MacRumors

The iPhone 15 Pro succeeds 2022's iPhone 14 Pro, bringing 40 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations.

In 2022, Apple unveiled the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro as the successor to the popular iPhone 13 Pro, introducing an always-on display, the Dynamic Island, a 48-megapixel camera, the A16 Bionic chip, longer battery life, and more. The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max have now been discontinued by Apple, and as slightly older models, lower prices can be found for the device at third-party resellers. As such, some customers who own an older device may be weighing up whether to upgrade to an ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro or an ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro.

As the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro share a large number of features, should you consider buying or sticking with the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro to save money? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two ‌iPhone‌ models is best for you, and serves as a way to clearly see the all of the differences that the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro brings to the table. This article focuses on the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, Apple's high-end ‌iPhone‌ models, but to understand the differences between the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌, see our other buyer's guide:

• iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 15 Buyer's Guide: 20 Upgrades Compared

Although the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro share most of their basic features, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro offers a large number of notable upgrades over its predecessor, such as a titanium design, Action button, USB-C port, and A17 Bionic chip.

‌iPhone 14‌ Pro	‌iPhone 15‌ Pro
Surgical-grade stainless steel chassis with squared-off edges	Aerospace-grade titanium chassis with contoured edges
	More repairable design
	Thinner borders around the display for slightly smaller overall footprint
7.85mm depth	8.25mm depth (0.4mm thicker)
206g or 240g weight	187g or 221g weight (19g lighter)
Ring/Silent switch	Action button
A16 Bionic chip (5nm)	A17 Pro chip (3nm)
6-core CPU	6-core CPU (up to 10% faster)
5-core GPU	6-core GPU with with hardware-accelerated ray tracing (up to 20% faster)
16-core Neural Engine	16-core Neural Engine (up to 2x faster)
	Dedicated AV1 decoder
6GB memory	8GB memory
Telephoto camera with second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization	Telephoto camera with larger sensor, folded tetraprism design, optical image stabilization, and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module (Pro Max only)
	Anti-reflective coating on camera lenses
0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x optical zoom	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, and 5x optical zoom (5x on Pro Max only)
	13mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 77mm, and 120mm focal length picker (120mm on Pro Max only)
48-megapixel super-high-resolution photos	24- and 48-megapixel super-high-resolution photos
Smart HDR 4	Smart HDR 5
Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control	Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
Night mode and Night mode portraits	Improved Night mode and Night mode portraits
	Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3
	Record video directly to an external drive
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps	ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording
Action mode	Improved Action mode and low-light video
	Log video recording
	Academy Color Encoding System
	Record spatial video for Apple Vision Pro
	Improved audio quality on phone calls
Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity	Wi‑Fi 6E connectivity
	Thread networking technology
First-generation Ultra Wideband chip	Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (connects from 3x further away)
	Precision Finding for Find My friends
Lightning port	USB-C port
USB 2 transfer speeds (up to 480Mb/s)	USB 3 transfer speeds (up to 10Gb/s, 20x faster)
	DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output
Support for Qi wireless charging	Support for Qi 2 wireless charging
	Setting to prevent charging above 80%
	Battery manufacture date, first use, and cycle count information in Settings
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options (no 128GB tier on Pro Max)
Deep Purple, Gold, Silver, and Space Black color options	Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium color options

Overall, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro is a fairly significant upgrade over the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro, introducing meaningful quality-of-life features like the USB-C port and Action button that change the methods of interaction with the device. The new, considerably more lightweight titanium design, slimmer borders around the display, and contoured edges result in a noticeably different aesthetic and feel in the hand.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro also brings advancements to photography and videography, adding support for 24-megapixel high-resolution photos, Smart HDR 5, and next-generation portraits – practical features that most users can take advantage of. The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max takes things to the next level with its tetraprism telephoto camera, offering up to 5x optical zoom on the ‌iPhone‌ for the first time. Features like 48-megapixel HEIF capture, external and log recording, Academy Color Encoding System, and fast data transfer via USB 3 are also major upgrades for professionals.

This is not to mention Roadside Assistance via satellite, new color options, the second-generation ultra wideband chip, and the A17 Pro chip – Apple's first chip made with a ‌3nm‌ fabrication process, which radically improves the gaming capabilities of the device.

Due to the scale and breadth of these improvements, some ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro users can justify upgrading to the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, especially if they value the new design, USB-C port, Action button, and camera improvements. It is worth sticking with the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro if you are holding off for an even more substantial upgrade in the future.

Customers coming from an older model also have good reason to preference the latest model over the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro due to the relatively large number of improvements and additional features offered by the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, but it depends on just how inexpensively last year's Pro models can now be obtained.

Apple's cellular band page confirms that only U.S. models of the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max support mmWave 5G bands, as has been the case since the iPhone 12 series was released in 2020.

mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, which is ideal for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas. All four iPhone 15 models support sub-6GHz 5G outside of the U.S., and sub-6GHz networks are still more common than mmWave networks in countries that have rolled out 5G.

Australia, China, Japan, and Singapore are some of the countries outside of the U.S. that have deployed mmWave networks so far.

Apple announced the iPhone 15 series on Tuesday during its "Wonderlust" event. All four new models are equipped with a USB-C port and the Dynamic Island, while the Pro models have many additional features, including the A17 Pro chip, a lightweight titanium frame, a customizable Action button, 5x optical zoom on the Pro Max model, Wi-Fi 6E support, an increased 8GB of RAM, and more. The devices are available to pre-order starting this Friday at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and will be released on Friday, September 22.

Hermès has debuted its new Apple Watch Series 9 case and band collection, including some new leather band options not available from Apple's website.

Apple has removed all leather iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands – including Hermès bands – from its website as part of a significant new sustainability push. However, as part of the continuing partnership between Apple and Hermès, the luxury watch boutique is free to continue selling Apple Watch Series 9 models with bands made of calfskin.

Among several new Hermès Single Tour and Double Tour bands made of knitted nylon and woven nylon, several color options made of calfskin can be found. Prices for Hermès Apple Watch Series 9 bands range from $349 to $589, while watch and band combinations range from $1,249 to $1,539.

All of the bands are available to pre-order today. Hermès will begin shipping orders after September 22, according to its website.

As for Apple, the company on Tuesday announced a new textile it's calling "FineWoven," which is made of 68 percent post-consumer content and is overall more environmentally friendly compared to the company's previous line of leather accessories. Apple also confirmed it will no longer use leather for new Apple accessories.

Thanks, KPOM!

France on Tuesday ordered Apple to halt iPhone 12 sales and "fix" existing devices over fears the devices emit too much electromagnetic radiation (via France24).

The French agency that regulates radio frequencies, the ANFR, said on its website that testing found the ‌iPhone‌ 12 emits more electromagnetic waves susceptible to be absorbed by the body than permitted.

The ANFR ordered Apple to "remove the ‌iPhone‌ 12 from the French market from September 12 due to the model exceeding the limit" for electromagnetic absorption by the body. The agency also told Apple to recall every ‌iPhone‌ 12 it has ever sold in the country. Apple launched the ‌iPhone‌ 12 in 2020 and it is still sold across the globe.

"Concerning phones already sold, Apple must in the briefest of delays take corrective measures to bring the affected phones into compliance," said the ANFR in a statement on its website. "Otherwise, Apple will have to recall them."

The ANFR said the device's Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was 5.74 watts per kilogram, which is above the limit set by the European Union for a phone when held or kept in a pocket. The ANFR said it intends to share its findings with other EU regulators.

The findings contradict advice given by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO website, based on data from a large number of studies, "no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use."

Apple told the BBC it was contesting the ANFR's review, and said it had provided the regulator with its own lab results as well as third parties which show the device is compliant with all the relevant rules. Apple said the ‌iPhone‌ 12 was recognised as being compliant with regulations on radiation levels worldwide.

This isn't the first time Apple has come under regulatory scrutiny in the country. Under a previous French law, Apple was until January 2022 lawfully obligated to include EarPods in the box based on the precautionary principle, because regulators said the risks of exposing developing brains to electromagnetic waves are not clearly known.

France in 2020 also widened regulations requiring retailers to display the radiation value of products on packaging beyond smartphones, including tablets and other electronic devices.

As for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 order, Apple must respond to it within two weeks, the ANFR said.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple on Tuesday made second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case available to order, but unlike its move to wireless charging cases, the company isn't offering the USB-C case as a standalone purchase.

Apple's decision not to offer the USB-C case as a separate purchase is likely a marketing one related to the fact that the updated second-generation AirPods Pro feature improved IP54-rated dust resistance, and will support up to 4 hours of lossless audio with ultra-low latency when connected to the Apple Vision Pro headset launching in early 2024.

Regardless, the lack of an option to purchase the USB-C case separately is likely to frustrate customers who already own second-generation AirPods Pro with a Lightning port and plan to upgrade to an iPhone 15, which features a USB-C port for the first time. Those wanting to charge all their devices with one cable will need to buy the new USB-C to Lightning adapter ($29), while those who want to future-proof for Apple Vision Pro compatibility will have to buy a completely new pair of AirPods Pro costing $249.

Apple announced during its "Wonderlust" event that Emergency SOS via Satellite and Find My via Satellite will be available in Spain and Switzerland later in September.

Both features are currently available in 14 countries and regions, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, the U.K., and the U.S.

Emergency SOS via Satellite was introduced with the iPhone 14 models and can be activated when an emergency situation occurs and there is no WiFi or cellular connection available. While the feature is geared to help users in a genuine emergency, Apple's satellites also make it possible for anyone to share their location whenever they are off the grid via Find My.

• How to Share Your Location via Satellite With Find My

The feature's upcoming availability in Spain and Switzerland is likely tied either to the iPhone 15 series launch in those countries or the availability of iOS 17, which is being released globally to the general public on September 18.

Apple during its event also announced new Roadside Assistance vis Satellite, which is similar to Emergency SOS, but it allows iPhone users to contact roadside assistance if they have car trouble in an area without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. Available only in the United States for now, Roadside Assistance is being offered through a partnership with AAA.

Apple today gave members of the media that were at Apple Park for the "Wonderlust" event a chance to take a look at the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models ahead of their release. MacRumors videographer Dan attended, getting a first look at the new color options, Double Tap, and more.

The major new feature for both the Series 9 and the Ultra 2 is the updated S9 chip, a welcome update because prior to this, the chip in the Apple Watch hadn't been updated since the Series 6 even though Apple was changing the S-name with each generation. The S9 chip has 60 percent more transistors than the S8 chip in the Series 8, and it processes machine learning tasks up to 2x faster.

With the S9 chip, there's a new Double Tap gesture (coming in October). Double Tap lets you double tap your index finger and thumb together to answer a call, play and pause music, open a notification, and more. It uses the various sensors in the Apple Watch and it works surprisingly well.

Both the Series 9 and Ultra 2 have brighter displays (2,000 nits and 3,000 nits maximum, respectively) for better performance in the sun, and they can drop down to 1 nit at night or when you're in a movie theater. Siri requests are also now processed on device, and ‌Siri‌ can answer health questions like how well you slept or what your heart rate is at.

There's also a new U2 chip that can be used for finding your iPhone with Precision Finding, and dictation is 25 percent more accurate. All of the new models come with an increased 64GB of storage space, up from 32GB.

Apple added a new pink aluminum color for the Apple Watch Series 9, which is an attractive shade, plus the watch comes in starlight, midnight, and PRODUCT(RED). The stainless steel models are available in graphite, gold, and silver.

The Series 9 and Ultra 2 Apple Watch models can be preordered starting today, and will launch on September 22 alongside the new iPhone 15 models.

Apple never publicly advertises the amount of RAM included in iPhones, but MacRumors has confirmed that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are equipped with 8GB of RAM, up from 6GB in the iPhone 14 Pro models. Along with the new A17 Pro chip, extra RAM benefits overall system performance, particularly for multitasking.

In the Xcode 15 Release Candidate made available today, there are files confirming that the lower-end iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are equipped with 6GB of RAM, while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max each have 8GB of RAM. This information was obtained with assistance from software code researcher @aaronp613.

Previous RAM amounts:

• iPhone 14: 6GB
• iPhone 14 Plus: 6GB
• iPhone 14 Pro: 6GB
• iPhone 14 Pro Max: 6GB

New RAM amounts:

• iPhone 15: 6GB
• iPhone 15 Plus: 6GB
• iPhone 15 Pro: 8GB
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: 8GB

The same Xcode files accurately revealed RAM amounts for the iPhone 14 models last year and in several previous iPhone generations. The type of RAM in the iPhone 15 models remains unknown, but teardowns of the devices should confirm that information soon.

All four iPhone 15 models will be available to pre-order starting Friday, September 15 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time in the U.S. and over 40 other countries and regions. The devices are set to launch one week later on Friday, September 22.

While the new AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case are still classified as second-generation AirPods Pro, the earbuds have a few other new features.

In a press release today, Apple announced that the updated second-generation AirPods Pro will support 20-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio with ultra-low latency when the earbuds are connected to Apple's new Vision Pro headset launching in early 2024.

"When Apple Vision Pro is available early next year in the U.S., customers will be able to enjoy the most advanced wireless audio experience in the industry with the new AirPods Pro for exceptional entertainment, gaming, FaceTime calls, and so much more," said Apple.

Apple also said the updated AirPods Pro have additional IP54-rated dust resistance for both the earbuds and the charging case.

The updated AirPods Pro are available to order starting today for $249, and will be available in stores beginning Friday, September 22. Apple is not selling the USB-C charging case separately, and it has discontinued the AirPods Pro with a Lightning case. The standard third-generation AirPods and the AirPods Max were not updated today.

Now that the iPhone 15 models have a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port, it is possible to use an ‌iPhone 15‌ to charge the AirPods or Apple Watch directly.

You'll need an appropriate cable to charge with an iPhone, such as a USB-C to USB-C cable for the new AirPods Pro 2 USB-C Charging Case, or a USB-C Apple Watch charging puck, but it's a useful function that wasn't available with Lightning.

Apple highlighted the new functionality in its iPhone 15 Pro announcement and it makes sense because USB-C Macs can be used for charging the AirPods and Apple Watch, but it is novel because we aren't accustomed to charging accessories with an ‌iPhone‌.

If your AirPods or Apple Watch run out of battery while you don't have access to a charger, it is convenient to be able to use the ‌iPhone‌'s battery for a little extra juice rather than carrying around a battery pack.

USB-C brings other conveniences, such as the ability to use the same charging cable for Macs, iPads, iPhones, and other USB-C accessories. On the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models, it also brings faster USB 3 transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, provided you're using the right cable. ‌iPhone 15‌ models are limited to USB 2 charging speeds, the same as the Lighting port.

Apple today held its "Wonderlust" fall event, introducing the iPhone 15, ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. It took Apple an hour and a half to introduce all of the new devices, but we've recapped everything in a super quick six minute video for our readers who want a short but detailed overview of all of the new announcements.

We've also rounded up all of our event coverage, so make sure to take a look at our articles to avoid missing any new details about Apple's latest devices.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

• Apple Announces iPhone 15 Pro With Titanium Design, Action Button, A17 Pro Chip, and More
• Apple Reveals New iPhone 15 Pro Colors: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium, But No Gold This Year
• iPhone 15 Pro Max Now Starts at 256GB of Storage for $1,199
• iPhone 15 Pro: Here's Everything the New Action Button Can Do
• Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Weighs 19 Grams Less Than iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro £100 Cheaper in the UK Than Last Year's Equivalent Models
• Pricing on iPhone 15 Pro Models Technically Didn't Change
• iPhone 15 Pro Max's 5x Optical Zoom Lens Enables 25x Digital Zoom
• iPhone 15 Pro Models Support Wi-Fi 6E
• Apple Adds Thread Networking Technology to iPhone 15 Pro
• Hands-On With the New iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Models
• Apple Lets Customers 'Get Ready' For iPhone 15 Launch With Pre-Order Setup
• iPhone 15’s USB-C Port Can Charge Your Apple Watch and AirPods
• iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max Feature Increased 8GB of RAM

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

• Apple Announces iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus With USB-C Port, Dynamic Island, and More
• iPhone 15's USB-C Port Remains Limited to Lightning Speeds
• iPhone 15 Models Do Not Come With Rumored Color-Matched Braided USB-C Cables
• iPhone 15 Models Still Limited to 7.5W on Qi Chargers, Fast Charging Has Not Improved
• iPhone 15 Models Sold Outside U.S. Still Have Physical SIM Card Tray

Apple Watch Series 9

• Apple Watch Series 9 Unveiled With S9 Chip, 'Double Tap' Gesture, and More
• Apple Watch Series 9 Gains New 'Double Tap' Gesture Control Feature
• Hands-On With the New Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 Models

Apple Watch Ultra 2

• Apple Unveils Apple Watch Ultra 2 Featuring Faster S9 Chip, New Ultra Wideband Chip, and Apple's Brightest Ever Display
• Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Feature 64GB of Storage

Software

• iOS 17 to Launch on September 18, Featuring StandBy Mode, NameDrop, Interactive Widgets, and More
• macOS Sonoma to Launch on September 26, Featuring Desktop Widgets, Safari Profiles, Game Mode, and More
• Apple Seeds Release Candidate Version of tvOS 17 to Developers
• Apple Seeds Release Candidate Version of watchOS 10 to Developers
• Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 to Developers
• Apple Seeds Release Candidate Version of macOS 14 Sonoma to Developers
• Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro, AirPods, and AirPods Max
• Apple Releases Studio Display 17 Firmware Release Candidate
• Apple Shares Lists of All New Features in iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma

Cases and Accessories

• Apple Announces 'FineWoven' Material, Will No Longer Make Leather Accessories
• Apple Releases USB-C to Lightning Adapter for iPhone 15 and Shorter Thunderbolt 4 Pro Cable
• Here is Every iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Case That Launched Today
• Here is Every Apple Watch Band That Launched Today

Other Announcements

• Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone 15, New Apple Watch Models, and More Expected
• Apple Introduces New AirPods Pro Charging Case and EarPods With USB-C
• Apple Discontinues 5.4-Inch iPhone 13 Mini, Still Sells iPhone 13 and iPhone 14
• All of Apple's New Devices Feature the Same Battery Life as Previous Generations
• Apple Adds 6TB and 12TB iCloud+ Storage Tiers
• Olivia Rodrigo Debuts First Music Video Shot on iPhone 15 Pro
• Apple Discontinues MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Duo Charger
• Apple Announces New Roadside Assistance via Satellite Feature for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15
• New AirPods Pro Feature Lossless Audio With Vision Pro and Additional Dust Resistance
• Emergency SOS via Satellite Coming to Spain and Switzerland Later This Month

The Apple Watch Series 9 and ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ can be preordered starting today. Preorders for the ‌iPhone 15‌ models will take place on Friday, September 15. All of the new devices are set to launch on Friday, September 22.

Following the introduction of the iPhone 15, ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, Apple is letting customers prepare for pre-orders, which are set to begin on Friday, September 15 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Prospective ‌iPhone 15‌ buyers can use the Apple Store app to select their preferred phone, confirm their status with their carrier, add accessories, choose an AppleCare+ plan, and add a preferred payment method ahead of when pre-orders go live. Payment in full and other payment options are supported.

iPhone Upgrade Program members are able to select their iPhones and complete pre-approval steps like checking upgrade eligibility, securing credit lines, and confirming shipping details.

The "Get Ready" feature is designed to allow customers to pre-order their iPhones with the tap of a button to make the purchasing process quicker.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ is priced starting at $799, while the ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus is priced starting at $899. The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro is priced starting at $999, and the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max is priced starting at $1,199. After pre-orders take place on September 15, a launch will follow on Friday, September 22.

Following today's keynote event that saw Apple introducing the new iPhone 15, ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, Apple allowed members of the media in attendance to spend some hands-on time with the new devices. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera was at Apple Park for the event, so he's able to give us an early look at the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup, as well as his first thoughts.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models are made from titanium, and they are noticeably lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro models. There are contoured edges that improve the feel of the iPhone in the hand, and the Pro models are overall much more comfortable to hold. Apple also cut down on bezel size for even more display than ever, and the Action Button that replaces the Mute Switch is super convenient.

Apple added a 5x zoom lens to the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max and at its 120mm focal length, you can get great portrait shots. There are options on both Pro models to change the focal length of the Main camera, which you can do just by tapping. It can be set to 24mm, 28mm, or 35mm, and the ability to change focal length is useful for pro photographers.

As for the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models, they're more Pro-like than ever with the addition of the Dynamic Island and the new matte glass back. Apple say it is using back glass that has color infused throughout the material, and it's a nice look, especially with the pastel color options.

For more on what Dan thought of the ‌iPhone 15‌ models, make sure to check out his full video, and for more of our coverage, visit our 2023 Apple Event hub.

Apple today shared in-depth lists of all new features coming with the iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma software updates, which are all set to be released later this month. The lists are available as PDFs on Apple's website.

A key new feature of iOS 17 is StandBy, a new full-screen view that provides glanceable information designed to be viewed from a distance when an iPhone is on its side and charging. The customizable interface can show a clock in various styles, a calendar, favorite photos, the weather forecast, music playback controls, widgets, and more.

Additional new features on iOS 17 include Contact Posters, NameDrop, Live Voicemail, Check In, the ability to download Apple Maps for offline use, and much more, with a full overview of the update available in our iOS 17 roundup.

iPadOS 17 has many of the same features as iOS 17, plus adds widgets on the Lock Screen, Live Activities support, a Health app for the iPad, and more. For a comprehensive look at everything new for the iPad, read our iPadOS 17 roundup.

macOS Sonoma has an assortment of new features and enhancements for the Mac, including interactive widgets on the desktop, Apple TV-like aerial screensavers, enhancements to apps like Messages and Safari, a new Game mode that prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming, and more, with more details available in our macOS Sonoma roundup.

iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will be released on Monday, September 18, while macOS Sonoma will be released on Tuesday, September 26, according to Apple.

The iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max include support for the Thread mesh networking protocol. Thread networking technology is listed as a new feature for the Pro models, but it is not included in the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus.

Apple says that the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro is the first smartphone with a Thread radio, which can be used to directly control Thread-enabled smart home products. Thread has previously been added to the HomePod mini and Apple TV, but no other Apple devices have Thread connectivity.

In the press release for the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models, Apple explains that Thread opens up "future opportunities for Home app integrations."

Thread is a mesh smart home network system that improves the connectivity and responsiveness of connected products.

The iPhone 15 Pro and the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max are the first iPhones to support next-generation Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, with the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models continuing to be limited to Wi-Fi 6.

With Wi-Fi 6E support, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and Pro Max can connect to the 6GHz band offered by Wi-Fi 6E routers for faster speeds, improved latency, and less interference from other devices.

Connecting to Wi-Fi 6E does require a Wi-Fi 6E router, but there are multiple options on the market now. There are still a limited number of devices that have Wi-Fi 6E support, so for now, the 6GHz band has a lot less congestion.

Apple has been adding Wi-Fi 6E support to its devices since 2022. It is available in the latest iPad Pro models, the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, the Mac mini, the Mac Studio, and the Mac Pro machines.

At today's iPhone 15 event, Apple introduced an add-on feature to Emergency SOS via Satellite called Roadside Assistance via Satellite. The feature is similar to Emergency SOS, but it allows iPhone users to contact roadside assistance if they have car trouble in an area without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.

Roadside Assistance via Satellite is available for the ‌iPhone 15‌ models, but it is also a feature that is retroactively available for the iPhone 14 lineup. Available in the United States, roadside assistance is being offered through a partnership with AAA.

The functionality is included in an AAA membership, but Apple said that ‌iPhone‌ users can also get access separately. The company did not provide details on what it would cost without an AAA membership, but AAA is priced starting at $65 per year.

As with Emergency SOS via Satellite, you can text roadside assistance and choose what you need help with. Options demonstrated at the event included flat tire, no fuel, locked out, vehicle stuck, and vehicle does not start.

Apple includes two years of Emergency SOS via Satellite and Roadside Assistance via Satellite connectivity for free with the purchase of an ‌iPhone 14‌ or ‌iPhone 15‌. Note that in the case of Roadside Assistance, you need the satellite connectivity and to pay the additional fee to AAA.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max features a new Telephoto lens that uses a tetraprism design to enable 5x optical zoom, an improvement over the 3x zoom that's available in the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and the prior-generation iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models.

5x optical zoom allows for 25x digital zoom, and while that's the most zoom an Apple device has offered, it still falls below the competition.

Samsung's latest Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone has 100x Space Zoom that can capture images from 330 feet away. The Pixel 7 Pro has 30x digital "Super Res Zoom" with its 5x optical zoom lens. Apple has never leaned into digital zoom because the quality is poor. Optical zoom provides a crisp, clear image using the camera hardware, but digital zoom uses software enhancement to crop in.

5x optical zoom is an ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max-specific feature that is not available on the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro. Both devices share other camera improvements, though. The 48-megapixel main camera has a larger sensor that lets in more light, and it can be set to 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm focal lengths.

There's also an updated 13mm Ultra Wide camera, and second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization.