem of magnetic wallets (which are getting their own new FineWoven versions), chargers, and whatever else third parties can dream up to slap on the back of your iPhone. The FineWoven cases for the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max come in five different colors (black, taupe, mulberry, pacific blue, and evergreen) and will run $59. Also getting the FineWoven treatment are Apple’s AirTag key rings, for $35.

Apple has announced that watchOS 10 will be ready to download starting on September 18th. The update may be the biggest change to watchOS since Apple released its massively popular smartwatch, overhauling the former honeycomb grid and adding widgets — er, glances, as Apple calls them — that you can swipe through and customize.

The company also announced that, for the Apple Watch Series 9, Siri commands will be processed on-device. Apple says that the privacy-preserving nature of on-device processing means users can now ask questions related to personal health and fitness data from the Health app.

Every phone you pick up today has a fingerprint scanner, a face scanner, an option for PINs with four, six, or more digits, and often all of them at once. Phones prompt you to set up a scan and a passcode the first time you turn them on, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t have some form of security set up.

But go back just 10 years, and the story was very different. Back when our phones were still used almost entirely as phones and not teeny personal computers, most of the “locking” features on mobile devices were designed more to prevent you from butt-dialing anyone than to protect your sensitive information.

If the rumors are true, Apple will drop the more-than-decade-old Lightning port from its phones and adopt USB-C today. That means: it’s time for iPhone buyers to purchase some new cables.

Apple has for years used USB-C on its MacBooks and iPads, but it’s only now bringing them to iPhones to comply with European regulations. Android users might already have a bunch of USB-C cables in their cars, bags, kitchen counters, and bedroom side tables, but year-to-year iPhone upgraders probably won’t. Instead, they’ll need to look at their collection of Lightning cables and think about how many of them to replace with new USB-C ones.

Apple is holding its next big event in September to take the wraps off the iPhone 15, new Apple Watches, and more.

Here, we’ll go over how and when you can watch the event, along with the new product announcements we’re expecting to see from Apple.