From the iPhone 15 to Apple Watch Series 9, Here’s Everything Apple Announced for 2023
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Apple has wrapped its Sept. 12 special event dubbed “Wanderlust”, with four iPhone 15s, two new Apple Watches, and even new AirPods Pro now official.
The main feature you’ll surely hear a lot about over the coming days is that the iPhone 15’s charging port has officially switched from Apple’s Lightning connector to USB-C. There is so much more to the new iPhones and Apple Watches than that, however.
Ahead, we're breaking down all the new devices (and their best features) along with how to preorder them. Let’s dive in, shall we?
AirPods Pro 2nd Gen with USB-C
While Apple didn’t surprise us with a new generation of AirPods Pro, there were some updates to the existing second-gen. Just like the new iPhones, Apple swapped the Lightning port for a USB-C. This way, you can hopefully bring one less cable for charging, and if you have the new iPhone, you can plug a USB-C to USB-C cable to quickly fuel up AirPods Pro while on the go.
Beyond the new port, Apple also expanded the durability of the case and individual AirPods. It’s now an IP54-resistant product protecting against sweat, water, and dust. This way, AirPods Pro is more suited for a workout at the beach.
Aside from these two changes, though, these still deliver the AirPods Pro experience that impressed us so much in our testing back when they first launched. You can see our full review here, and if you’re eager to get that USB-C functionality, you can preorder AirPods Pro 2nd Gen with USB-C on Amazon for $249.
Additionally, AirPods Pro 2nd Gen with Lightning are discounted to $229, but there is no telling how long that will last.
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 comes with a new S9 processor for faster performance and analysis of health data while keeping the Apple Watch’s standard all-day 18-hour battery life. Another benefit of the new chip is that it speeds up Siri interactions and allows most commands to run directly on the watch, making for quicker and improved interactions.
The Series 9 has an improved Find My iPhone feature thanks to a new ultra-wideband chip, which allows you to use your watch just like you would your iPhone when looking for an AirTag, with the watch’s display giving you the precise location of your phone.
The Series 9’s screen is brighter and can go dimmer than the Series 8, making it easier to view and use in low light and very bright environments.
Apple also brought a new gesture to the Series 9 called Double Tap. When you tap your index finger and thumb twice, you can answer a call, end a call, stop a timer, toggle playback for music, or silence an alarm. You can even use the gesture to scroll through your WatchOS 10 widgets. It’s similar to a feature that’s existed in WatchOS accessibility features for some time now, but it looks like Apple has refined it enough that it’s ready for the mass market.
The Series 9 will come in starlight, midnight, silver, (PRODUCT)RED, a new pink aluminum case, and stainless steel in gold, silver, and graphite cases. Apple's latest smartwatch will now ship in smaller, more environmentally friendly boxes that are easier to ship, and made of more environmentally friendly material.
The Apple Watch Series 9 starts at $399 and will begin arriving to customers who on Friday, Sept 22. Preorders are open for the Series 9 at Amazon if you're already sold.
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 41mm in Pink, $399 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 41mm in Starlight, $399 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 41mm in (PRODUCT) RED, $399 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 41mm in Silver, $399 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 41mm in Midnight, $399 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 45mm in Pink, $429 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 45mm in Starlight, $429 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 45mm in (PRODUCT) RED, $429 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 45mm in Silver, $429 at Amazon
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS 45mm in Midnight, $429 at Amazon
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple’s second-generation Ultra smartwatch also gains the new S9 processor that the Series 9 received. That means you get the same Double Tap gesture and improved Siri interactions.
The Ultra’s screen also goes up to 3000 nits brightness in well-lit environments, improving 1,000 nits over the original. Of course, the new ultra-wideband chip is also included, so you can use the larger display to locate your lost iPhone. The most-rugged Apple Watch stays at 36 hours of use off a single charge, matching the previous model.
There isn’t a whole lot new with the Ultra 2, save for the upgraded processor and the Double Tap gesture, faster performance, and brighter screen. Apple is sticking with the $799 price for the Ultra 2, and the preorders are now open at Amazon.
- Apple Watch Ultra 2 GPS + Cellular 49mm, $799 at Amazon
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
As has been the case for the last several years, Apple announced four new iPhones. Two of which, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, are the more affordable options at $799 and $899. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, use titanium for the housing - a first for any iPhone - and have advanced camera features and an Action Button.
Let’s start by looking at the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. The most obvious change to the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus is that they both gain Apple’s Dynamic Island, a feature reserved for the iPhone 14 Pro models in 2022. Dynamic Island is an interactive area at the top of the phone’s screen, that can display information or let you take action on something. The iPhone 15’s screen is 6.1 inches, while the iPhone 15 Plus’s screen is 6.7 inches.
Apple has embedded color throughout the back glass of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, offering five new colors this year: Blue, pink, yellow, green and black.
The camera system here has also been upgraded, specifically with a new 48-megapixel main camera that can be leveraged to shoot 2x optical telephoto photos. There is a second lens on the 15 and 15 Plus: a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera.
Apple touted the ability of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus to take a new version of its Portrait Mode photos. These can now be taken without switching to portrait mode in the camera app, as the iPhone will detect when a person or pet is in the frame and automatically take a portrait for you.
Powering all of this is the same processor that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max used, the A16 Bionic. Even though it’s a year old, it’s still a very capable processor. Battery life for the iPhone 15 is supposed to last all day, while the iPhone 15 Plus will last even longer.
The iPhone 15 will come with a new ultra-wideband chip that extends the range for finding devices or even finding a friend’s iPhone. The latter could be especially useful while at a live event or sports game.
Emergency SOS via Satellite, a feature that first debuted with the iPhone 14 line, also received an upgrade with the iPhone 15. Instead of only receiving emergency help when you’re in an accident, you can now text for roadside assistance to get your car back on the road. iPhone 15 users will get free access to satellite features for two years.
Finally, Apple announced that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will move away from its Lightning port for charging and syncing data, over to USB-C. Even the second-generation AirPods charging case is changing to USB-C, and the EarPods that plug directly into your iPhone will switch to USB-C instead of Lightning.
You can order the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus starting Friday, Sept. 15, with deliveries arriving on Sept. 22. Just like with the 14 and 14 Plus, Apple and carriers like Verizon and AT&T will offer trade-in deals. You can expect to score up to $800 off, depending on the condition of your device, towards an iPhone 15 or 15 Plus.
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
As for Apple’s higher-end iPhone 15 models, the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, well, there’s plenty to discuss.
The phone's chassis is now made of titanium, the same material the Apple Watch Ultra's housing, making it lighter yet stronger. The 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max have the thinnest edges of any iPhone ever, which sounds good, but we’ll have to wait and see just how thin it is in person. The display of the 15 Pro is 6.1 inches and Pro Max is 6.7 inches. As for colors, you can get it in Black Titanium, Silver Titanium, Blue Titanium or Natural Titanium.
There had been rumors about a change to the mute switch on the iPhone 15, and the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max make those official. The Action Button, also taken from the Apple Watch Ultra, has replaced the mute switch. You can still use it to silence or unsilence your phone, but now you can carry out various tasks, like taking a photo or launching apps, just by pressing the action button.
Powering the 15 Pro lineup is the A17 Pro processor that promises faster everyday performance but also improved graphics performance. USB-C is also present on the iPhone 15 Pro, but using USB 3 transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps is sure to come in handy for those who take a lot of photos and videos on their iPhone 15 Pro and need to transfer them over to a computer. You can even connect the iPhone 15 Pro directly to your computer and instantly transfer photos while capturing them.
The 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max have usually led the way when it comes to the iPhone camera experience, and this year is no different. There are still three camera lenses on the rear of the phone, but Apple states that they provide the same functionality of seven different lenses.
How? The main camera is 48 megapixels with more focal lengths at 25mm, 28mm and 35mm. The same new automated portraits mode feature that the iPhone 15 is getting is also coming to the Pro line, in addition to the improved night mode capabilities.
There’s a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with a base 3x zoom that can go up to 5x optical zoom, but only on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The standard iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t get the enhanced telescoping lens. This is a feature that a lot of Android phones have had, but the fact that it’s now coming to the iPhone is a big deal. Finally, the ultra-wide camera stays at 12 megapixels and doubles as a Macro lens.
In an effort to help create more content to view in Apple Vision Pro, the 15 Pro will let you capture Spatial Video – a 3D-like video format – that has to be viewed in the Vision Pro headset.
The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199, with preorders starting on Sept. 15 at 8AM ET. Just like the standard iPhone 15s, carriers will be offering some spectacular trade-in deals that can take up to $1,000 off the 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max.