In the first practical tests of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the new materials and charging port stand out as the most noticeable changes compared to last year’s models.
The use of titanium along the sides of the new phones, which replaces stainless steel, is a striking addition. The material is intended to make the phones lighter and more durable, and you immediately notice this when you hold the device.
After unveiling the iPhone 15 lineup on Tuesday, Apple offered demonstrations to attendees at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. The new product – especially the higher-end versions – represents one of the company’s biggest upgrades in years. And Apple is counting on the new features to help reverse a rare sales slump.
Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook appeared on the demo room floor, taking selfies with attendees and getting up close and personal with the handsets on display. He has described the iPhone 15 Pro as the culmination of “Apple innovations, cutting-edge features in design, camera, performance and more.”
But much of the attention Tuesday was focused on a more mundane change. Upon grabbing the new phone, attendees immediately turned the device upside down to examine the new USB-C port.
The connector is a switch from Lightning, which the iPhone has used since 2012, and the change will undoubtedly irritate some consumers. But the technology offers faster data transfer speeds, at least on the more expensive iPhones. And Apple didn’t have much of a choice in the matter: the switch to USB-C was mandated by the European Union, and it made no sense for Apple to produce a specific iPhone just for that market.
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Read more: Apple is changing its iPhone port for the first time in 11 years
Aesthetically, the new connector makes little difference, but the disappearance of the Lightning port still felt like a big deal to the technology enthusiasts and analysts gathered in the demo room.
The sizes of the Pro and Pro Max remain unchanged compared to the previous generation, namely 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches. One twist: the colors on the more expensive phones are actually more muted than on the cheaper iPhones, giving the titanium more of a chance to shine.
In addition to black, the entry-level models – the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus – also come with pastel-colored versions of pink, blue, green and yellow. When you see all the models side by side, the regular iPhone colors certainly add more pizzazz.
The technology behind the new colors is something that Apple also highlighted. During the presentation, the company explained that metal ions were used to dye color into the glass of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. The effect is clearly visible when you hold the phone in your hand and get close to the black matte glass.
The biggest features of the iPhone 15 Pro are of course the features that you don’t immediately see. The A17 chip, Apple’s fastest internal smartphone processor, will make it a more powerful gaming device. It supports a technology called ray tracing – a hot topic at the Apple event – which enables smoother graphics and improved color accuracy.
The price was also a major source of discussion among those present. Most iPhone models will remain at the same level this year, but the Pro Max will see an increase of $100 to $1,199. One caveat: the device now starts with 256 gigabytes of storage, compared to 128 on the previous generation.
