On Friday, Apple’s iPhone 15 series debuted, attracting eager customers who lined up at stores across China, Europe, and the US, aiming to be among the first to experience the company’s next-generation smartphones. Anticipation for the iPhone 15 Series was palpable, with pre-orders exceeding initial projections, particularly for the premium iPhone 15 Pro line, notably the Pro Max variant. Demand has surged, so delivery and shipment times for various Pro models have been pushed to late October through mid-November.
The release of the iPhone 15 Series comes as Apple reported a third consecutive quarterly decline in sales last month. The iPhone revenue for the quarter was approximately $39.7 billion, marking a 2% year-over-year dip as consumers opt to upgrade their devices less frequently. Analysts from Wedbush Securities estimate that around 250 million iPhones have not been upgraded in over four years. Noteworthy processor and camera advancements, along with carrier discounts, are expected to drive significant upgrades this year. The iPhone 15 Pro series starts at $1,099, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max begins at $1,199. For the entry-level options, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are priced at $799 and $899, respectively.
In terms of design, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models showcase a titanium casing, enabling a slimmer and thinner design compared to previous versions. The premium models boast a more advanced 48-megapixel main camera, a larger sensor, and a new telephoto lens offering 5x optical zoom, exclusively available on the Pro Max variant. The basic iPhone 15 models have seen updates in image stabilization, optimization, and portraits, including the “Dynamic Island” tool. A significant shift in the iPhone 15 series is the adoption of a USB-C charging cord, a departure from Apple’s proprietary Lightning charging cable used for over a decade. This change aligns with the European Union’s legislation, pushing for a universal USB-C charging standard by 2024 to reduce consumer hassle and waste.
This shift also allows users to utilize the same USB-C chargers for iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers, improving convenience and efficiency in charging. Apple offers a $29 USB-C Lightning adapter for those wishing to connect existing Lightning accessories to USB-C-enabled iPhones or iPads. Additionally, the company encourages users to recycle their old Lightning chargers through its in-store recycling program.
