iPhone 15 is officially UNVEILED: Apple’s new smartphone starts at $799

Apple today unveiled the long-awaited iPhone 15 at the company’s ‘Wonderlust’ event in California. 

Chief executive Tim Cook revealed that the device will feature a textured matte finish and a ceramic shield, starting at $799. 

The smartphone will come in five new colors – a fetching pink, yellow, green, blue and black.

Apple also said that USB-C charging cables are coming to both its iPhone 15 and the charging case of its AirPods Pro devices, allowing the use of the same charging cables already used for iPads and Macs. 

iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch display and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery amid a global smartphone slump and problems with sales in China.

The iPhone 15 will be available on September 22nd, with preorders starting Friday.

During its annual September product event, Apple gave the world its first look at its new iPhone 15. Vice President of iPhone Product Marketing Kaiann Drance took the stage to show off the new iPhone 15

The most significant upgrade is the Dynamic Island added to the flagship smartphone, previously only available with the high-end iPhone 14 Plus

Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, said: ‘iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus represent a huge leap forward with exciting camera innovations that inspire creativity, the intuitive Dynamic Island, and features like Roadside Assistance via satellite that make a real difference in users’ lives.

‘We’re also pushing the power of computational photography to new levels this year with a 48MP Main camera featuring a new 24MP default for super-high-resolution photos, a new 2x Telephoto option, and next-generation portraits.’ 

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, which starts at $899, feature a 48-megapixel main camera, capable of twice the telephoto option for capturing photos and 4K video, and the new A16 bionic chips. 

The iPhone 15 Plus has a 6.7-inch display but the same features as the flagship model.

And new capabilities let users take portraits without switching to Portrait mode. 

An Apple executive said the company used machine learning to detect a person in the frame, allowing users to turn a picture into a portrait immediately or later in the Photos app.

‘When there’s a person, dog, or cat in the frame, or when a user taps to focus, iPhone automatically captures depth information, so users can turn photos into stunning portraits later in the Photos app on iPhone, iPad, or Mac,’ Apple shared.

The sleek device has a textured matte finish, a ceramic shield and supports USB-C charging

The new smartphone is available in five colors, including a new pink hue

The iPhone 15 also has a brighter display, a 48-megapixel camera and 100 percent recycled cobalt in its battery amid a global smartphone slump and problems with sales in China

Each one will include the Dynamic Island that was only available in the high-end iPhone 14 models, which is a ‘pill-shaped’ cutout at the top of the display that shows notifications and activities.

‘The elegant experience fluidly expands and adapts so users can see the next direction in Maps; easily control music; and, with third-party app integrations, get real-time updates on food delivery, ride-sharing, sports scores, travel plans, and more,’ Apple shared on Tuesday. 

The iPhone 15 also has an OLED Super Retina display, which supports Dolby Vision content with 1,600 nits of brightness. 

Just like all new iPhones, the iPhone 15 has an upgraded camera system

However, the peak brightness of this display is 2,000 nits in sunlight, which is double that of the iPhone 14. 

While new colors have been added to the iPhone 15 lineup, the smartphones are the first to infuse shades throughout the back glass.

A new contoured edge on the aerospace-grade aluminum enclosure and the Ceramic Shield front cover. The device also features a water- and dust-resistant design.

New features with the iPhone 15

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus feature Apple’s latest iOS 17, which is packed with new capabilities.

Users can add Contact Posters, which allows them to customize how they appear to their contacts.

Live Voicemail will display voicemail transcripts in real-time on the display, and Messages now has new stickers.

There is also Check In, which allows users to automatically notify friends and family when they have made it to their destination safely.

This notification appears like a text message sharing your battery power amount. 

Name Drop is another highly-anticipated upgrade that lets users share contact details by simply bringing two iPhone devices together. The same gesture can be used for AirDrop content and more.

And the new StandBy gives users a customizable full-screen experience with glanceable information designed to be viewed from a distance when the iPhone is on its side and charging. 

Apple Watch Series 9 

Apple also announced its new Apple Watch Series 9 Tuesday, which features a touchless ability to answer calls and snooze alarms – users tape their index and thumb together to perform these tasks.

It uses machine learning to detect tiny changes in blood flow when the user taps their fingers together, freeing up the other hand for other tasks like walking a dog or holding a cup of coffee, said Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams. 

Apple kicked off its annual September product event with emotional stories of people whose lives were saved by its Apple Watch – and then revealed the new Apple Watch Series 9

The Series 9 was designed with the tech giant’s most powerful chip – the S9-Chp – that is twice as fast as the one introduced in 2022. 

Along with a new device, Apple announced innovative features, including Name Drop between the devices and the ability to sync your Watch with a Home Pod.

The Series 9 was designed with the tech giant’s most powerful chip – the S9-Chp – that is twice as fast as the one introduced in 2022

New internal hardware picks up the hand gestures, allowing users to answer calls, hang up and snooze alarms with the tap of the index finger and thumb.

The 2022 Series 8 provides up to 1,000 nits of brightness, but the latest model is up to 2,000.

Name Drop will be released with the upcoming iOS 17 update, which allows users to tap their devices to share contacts.

However, this is not expected to hit the Apple Watch until later this year.

The Series 9 will look similar to previous models but will have updated colors, including pink, starlight and silver. 

The tech giant is also ditching the traditional leather bands for Finewoven, which it claims feels like the original bands but are made of cloth.

And Apple said it has been working with Hermes and Nike in producing the cloth-made pieces. 

The latest watches get the next-generation S9 chip, capable of better animations and effects. It is the first processor upgrade since Apple released the Series 6 line in 2020. 

The Series 9 starts at $399.