MacRumors

When the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models were introduced today, Apple's Kaiann Drance mentioned that they support the next-generation Qi2 charging standard, but that apparently does not mean that Qi charging will be faster.

Apple's technical specifications page for the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models says that Qi-based charging is still limited to 7.5W, while MagSafe charging is 15W.

Qi2 is a new wireless charging standard built on ‌MagSafe‌ charging technology supplied by Apple. It includes a Magnetic Power Profile that ensures that smartphones are "perfectly aligned with charging devices" and it is meant to offer "improved energy efficiency and faster charging."

Some companies have announced Qi2 chargers that can charge at up to 15W, the same as ‌MagSafe‌, but it does not appear that Apple's iPhones will support the faster 15W Qi2 charging functionality.

There have been no improvements to ‌MagSafe‌ charging speeds either, and rumors that suggested we could see quicker wired charging may also be incorrect. 9to5Mac said that the ‌iPhone 15‌ models could support faster charging speeds using a 35W charger, but Apple's technical specifications page doesn't list any improvement to fast charging.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ models will continue to charge to 50 percent in around 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter. It is possible that using a 35W or higher charger will speed up charging, but that will need to be figured out once the devices are released.

Apple today discontinued the MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Duo Charger immediately following its iPhone 15 event. Both accessories are no longer available to order on Apple's online store, with the product listings completely removed.

Both the MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Duo Charger were equipped with a Lightning port, so it is not too surprising that they were discontinued after Apple introduced four new iPhone 15 models with USB-C ports. Last year, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted that the MagSafe Battery Pack would transition to USB-C eventually, but it's unclear if that will ever happen or if the accessory has been retired for good.

Released in 2021, the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ was priced at $99 and attaches magnetically to the back of the iPhone 12 and newer, providing hours of additional battery life. Meanwhile, the MagSafe Duo was a $129 foldable charging mat with both a MagSafe charger for iPhones and an Apple Watch magnetic charging puck.

Apple did release some other new USB-C accessories, including updated AirPods Pro and EarPods, while the Apple TV's Siri Remote gained a USB-C port last year.

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models, rumors from leakers like Majin Bu and Kosutami suggested that the new iPhones would be sold with color-matched braided USB-C to USB-C cables, but that didn't happen.

Apple did update the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro with a USB-C port, but they are sold with standard, plain white braided USB-C to USB-C cables.

Images of the supposed "color-matched" cables were in the soft pastel colors that the iPhones were rumored to come in, but looking back, the colors were slightly off. Leaks also suggested that the cables could be 50 percent longer at 1.5m in length, but that was also incorrect.

All of the ‌iPhone 15‌ models are sold with a USB-C to USB-C cable that is one meter in length, but the cables are indeed braided for additional durability. Apple is selling no braided USB-C to USB-C cables in colors that match the iPhones, though there is a 1-meter black Thunderbolt 4 cable that enables USB 3.2 transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s on the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro.

Following today's "Wonderlust" Apple event, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo released the first music video shot on Apple's all-new iPhone 15 Pro. The video is for Rodrigo's song "get him back!", from her sophomore album "GUTS," which released last week.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max feature an improved camera system, including a main camera with a larger sensor, a new coating to reduce lens flare, and better low light performance for Portraits and Night mode. The main camera allows users to switch between three focal lengths (24mm, 28mm, and 35mm) and choose one as a new default.

the ‘get him back!’ music video, made with the amazing jack begert and @apple, is out now!!! https://t.co/QriJcerfpJ #ShotoniPhone15Pro pic.twitter.com/fHaOSzTJnx

— Olivia Rodrigo (@oliviarodrigo) September 12, 2023

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro features a 3x Telephoto camera, while the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max has the longest optical zoom ever seen on an iPhone: 5x at 120mm. Apple said that thanks to optical image stabilization, an autofocus 3D sensor-shift module, and a tetraprism design, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max camera is the company's most advanced stabilization system yet.

The new camera also has an updated Smart HDR system that will capture subjects and backgrounds with more true-to-life renderings of skin tones, ensuring photos have brighter highlights, richer midtones, and deeper shadows. All of these upgrades come from Apple's new A17 Pro chip.

For more details about the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and Pro Max, be sure to read our announcement article on the smartphones.

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 feature 64GB of storage, double the amount of previous generations.

As listed on Apple's specifications page, all versions of the Apple Watch Series 9 and ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ feature twice as much storage as their predecessors. The increase offers substantially more space for apps and media, and is presumably related to the all-new S9 chip, which brings significant performance and efficiency improvements to the Apple Watch.

The original Apple Watch, Series 2, and Series 3, had just 8GB of storage, increasing to 16GB on the Apple Watch Series 4. The Apple Watch Series 5 increased storage once more to 32GB, where it has remained through the Series 6, Series 7, and Series 8, making the Series 9 the first time the Apple has increased the device's storage in five years.

It is worth noting that only a proportion of the Apple Watch's storage is available for media like music and podcasts, since Apple caps it at 25% of the device's total storage pool. This means recent models have been unable to store more than 8GB of media. With the Apple Watch Series 9 and ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌, users will be able to store 16GB of media.

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro models, there were rumors that said both devices would see a price increase. It was speculated that the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro could start at $1,099 and the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max could start at $1,199, which, as it turns out, isn't quite right.

Apple did not change the price of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, and it is still priced starting at $999 for 128GB of storage.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max is priced starting at $1,199, but that's only because Apple has eliminated the 128GB storage tier for that device. It now starts at 256GB, and $1,199 is the same price Apple charged for the 256GB iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Apple is charging $1,399 for the 512GB ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max and $1,599 for the 1TB ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, so the pricing is the same as the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max for all storage capacities.

The standard ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus models have not changed in price. The ‌iPhone 15‌ is priced starting at $799 and the ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus is priced starting at $899.

While the new standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are equipped with a USB-C port, data transfer over a cable remains limited to USB 2.0 speeds of up to 480 Mbps, which is equal to the Lightning port on previous iPhones. Apple confirmed this detail in its tech specs for the devices posted on the company's website.

The higher-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are also equipped with a USB-C port, but those devices support USB 3 data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps over a cable. Unlike recent iPad Pro models, this means that the Pro models unfortunately do not support Thunderbolt, which theoretically supports speeds up to 40 Gbps.

iPhone 15 Pro models will require a supported cable, such as Apple's one-meter Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable, to achieve USB 3 data transfer speeds.

All four iPhone 15 models are available to pre-order this Friday and launch September 22.

In the United Kingdom, Apple has made the price of the newly announced iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models £100+ cheaper across all configuration options than the equivalent iPhone 14 Pro models when they were launched last year.

Last year's iPhone 14 Pro started at £1,099, but the newly announced iPhone 15 Pro starts at £999. Moving up the storage options for both Pro and Pro Max models, the equivalent savings increase by £110, £130, and £150 for the 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options, respectively.

The full price range is as follows:

• iPhone 15 Pro – 128GB - £999
• iPhone 15 Pro – 256GB - £1,099
• iPhone 15 Pro – 512GB - £1,299
• iPhone 15 Pro – 1TB - £1,499
• iPhone 15 Pro Max – 256GB - £1,199
• iPhone 15 Pro Max – 512GB - £1,399
• iPhone 15 Pro Max – 1TB - £1,599

The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max is priced starting at £1,199, but that's only because Apple has eliminated the 128GB storage tier for that device. It now starts at 256GB, and £1,199 is the same price Apple charged for the 256GB iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Apple has also reduced the price of all iPhone 15 models versus the iPhone 14. For example, the iPhone 14 started at £849, while the iPhone 15 is £50 less at £799.

Pre-orders for the new ‌iPhone 15‌ series will open on Friday, September 15, with shipping to begin on Friday, September 22.

Article updated to reflect equivalent savings for higher storage options.

Apple today announced new 6TB and 12TB storage tiers for its iCloud+ subscription service, pushing past 2TB for the first time.

Every Apple ID receives 5GB of free cloud storage, but users can upgrade to a paid ‌iCloud‌+ storage subscription plan to get 50GB, 200GB, 2TB, 6TB, or 12TB of storage. All paid ‌iCloud‌+ storage plans include features like ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay, Hide My Email, and Custom Email Domains. Currently, subscribers pay $0.99 per month for 50GB of cloud storage, $2.99 per month for 200GB, and $9.99 per month for 2 TB.

The new 6TB ‌iCloud‌+ will be priced at $29.99 per month and while the 12TB plan costs $59.99 per month. For comparison, Google's 5TB and 10TB cloud storage plans cost $24.99 and $49.99 per month.

The higher storage tiers provide an option for those who had already filled 2TB of storage from ‌iCloud‌+ and 2TB of storage from an Apple One subscription. Like other ‌iCloud‌+ subscription plans, the pool of cloud storage can be shared among up to six people via Family Sharing. The bigger ‌iCloud‌ plans are set to become available on Monday, September 18.

For the iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, Apple is using a new titanium frame rather than a stainless steel frame, which cuts down on weight. The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max are approximately nine percent lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro weighs 187 grams, down from 206 grams for the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max weighs 221 grams, down from 240 grams for the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max.

Apple's ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus continue to feature a chassis made from aluminum, so there has been no notable weight change with those devices compared to the prior-generation.

Along with lowering the weight of the iPhone, the titanium material is also less prone to fingerprints because of the new brushed finish and it is more durable.

Apple's newly announced iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max models introduce a new Action button that replaces the traditional Ring/Silent switch – a staple of the iPhone since it launched in 2007. Here's a rundown of its functions.

The all-new Action button replaces the single-function switch used to toggle between ring and silent, offering additional options so users can choose between quickly accessing the camera or flashlight, activate Voice Memos, Focus modes, Translate, and accessibility features like Magnifier. Users can also associate it with Shortcuts for more options.

A press-and-hold gesture with fine-tuned haptic feedback and visual cues in the Dynamic Island ensure the new Action button launches the intended action, which users can customize in Settings and assign to different actions. Here's what it can be programmed to do:

• Accessibility: Access to various accessibility settings, such as VoiceOver, Zoom, AssistiveTouch, Live Speech, and more.
• Shortcuts: Open your favorite app, or run a shortcut created in or downloaded from the Shortcuts app, such as sending a message, playing a playlist, or controlling smart home devices.
• Silent Mode: Like the Ring/Silent switch on existing ‌iPhone‌ models, toggle silent mode on or off, which will mute or unmute the ringer and alerts.
• Camera: Take a photo, selfie, video, portrait, or portrait selfie with a single press of the Action button.
• Flashlight: Turn on or off the flashlight on the back of the device.
  

• Focus: Activate or deactivate a Focus mode.
• Magnifier: Activate the Magnifier app to use the ‌iPhone‌'s camera as a magnifying glass to zoom in on small text or objects.
• Translate: Launch the Translate app and start a conversation or text translation with a single press of the Action button.
• Voice Memos: Start or stop recording a voice memo with the Voice Memos app.

The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models retain the traditional Ring/Silent switch, making the "Action" button one of the key differentiating features of the ‌‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, and also something that makes the new models‌ stand out from their predecessors.

Apple's "Wonderlust" event has wrapped up, and with it we have a new generation of iPhones and Apple Watches. In this article, we're taking a look at all of the new case and accessories Apple has launched for the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

Starting with the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus models, we have an array of the usual case styles this year. You can get the Clear Case ($49.00) for both models.

The iPhone 15 Silicone Case with MagSafe ($49.00) is available in Orange Sorbet, Cypress, Winter Blue, Storm Blue, Guava, Clay, Light Pink, and Black.

You'll find the exact same colors in the iPhone 15 Plus Silicone Case with MagSafe ($49.00).

The iPhone 15 FineWoven Case with MagSafe ($59.00) is the newest case style this year, and it replaces all leather options. It's available in Mulberry, Evergreen, Taupe, Pacific Blue, and Black.

Again, you'll find the exact same colors in the iPhone 15 Plus FineWoven Case with MagSafe ($59.00).

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Moving to the Pro-level iPhones, you'll find a similar collection of accessories, including the Clear Case ($49.00) for both ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and Pro Max.

The iPhone 15 Pro Silicone Case with MagSafe ($49.00) comes in Orange Sorbet, Cypress, Winter Blue, Storm Blue, Guava, Clay, Light Pink, and Black.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max Silicone Case with MagSafe ($49.00) is available in all of the same colors as the smaller counterpart.

The iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven Case with MagSafe ($59.00) can be purchased in Mulberry, Evergreen, Taupe, Pacific Blue, and Black.

The same color options can be purchased for the iPhone 15 Pro Max FineWoven Case with MagSafe ($59.00).

FineWoven Wallet

Lastly, Apple has updated its iPhone wallet accessory to also accomodate its new FineWoven material. You can get the iPhone FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe ($59.00) in the same matching colors as the ‌iPhone‌ FineWoven cases: Mulberry, Evergreen, Taupe, Pacific Blue, and Black.

We're still covering news out of today's event, so be sure to check out all of our posts including those for the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and iPhone 15 Pro.

Apple today released a the release candidate of the Studio Display 17 firmware beta, with the update coming two weeks after the fourth beta.

All Studio Display models are able to receive over-the-air firmware updates, but this firmware update is limited to Macs that are running the new macOS Sonoma operating system at the current time.

Studio Display owners running ‌macOS Sonoma‌ can go to System Settings > Software Update to install the firmware.

Both ‌macOS Sonoma‌ and the new Studio Display firmware will see a release on September 26.

All of the new devices Apple today announced at its "Wonderlust" event feature no battery life improvements at all compared to their direct predecessors.

This comes contrary to a multitude of rumors prior to Apple's event, which suggested that the major efficiency improvements of the S9 and A17 chips would bring battery life improvements. The approximate battery life of each of the new devices Apple unveiled today is as follows:

• Apple Watch Series 9: 18 hours/36 hours in Low Power Mode
• Apple Watch Ultra 2: 36 hours/72 hours in Low Power Mode
• iPhone 15: 20 hours
• iPhone 15 Plus: 26 hours
• iPhone 15 Pro: 23 hours
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: 29 hours

This is exactly the same as the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Of course, efficiency improvements may still result in slightly better real-world performance in Apple's latest models.

Following the iPhone 15 event today, Apple has released a few related accessories, including a USB-C to Lightning adapter and a one-meter Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable.

Priced at $29, the USB-C to Lightning Adapter allows for Lightning accessories to be connected to the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models with USB-C ports for charging, data transfer, and audio connectivity. Apple says the adapter has a braided cable for added durability. It is also compatible with USB-C iPads.

Apple's previously-existing Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable is now available in a shorter one-meter size for $69. The cable has a black braided design and can be used to connect an iPhone 15 Pro model to a Mac for data transfer, with the new Pro and Pro Max models supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2 data transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps, according to Apple.

As we previously reported, Apple has also released second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case and EarPods with a USB-C connector.

Apple today introduced a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro, ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2, AirPods 2, AirPods 3, and AirPods Max. The new firmware is 6A301 for the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 and 6A300 for the first-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, the standard AirPods, and the ‌AirPods Max‌.

Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware, so it is unclear what's new. There are multiple new ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 features coming in iOS 17, so the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 update likely brings that functionality.

Apple has been testing an ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 firmware beta for the last few months, and it has been available to developers. ‌iOS 17‌ brings Adaptive Audio, which combines ANC and Transparency to deliver an ideal audio experience that blocks out loud or distracting noises.

Adaptive Audio includes Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume. Conversation Awareness detects when someone speaks to you, lowering the volume of what's playing and cutting down on background noise so you can hear. Personalized Volume takes into account your listening preferences and the noise in the environment to adjust sound levels.

Other new features include an option to mute and unmute the microphone by pressing on the ‌AirPods Pro‌ stem, faster automatic switching between devices, and support for activating Siri without including the "Hey" wake word.

Apple does not offer instructions on how to upgrade AirPods software, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air while the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ are connected to an iOS device. Putting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ in the case, connecting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ to a power source, and then pairing the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ to an iOS device or Mac should force the update.

You can check your ‌‌‌AirPods‌‌ or ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ firmware by following these steps:

• Connect your ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ to your iOS device.
• Open the Settings app.
• Tap General.
• Tap About.
• Tap ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌.
• Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

If we learn more about what's new in these firmware releases, we'll update this article.

Apple today seeded the release candidate version of the upcoming macOS 14 Sonoma update to developers for testing purposes. The software update comes a week after the launch of the seventh beta.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

macOS Sonoma introduces new Apple TV-like screen savers that also serve as wallpapers after you log in, plus it moves widgets to the desktop. You can use the new widget gallery to choose from a range of widgets, and then drag them to your Mac's desktop.

Widgets can be arranged in any way that's useful, and when you're using an app, they are designed to fade into the background so they're less distracting. ‌Widgets‌ are more interactive than before, so you can use them to do things like play music, turn off the lights in your home, and more. Through Continuity, your iPhone's widgets can also show up on your Mac's desktop.

Video conferencing has improved with a new Presenter Overlay view that shows your desktop or project in new ways, plus Safari now supports web apps for the Dock and the option to create Profiles so you can separate personal browsing from work browsing.

Other new features include improved search that's faster and more responsive, password and passkey sharing, a revamped stickers interface for the Messages app, PDF integration in notes that makes it easier than ever to manage PDFs, and more.

‌macOS Sonoma‌ will be in beta testing for several months, with a public release coming this fall.

Apple today seeded release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming almost two weeks after the release of the eighth betas. The release candidates, or RCs, represent the final versions of the software that will be released to the public.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌iOS 17‌ Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

‌iOS 17‌ is a major update that introduces a customized look for each person that calls, with the person who places the call able to customize their look. Live voicemails let you see a transcript of a message someone is leaving in real time so you can choose to pick up the phone if you want, and voice messages people send in iMessage are now transcribed into text. You can also record a video or audio message when someone misses your FaceTime call, and ‌FaceTime‌ works on the Apple TV through Continuity functionality.

In Messages, apps have been moved to a new tucked-away interface for a cleaner look, and there is a new Check In feature that is designed to let your friends and family keep an eye on you when you're traveling. Check In automatically notifies friends or family members when you arrive at a destination, such as home. Locations can also now be shared directly from the Messages app.

In a group chat, there's a catch-up arrow so you can see the first message you haven't seen in a conversation, and with search filters, you can more easily find what you're looking for. Stickers have been overhauled, and all emoji are now stickers, living alongside sticker packs and Memoji. Using the remove from background feature in ‌iOS 17‌, you can turn the subject from any image into a sticker.

With StandBy, an iPhone placed horizontally turns into a little home hub that displays information like the calendar, time, home controls, and more, and Live Activities can be displayed in full screen too.

Widgets on the Home Screen are interactive, so you can do things like check off an item on a to-do list or turn off the lights without having to open an app. AirDrop has been improved and there's a NameDrop function for sharing contacts quickly, plus you can hold two iPhones together to start a SharePlay session. SharePlay also now works with CarPlay so passengers can play their music in the car too.

Other new features include a journaling app coming later this year, AirPlay in select hotel rooms, improvements to AirPods Pro 2 thanks to a new Adaptive Audio feature, offline Maps, Siri that does not require the "Hey" activation, and improvements to search and spotlight.