As part of its Wonderlust launch event, Apple has officially launched the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. While they might look almost identical to their 2022 predecessors, there are quite a number of new features that really set them apart.
One of them is the Dynamic Island which first made its debut on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. In case you somehow not familiar with the feature, it allows the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus to display alerts, notifications, and app-specific functions within the notch area of their display.
When it comes to the display, the iPhone 15 continues to feature a 6.1-inch OLED-based Super Retina XDR display. Similarly, Apple has also maintained the 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display for the iPhone 15 Plus.
While they also still have the same 60Hz refresh rate, these displays do have a much higher brightness level than their predecessors. Specifically, their typical maximum brightness level is 1,000 nits which can be pushed further to 1,600 nits when they are under HDR mode or 2,000 nits when they are being used outdoors.
Aside from that, the new iPhone models for 2023 have also been equipped with the A16 Bionic processor which was carried over from last year’s iPhone 14 Pro models. The SoC offers an improved CPU performance together with 50% more memory bandwidth for its GPU over the A15 Bionic.
Another new feature that was carried over from last year’s Pro model to the mainstream 2023 iPhone offerings is the 48MP camera sensor for its main camera. The new sensor essentially has four times the resolution of the main camera on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.
In order to allow users to take advantage of the new higher resolution sensor, users can choose to capture images at the native 48MP resolution if they want to capture all the fine details of their scene. On the other hand, they also have the default 24MP mode which utilises computational photography and pixel-binning to help deliver excellent image quality.
The company is also using the sensor to help deliver up to 2X telephoto capability to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus which is the first for mainstream iPhone devices. Even though it is not a true optical zoom camera, Apple claimed that the camera system can still deliver optical-quality zoom levels although the resolution only goes up to 12MP instead of 24MP or 48MP.
As for the secondary camera, Apple continues to utilise a 12MP ultra-wide camera and 12MP TrueDepth front camera just like last year’s models. Interestingly, the company has also pointed out that iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus users are able to capture portraits without the need to switch to the dedicated Portrait mode.
This is because the camera system will automatically capture depth information when it detects that the subject is a person, dog, or cat. This makes it possible for users to adjust the focus point after the photo has been taken.
Of course, let’s not forget another new feature on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: the new USB-C connectivity. Together with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple has finally replaced its proprietary Lightning port with the more common USB-C which the company has already been using for Mac and iPad.
Aside from making it possible to use the same USB-C cable to charge other Apple devices, iPhone 15 owners can use their phone to charge the 2nd generation AirPods Pro provided that they have the USB-C MagSafe Charging Case. They can also charge the Apple Watch using their iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus too.
So, how about the pricing? Well, we have bad news for you: the price has gone up once again.
This is because the iPhone 15 starts at RM4,399 while the iPhone 15 Plus has a starting price of RM4,899. As a comparison, the launch price of last year’s iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus starts from RM4,199 and RM4,699, respectively.
Available in pink, yellow, green, blue, and black with three storage options including 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus can be pre-ordered in Malaysia on Friday, 22 September. They will then be made available to the public starting from Friday, 29 September onwards.
Related reading
- iPhone 15 and 15 Plus Malaysia: Here’s the official pricing, available 29 September
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max: Titanium body, A17 Pro, Action Button and USB-C
- iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus get price cut in Malaysia after the launch of the iPhone 15
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: 3000nits peak brightness, new watch faces and new gesture controls
- Apple Watch Series 9: More environmentally focused, a brighter screen and new S9 chip
- Apple AirPods Pro: 2023 edition updated with USB-C port, along with new Adaptive Audio
