How much has Apple done with its smartphones in a year: we look at the differences between the iPhone 15 lineup and its predecessors

Usually, tech manufacturers update their main models once a year. And the further it goes, the harder it becomes for developers to surprise their fans with something. This is especially true for flagship devices, as they have a lot of demanding users who expect significant and interesting changes every time.

Apple has just introduced its new iPhone lineup, which traditionally consists of four smartphones. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus remain the “entry-level” variants among them, while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the most powerful versions “for all occasions.”

As for the first pair, quite expectedly, it remained without significant design changes, but significantly increased its functionality. Thus, the familiar body has been minimally updated in size and color, while the displays have become brighter, the processors more powerful, and the main camera has quadrupled its resolution.

The Dynamic Island, an updated notch for the front camera and Face ID sensors, will help to refresh the experience of working with the new smartphone. Last year, Apple introduced it exclusively for Pro models, and this time (quite predictably) it has passed this experience on to the simpler smartphones in the new line. By the way, the same thing was said about USB-C, as if the iPhone 15 could have remained with Lightning, but it didn’t happen (although the port on Pro models is still faster). 

No additional payment for this is required from the user, so the prices of such smartphones remained on par with their predecessors.

And the only difference between the regular and Plus versions of the iPhone 15 is the size of the display (and, accordingly, the body) and the battery capacity. The larger version does not offer any additional benefits.

But the iPhone 15 Pro has undergone a bit more changes. This time, the company has updated the chassis, which is now made of titanium rather than steel. This is what was emphasized the most. Now the frame does not play the role of a mirror and should better “hold the impact” of everyday use. It’s very interesting to see direct comparisons with its predecessor in crash tests, which are likely to be numerous this year.

In addition, the Pro versions have not only reduced weight, but also made the bezels around the display thinner. Those users who do not buy protective cases will probably appreciate this change. However, in the new case, the “older” models have become thicker than their predecessors.

And now the iPhone 15 Pro has lost the call mode switcher. It has been replaced with an Action button, the functionality of which will be chosen by the user. Most likely, if buyers of new models don’t start bombarding the company with threats demanding to “return it as it was,” the same change will be made to the iPhone 16 in a year.

The new processor is called Apple A17 Pro, not Bionic. It is now a 3-nanometer chip, which, among other things, now has 6-core graphics (its predecessor had 5-core) and a new controller for fast USB 3 (10 Gbps is promised). Additionally, the Pro versions added 2 GB of RAM (now 8, not 6), support for Wi-Fi 6E and the Indian navigation system NavIC. All iPhone 15 models also have improved Ultra Wideband 2 connectivity.

The cameras of the new model have practically not changed their characteristics. Among the achievements of the iPhone 15 Pro, we can only mention Spatial Video, which the smartphone shoots with the main and ultra-wide-angle sensors simultaneously, and the recording is intended for viewing in the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. The main sensor will also offer three focal length options in the equivalent of 24, 28, and 35 mm, which can be switched between directly in the application.

At the same time, the iPhone 15 Pro was able to keep the price of the previous version, which starts at $999 in the US.

In turn, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is now a little more different from the smaller model. With a larger display and battery, the user will immediately be offered the option of 256 GB of storage. That is, there will no longer be a 128 GB option. However, there is no more than 1 TB either.

An additional “bonus” of the largest Pro is also a new telephoto camera (“tetraprismatic”), which has better stabilization and provides 5x optical zoom. This change has long been “predicted” by insiders and has become a privilege only for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Thus, the company has returned to a larger difference between the smaller and larger flagships. In addition, given the initial amount of storage capacity, the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max now starts at $1,199. And even though it’s the same price as the previous iPhone 14 Pro Max with the same storage, the slightly cheaper option for a model of this size has disappeared.