The Apple iPhone Launch

Another Apple Event was held online on September 12, 2023. This time, the event covered two key items in Apple's lineup: The newest iPhone and latest smartwatch. Both are wildly popular with consumers; both of these newest iterations have plenty of cool new features to make even skeptics take a hard look at the offerings.

iPhone 15: The Latest iPhone from Apple

As expected, Apple dropped the newest iPhone in its lineup during its September launch event: The iPhone 15.

Four versions of the phone debuted in two sizes. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have 6.1-inch screens, while the Plus and Pro Max versions have 6.7-inch displays. There's more to the offerings than simple size differences, however.

Apple split its presentation between the 15/15 Plus and the Pro/Pro Max; we're shaking down things to help you understand the important differences.

iPhone 15 and 15 Plus: Just the (Powerful) Basics

The base options for the iPhone 15 make them truly impressive devices, and they have a lot to offer anyone.

To start, they're using the same A16 Bionic processor as the iPhone 14 Pro, so people who missed out on the upgrade last time can get a lot of power right out of the box.

The changes to the Dynamic Island look interesting. The feature has seemed slightly redundant with notifications for app updates and other alerts, but the always-on look is designed to make it more useful and readable.

Apple has also taken a new direction with colors for this new line. The options are blue, pink, yellow, green, and black, and they're baked into the material. The result is a light, almost powdery finish.

Pro and Pro Max: What's the Difference?

The main reason someone might go for the Pro version of an iPhone over the base model is the camera. While the iPhone 15 and Pro both have an impressive 48-megapixel main camera, the Pro versions have a third lens that provides additional features.

The main extra is the telephoto capability, but the Pro also has a higher optical zoom (up to 10x, compared to the iPhone 15's 4x). If you're planning on picking up the Apple Vision Pro headset, the third lens will let you capture Spatial video to play back in 3D.

The Pro tier is an easy choice over the standard 15 version for photographers, but the appearance might also make some decisions.

The Pro and Pro Max's titanium cases and more subtle colors may appeal more to people than the 15's pastel lineup. The case is available in four colors: natural, blue, white, and black.

The final major difference with the Pro and Pro Max is the Action Button, which replaces the mute switch on earlier models. This feature will mute your phone, sure, but it can also start a workout, turn on the flashlight, open the camera, and other custom options.

It can even use Shortcuts, which opens up even more possibilities.

The Coolest Features of the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro

Apple shared plenty of interesting news at the iPhone 15 launch, but here are some of our favorite things coming to the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro.

Camera post-production: You don't need to get the 15 Pro to take good pictures, and even the "regular" iPhone 15 can do some cool stuff using machine learning. We were most excited to see the ability to change the depth of focus on a picture you've already taken, along with the phone's ability to recognize a person (or pet) and automatically take a Portrait.

Voice filtering: We don't remember the last time we had a call on any smartphone and didn't have to ask the other person to repeat something, so the iPhone 15's ability to filter out background noise and only leave a voice sounds like a great addition.

Action Button: The iPhone 15 Pro's Action Button is a huge deal and opens up a lot of possibilities for how we use our phones. It's one thing to remove the old-fashioned switch, but it's great that the replacement actually seems like a big improvement.

USB-C: Sure, Apple didn't really choose to make the switch from Lightning to USB-C. But now that they've made the change, it looks like a great idea. The ability to use whatever cable is handy instead of hunting for the Apple-specific one has us feeling great, but the increased transfer speeds and functionality will also be good.

Spatial Video: Spatial Video is a gimmick feature that only works with a niche product (the Vision Pro), but darn if it doesn't look cool. The possibilities are also there if Apple decides to open it up to other uses, like 3D scanning.

iPhone 15 Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 15 series starts at $799, but size, version, and memory choices will impact the final price. Here's how these options affect the cost:

• iPhone 15: $799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)
• iPhone 15 Plus: $899 (128GB), $999 (256GB), $1,199 (512GB)
• iPhone 15 Pro: $999 (128GB), $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), $1,499 (1TB)
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB)

The iPhone 15 line will go up for pre-order on September 15; Apple has an actual release date for the phones of September 22.

The New Apple Watches

This event included two new models of the Apple Watch: the standard Series 9 and the more rugged Ultra 2.

Series 9

Apple showed off the latest Apple Watch, the Series 9, which provides several updates and improvements over the previous model. The first major update is the screen, which goes edge-to-edge and can display up to 2,000 nits, which is twice the maximum brightness of the Series 8.

The new S9 chip is 30% faster than its predecessor and lets you do more with Siri. The main update to the digital assistant is that it can use the increased processing power and speed to handle requests on the device.

This change has two benefits: It's faster, and your requests don't go to the cloud, so it's more secure.

The Apple Watch Series 9 is available with two case options: aluminum and stainless steel. The aluminum case is available in pink, Midnight (black), Starlight (white), silver, and red. Stainless steel color options are gold, silver, and graphite.

Each case is available in 41 and 45mm sizes, and either one can optionally connect to a cellular network.

Ultra 2

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 only comes in one case size, but it's bigger than either of the Series 9 options. Its titanium frame measures 49mm, and its always-on display is also 50% brighter than the Series 9's screen, with a maximum output of 3,000 nits.

Ultra 2 also has on-board Siri requests for speed and privacy, and its exclusive Modular Ultra watch face makes a lot of information available without you having to go into an app. You can check the weather, UV Index, your altitude, workout data, and more just by looking at your watch.

The Ultra series' other standout feature is the customizable Action Button, which returns for the Ultra 2. It sits next to the Digital Crown and lets you do things like drop a compass waypoint, start a workout, and more with a single press.

And, for outdoor emergencies, you can tap and hold the Action Button for a siren.

The Coolest Features

Apple dropped a lot of information really quickly, but some features were definitely our favorites. Here are our picks for the best things about the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

The double-tap gesture. This cool and convenient feature is available on both new Apple Watches. You touch your index finger to your thumb twice to quickly perform actions that you can customize. Some examples Apple gave for double-tap gestures were responding to messages, answering calls, and starting timers.

Precision iPhone location. We've always been able to ping our iPhone from our Apple Watch – oddly, I don't think I ever misplaced my iPhone before I had an Apple Watch to locate it with – but the feature is getting a boost in the Series 9 and Ultra 2. Instead of just having your iPhone make a noise, this update gives you location and distance information on your watch screen to help you get to your phone quickly.

On-board Siri. We already talked about Siri answering queries from the Apple Watch instead of sending requests to Apple's servers, but it really feels like a big deal. The speed and privacy are benefits, sure, but the added benefit of accessing and logging health information (weight, cycle tracking, and sleep) also sounds super useful.

Dive tracking. This Apple Watch Ultra 2-exclusive feature uses the device's depth sensor to help you record your underwater activities. Along with how far down you went, the Ultra 2 will also track your underwater time, water temperature, and other statistics. Admittedly, not everyone will use this one, but it's a cool feature, regardless.

FineWoven bands: One of our favorite new features for the Apple Watch isn't hardware or software; instead, it's a new way Apple is making the bands that hold them on our wrists. The FineWoven material is part of Apple's environmental initiative and will replace leather bands. It's made of 68% recycled material, has a variety of colors, and you can choose between Magnetic Link and Modern Buckle options.

Pricing and Availability

The Series 9 starts at $399, but the price will change depending on case material, size, connectivity, and band. Here's a quick breakdown:

• Case material: The aluminum case starts at $399, but the stainless steel option starts at $699.
• Case size: The larger, 45mm case size adds $30 to the aluminum option and $50 to the stainless steel.
• Connectivity: The stainless steel Apple Watch Series 9 is only available in a GPS + Cellular option, but it's an optional add-on for the aluminum version. It adds $100.
• Bands: The Solo Loop, Sport Band, and Sport Loop don't add to the cost of the Apple Watch. Other options, like the FineWoven, Milanese Loop, and Link Bracelet, can add as much as $400 to the base price.

The Ultra 2 costs $799 regardless of options, and the only real customization you have is in the band. You can choose between three bands, each of which comes in three colors.

Both the Series 9 and Ultra 2 are currently available for pre-order and will release on September 22.