New iPhone 15 (2023): release date, specifications and prices

The Apple pipeline continues to produce new iPhone models, despite Covid, chip shortages and the geopolitical situation. On September 12, 2023, they presented a new line of smartphones – iPhone 15. We’ll tell you what’s new in the device and how it differs from its predecessors.

What is known about the iPhone 15

The iPhone 15 line, as expected, has four smartphones: two basic (iPhone 15 and 15 Plus) and two premium (iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max). The basic versions have been significantly updated: now they also have a dynamic island instead of the traditional “bangs”. And they got the processor and camera from last year’s 14 Pro.

Manufacturer	Apple Inc
Start of sales	September 22, 2023 (pre-order from September 15, 2023)
Price	from $799 for iPhone 15 and from $999 for iPhone 15 Pro for minimum versions
iOS version	16 and newer
Major changes	Dynamic Island (interactive cutout instead of notch) and USB-C across the entire line, 5 colors, customizable mute button

 

Is it worth buying the iPhone 15

Apple has long abandoned Steve Jobs’ “one iPhone per year” concept. With the iPhone 11 line, as many as four new devices began to appear at a time (and sometimes the iPhone SE was added to them ).

Thus, the basic iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus did not receive one of the main features of the “pro” line – Dynamic Island instead of a top notch and a new processor. But iPhone 15 finally brings Dynamic Island to all models, from basic to premium.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are, of course, the most “charged” Apple smartphones in 2023 and 2024. After purchasing firmware, a person does not return to the topic of changing a phone for another two or three years – since there is enough processor power reserve. If you don’t have enough money for the current iPhone Pro model, then it’s better to pay attention to the “pro” smartphones of last year. In terms of characteristics, they are better than basic devices.

iPhone 15 release date in Russia

The iPhone line was introduced on September 12, and went on sale on September 22. Russian retailers opened pre-orders for all new models on September 15. The iPhone 15 release date in Russia was not delayed despite Apple sanctions. Officially, smartphones are not delivered to the Russian Federation, but parallel imports, organized by our retailers and techno-entrepreneurs, have been successful.

iPhone 15 price in Russia

Apple smartphone prices don’t change that often, and this has already happened with the release of the iPhone 14. Basic iPhones now start at $899 (iPhone) and $999 (iPhone Plus). The more expensive iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max will cost from $999 and $1,099, respectively. The price was left at the same level and did not increase it for the second year in a row.

At the pre-order stage, the price of iPhone 15 (for the most minimal version) in Russia was from 124,990 to 129,990 rubles. After a couple of months, it dropped noticeably: the same basic iPhone sells from 80,000 to 90,0000 rubles. The lower limit is the price for individual entrepreneurs, often when paying in cash. And large retailers, since they are forced to give a guarantee and provide service, stick to the old prices – about 120,000 rubles.

It was possible to reduce prices due to the free organization of parallel imports. However, the volatility of exchange rates and disruptions in logistics regularly make adjustments.

iPhone 15 and 15 Plus Specifications

Every new iPhone turns out better than the last, and that’s a fact. In the history of Apple there have been, to put it mildly, strange smartphones like the plastic iPhone 5C. It cost only $150 cheaper than the legendary iPhone 5S and was much weaker. But there was no outright hackwork among Apple smartphones.

The iPhone 15 line has become more attractive than smartphones in 2022. Apple achieved this by combining the technical part and the unique capabilities of the operating system ecosystem, for example, Dynamic Island.

Processor, memory, communications

At the beginning of the chapter, we note that in Apple smartphones, from a technical point of view, it is not processors that work, but systems-on-a-chip. This is due to the fact that three processors are soldered into the chip: a central processor, a video processor, and a processor for processing artificial intelligence algorithms. But for ease of understanding, all Bionic systems-on-a-chip in Russian are usually called processors. As you would expect, the more affordable iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus received the Bionic A16, but the more expensive smartphones were equipped with new A17 processors.

 

Regarding memory, the smartphones will work with 6 GB of RAM, like all predecessor models. The internal memory capacity of the iPhone 15 is 128 GB as a minimum and 512 as a maximum. Anything more already belongs to the Pro line.

As previously expected, all iPhone 15 have lost the Lightning charging port, which has been replaced by the USB-C standard.

Screen

The two basic smartphones are divided into two versions: the regular iPhone 15 with a 6.2-inch screen and a larger version of the iPhone 15 Plus 6.7 inches. The premium line has the same dimensions – Pro 6.2 inches and Pro Max 6.7 inches, respectively. The Hertz frequency remained at the same level – 60 Hz, but the peak brightness increased to 2,000 nits.

Finally, the most noticeable change is the Dynamic Island in all iPhone 15 models. Let us remind you that the notch adapts to different scenarios, increases and decreases, and shows weather and taxi widgets.

Frame

Externally, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have not undergone significant changes from the iPhone 14. The monolithic glass body received a gradient shimmer on the camera block and became slightly matte due to nanocrystalline polishing of the rear panel. The color scheme has also been updated – now there are five colors: black, white, blue, green and pink.

Camera

Apple has improved the camera, although no major changes were expected. The module has a resolution of 48 MP – now it shoots without loss of quality even with double zoom. The “Portrait” mode has also become the main one – the iPhone 15 will now shoot with it, after which it will allow the user to choose the best photo (with or without it).

Battery

The transition of smartphones to the relatively new A16 chip has somewhat increased the autonomy of the device. The processor operates on a three-nanometer process technology and consumes less battery power.

iPhone 15 Pro Specifications

With the introduction of Dynamic Island only in the iPhone 14 Pro line, Apple emphasized the status of more expensive devices. A similar policy continued this year, and both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max received even more interesting features.

Processor, memory, communications

According to DigiTimes, the new processor of the Bionic A17 line will become the only chip operating on a three-nanometer process technology in 2023. This automatically makes it the most productive and energy-efficient processor of the year. And it is installed only in the most expensive Apple smartphones. The Bionic A17 Pro is so powerful that full-fledged modern games will now be released on the iPhone: remakes of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Village and Death Stranding will be released by the end of 2023, and Assassin’s Creed will appear at the beginning of 2024. Therefore, support for gamepads is being actively added to the latest iOS updates.

The amount of RAM in the iPhone 15 Pro line was not increased to 8 GB. The amount is ridiculous by Android standards (there is so much RAM even in budget smartphones), but this is enough for stable operation of iOS. Moreover, Apple has not switched to new LPDDR5 RAM modules. Also, in the expensive iPhone 15 line, the amount of built-in memory remains the same – up to 1 TB. This is enough for tens of thousands of photos and videos.

In addition to the updated charging input (instead of Lighting it is now USB-C), the sound switch has also changed in premium models – it has been replaced by an Action Button, which can be programmed for any action, including a user command (for example, starting a camera or turning on a flashlight ).

Screen

iPhone 15 Pro features a 6.1-inch display, Dynamic Island and ProMotion technology, which allows you to vary the frame rate from 1 to 120 Hz (instead of the standard 60 Hz).

Frame

The case has also undergone changes – the iPhone 15 Pro has matte titanium frames with a slight roughness effect and a matte back panel. The same titanium is used to produce parts for NASA’s Mars rover. Everything inside the smartphone remains made of aluminum.

Camera

The iPhone 15 Pro has an improved camera – the resolution remains the same (48 MP), but the sensor has increased. Cupertino residents also noted shooting with focal lengths equivalent to 24, 28 and 35 mm. The new telephoto lens supports 3x zoom and works better with LiDAR, which promises better night photography.

Battery

Switching to USB-C will have a positive effect on iPhone charging speed. Apple’s favorite Lightning standard works fine with charges up to 27 W, while USB-C supports chargers over 100 W. Data on the battery capacity of the iPhone 15 Pro is unlikely to be known, but the Cupertino team noted that the iPhone will work “up to 29 hours in video playback mode.”

iPhone 15 Pro Max Specifications

At the moment, the iPhone 15 Pro Max remains the most powerful and advanced smartphone in the entire line. But the rumors about Ultra remained just rumors.

Processor, memory, communications

Practice has shown that such “hardware” characteristics of Apple Pro smartphones are no different. Therefore, the iPhone 15 Pro Max received a Bionic A17 Pro processor, 8 GB of energy-efficient and fast LPDDR5 and up to 1 TB of internal memory storage.

Screen

A similar situation exists with the display modules of two premium smartphones from Apple. Their only difference is their sizes. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch OLED display with an increased frequency of 120 Hz.

Frame

The design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max case is virtually no different from the iPhone 15 Pro. Both smartphones are premium Apple models, so the iPhone 15 Pro Max also has a titanium insert, a modern USB-C port for charging and syncing, and a customizable Action Button.

Camera

As always, the main difference between the Pro Max and the rest of the line is hidden in the camera. In 2022, Pro models received a new 48-megapixel module, and this year this series of smartphones also received it. Among the innovations: the telescopic camera supports 5x optical zoom at 120 mm, and the aperture of the optics has also increased to f/1.78 instead of f/1.9. More advanced stabilization has also appeared – up to 10,000 movements per second – twice as often as in the iPhone 14 Pro.

Video shooting is carried out in ProRes quality with 4K at 60 frames per second (previously it was 4K at 30 fps). Additionally, the phones will be able to shoot 3D video for the Vision Pro augmented reality headset.

Battery

There is no exact information about the battery capacity of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But switching premium smartphones to USB-C can greatly speed up charging times.

What new products did not appear in the iPhone 15?

Let’s look at what new products are definitely not in Apple smartphones in 2023:

Portless design

Such information appears before the release of each new Apple smartphone. It is possible that in the dreams of Apple designers this idea looks great, but in reality not everyone is ready for such changes. Remember how people reacted to Apple’s removal of the headphone port.

Titanium inserts in iPhone 15

Whatever one may say, the two basic iPhones in Apple’s view turned out to be mass-produced devices on which you can save money. Therefore, titanium began to be used in the housing of the budget iPhone 15.

Expert review of iPhone 15

iOS application developer (senior iOS-developer) Artem Sazonov shares his opinion about the iPhone 15 :

“The iPhone 15 model turned out to be good, but not revolutionary. The main innovations are the chip (A17) and the replacement of the charging port standard with USB-C. Moreover, the base model has USB-C version 2 installed. These have been produced for 20 years now. And only in the Pro version they added USB-C version 3 (it can transfer files at a speed of 10 Gbps versus 480 Mbps in the previous version). However, this should not be a problem, since alternative methods of transferring media files to a computer are available – AirDrop and cloud services.

USB-C will reduce the number of wires in everyday life – this standard is used in many modern devices (from laptops to toothbrushes), as well as on Android. So it could be a critical factor for the next generation to choose.

I will also highlight in the Pro version a five-fold optical zoom, a titanium case and an action button, which replaced the silent mode switch. The main shortcomings of the iPhone 15 emerged at the start. They were mostly software. Some applications caused the phone to heat up, but this was fixed in patches.

This model is worth taking for those whose device is outdated physically (for example, iPhone X) or morally (iPhone 12). But if you have a previous generation device and you are completely satisfied with its performance, there is no need to run for a new one. Key services that can complicate the life of users in Russia, which do not work and have no analogues, are: Apple Pay (analogues look like outright crutches, and the “magic” is lost), Private relay (an alternative to VPN) and satellite communications. In any case, the device turned out to be interesting, with many new improvements from Apple, but, unfortunately, not breakthrough.”