Apple has announced the iPhone 15 release date
The iPhone 15 release date is right around the corner, following confirmation at the Apple event for September 2023. There’s four new iPhones, the 15 and 15 Plus, as well as the mega 15 Pro and Pro Max. And, as we expected, they all look very exciting.
So, head below to see the iPhone 15 release date. The iPhone 15 announcement also brought with it pricing news and more, all below. For more, check out our guides to the best iPads 2023, best gaming iPhone, and best portable gaming consoles to get your tech fix.
Anyway, here are the key iPhone 15 release date aspects we cover:
iPhone 15 release date
The iPhone 15 lineup launches on September 22, 2023. This includes all four of the new phones: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
They were all revealed at an Apple event on September 12, 2023, where we the company announced the iPhone 15 and several other devices. There’s a new Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra, too.
iPhone 15 specs
We expected the new iPhone models to share a similar spec outline to the previous generation, except there are a few specific improvements in certain areas, as below.
| Rumored specs | iPhone 15/Plus | iPhone 15 Pro/Max |
| Display | 6.1/6.7-inch 60Hz OLED | 6.1/6.7-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED |
| SoC | A16 Bionic | A17 Bionic |
| Storage | up to 1TB | up to 2TB |
| Cameras | 48MP main, 12MP ultrawide | 48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto with 3-6x optical zoom (Pro Max only) |
iPhone 15 price
The iPhone 15 price rumors all suggested a $100 increase, which wasn’t exactly true. While we’re not getting to original iPhone prices, there’s not really any change in price, just the top-end Pro Max getting a starting price bump alongside a starting storage bump, meaning it costs the same as last year, technically.
- iPhone 15 – $799 (£799)
- iPhone 15 Plus – $899 (£899)
- iPhone 15 Pro – $999 (£999)
- iPhone 15 Pro Max – $1,199 (£1,199)
iPhone 15 model variations
There were lots of rumors that Apple would announce a new name for its top-end iPhone, replacing the Pro Max line with the Ultra naming convention. The alternative was that the iPhone Ultra is an all-new phone above both of its Pro models, though none of this turned out to be true. The only model variation comes with the Pro Max, which has a better telephoto lens on its camera setup.
iPhone 15 design
There were two main iPhone 15 design rumors. The first one felt almost certain, given numerous companies are releasing USB-C products, like Anker’s USB-C plans. Well, it turned out to be true. All of the iPhone 15 lineup now uses USB-C.
The other rumors were related to purely aesthetic changes. The iPhone 15 range will come with frosted glass backs – something exclusive to the Pro range with iPhone 14. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max switch to titanium bodies, something also rumored for the Samsung S24 Ultra.
iPhone 15 cameras
There was strong suggestion that the iPhone 15 Pro Max – only the Pro Max, not the smaller Pro – would have a unique camera with 3x or 6x zoom on the periscope lens. As we said in our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review, these zoom lenses are incredibly impressive, and it’s something Apple ought to bring through. Well, it did, though it’s a 5x periscope. At least the range was correct, eh?
The baseiPhone 15 range is also upgraded to a 48MP main camera, something added to the iPhone 14 Pro range last year. This brings the whole iPhone 15 lineup into 48MP glory.
iPhone 15 display
The only big display change comes with the base iPhone 15, which now has double the peak brightness at 2000 nits. There are rumors about iPhone biometrics going under-screen – therefore meaning the iPhone display could finally get rid of any notch – though that’s definitely not anytime soon.
iPhone 15 performance
We expected the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus to get 2022’s A16 Bionic from the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, and we were correct. What we didn’t expect was the power of the new chip, the A17 Bionic, which is reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This A17 is powerful enough for iPhone Resident Evil ports, as well as Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
That’s three current-gen triple-A games coming to a mobile phone. Wowza. It also turns out Apple’s A19 Bionic is already in the works, and if the SoC cadence of previous years is followed, that would come in 2025.
iPhone 15 battery
We also heard some scuttlebutt about the iPhone 15 range getting battery bumps across the board, according to IT Home. However, Apple didn’t cover any battery details in the Apple event, so we need to wait to get our eyes on a spec sheet.
iPhone 15 operating system
The only certain thing about the iPhone 15 is the operating system, given that the iOS 17 beta has been in full swing for months now. We’ve covered all the upcoming iOS 17 features that excite us most, while the iPhone end-call button fiasco has also caused some fuss – though it looks like nothing is actually going to change in that department.
There are some things we still haven’t got our hands on in iOS 17, like the new journaling app, so there’s a chance for the final release of the OS to surprise us. For now, we’re just excited for the main handset to release so we can play around with it.
Anyway, that’s all the speculation we’ve got on the iPhone 15 release date. For more, check out our guides to the best rugged smartphones, best cell phone providers, and the best gaming phones to find some fresh tech.
