Apple September event: All the latest iPhone 15 and Apple Watch 9 news

Apple's got two new watches — the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Wondering how long they can last on a charge? Kate Kozuch has the deets.

iPhone 15 preorders don't start until Friday, but you can put in your preorder for one of the new Apple Watch models announced by Apple right now. That includes the Apple Watch 9 as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Our Apple Watch preorder guide as all the details, including some early deals on the new smartwatches.

With Dynamic Island coming to the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus, we thought it best to reacquaint you with this feature — particularly how it works with Live Activities. So we've updated our guide to some of the apps offering Live Activity support if iPhone 15 owners want to see the newly added Dynamic Island feature in action.

The biggest change to the Apple Watch 9 is the addition of a double tap gesture that makes it easy to interact with apps and controls without needing to touch the watch.

Also available on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, this could prove very useful for when urgent notifications like a phone call appear when you've got your hands full, or you're busy tracking a workout, something the new Apple Watches have also gotten better at.

Say goodbye to the iPhone mute switch, as the iPhone 15 Pro now features an Action button with customizable functions.

The only problem is, as TG's Mark Spoonauer notes, you can only use the Action button for one action. Apple could surely offer multiple commands at once via different tap-and-hold patterns on the button, so why isn't it? Perhaps that's something the next iPhone or iOS version can address.

If the iPhone 15's price seems too much for your budget, then it's worth turning your attention to what's happened to the iPhone 14.

As expected, an iPhone 14 price drop occurred as soon as the iPhone 15 arrived, meaning it now costs $699/$799 to buy an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus. You can also get a $599 iPhone 13 if you don't mind using older hardware, although sadly there's no longer a way to buy the small but mighty iPhone 13 mini from the Apple Store.

If you're confused about the iPhone 15 USB-C port, we've got a whole guide for you to explore on the topic.

Apple's sort of been forced to add USB-C to the iPhone because of incoming EU laws, but the benefit to the user is more convenient charging (lots of other devices use the same plug) and faster data transfer speeds for the iPhone 15 Pro. It's just a shame that without adapters, your Lightning accessories are likely defunct.

The iPhone 15 Pro is an exciting phone, even if it didn't get all of the upgrades that its big brother got. Have a read of our iPhone 15 Pro hands-on for our first thoughts.

Good morning! Richard Priday (TG's Assistant Phones Editor) here again as we continue to digest the Apple event news.

Although Apple's told us a lot about the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch 9, more details are appearing as journalists and influencers get hands-on time, or small print gets scoured on the various specs pages. So let's see what else we can learn!

It's easy to write off the iPhone 15 as a warmed over iPhone 14 Pro from last year. But that's actually not a bad thing. As you'll see in our iPhone 15 reasons to buy and skip rundown, there's plenty of reasons to pick up the new iPhone.

The iPhone 15 offers a sharper 48MP camera, complete with 2x optical zoom, as well as the same handy Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro series. You also get USB-C charging and a fast-enough A16 Bionic chip. But there's also reasons to think twice. See our pros and cons overview to learn more. 

John Velasco spent some time with both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro after Apple's product launch, but he felt like he was using an iPhone Pro model. Find out why in his iPhone 15 hands-on.

Don't let the pink exterior fool you — this latest Apple Watch is more than just a pretty face. That's the opinion of Kate Kozuch in her Apple Watch Series 9 hands-on.

The real story of this watch occurs under the hood with the S9 SiP chipset that's powering the show and behind many of the most important improvements to the Apple Watch. 

Mark Spoonauer is at Apple HQ in Cupertino, and he's had a chance to use some of Apple's new phones — enough to give us an iPhone 15 Pro Max first impressions.

It's too early for a verdict, but Mark seems thrilled by how light the phone is and how  the new telephoto lens works. He's less enamored with the higher price Apple is charging.

The A17 Pro chip powering the iPhone 14 Pro models sounds like a pretty big step up from the A16 that came before it. How big? Read our overview of the A17 Pro to find out what it means for the iPhone 15 Pro's performance.

Hello also means goodbye in the world of smartphones, and the arrival of the iPhone 15 lineup means the departure of some old friends. We've got a look at the discontinued iPhones in the wake of today's news, but to sum up, bid a fond adieu to the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 12, which are all gone from Apple's lineup.

It didn't merit a mention during the Apple event itself, but we do now have a ship date for the iOS 17 update. In the press materials detailing today's iPhone 15 announcement, Apple mentions that iOS 17 will be available to download next Monday (September 18). Presumably, iPadOS 17 — essentially the same software, but for tablets — is coming then, too.

The press materials on the Apple Watch 9 also confirm a September 18 release for watchOS 10.

Tim Cook recaps everything Apple announced today — two new watches and four new iPhones. "These are the best and most capable iPhones we've ever made," Cook said.

And that is that.

iPhone 15 Pro is $999, the same as the iPhone 14 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro Max gets the $100 price hike, though. It's now $1,199, though on the bright side, you get 256 storage. 

Phones hit stores on September 22. Pre-orders start this Friday (Sept. 15).

A lot of features for Pro users, like being able to transfer photos and video more quickly via USB. iPhone 15 Pro can capture spatial videos using the main and ultrawide cameras — a tie-in to the upcoming Apple Vision Pro.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a new 5x telephoto lens. It uses a tetra-prism design to mimic a 120mm focal length. Optical image stabilization is improved, allowing the lens to move in three directions. 

Camera time: Joswiak says it's the best camera system yet on the iPhone 15 Pro. The 48MP main camera is more advanced, thanks to a larger sensor and a coating to fight against lens flare.

Users can now shoot in a 48MP mode that offers 4x the resolution as before. Camera cand shot in different focal lengths, too (24mm, 28mm, 35mm). Portrait and Night mode improvements are coming to the iPhone 15 Pro, as is an updated Smart HDR feature.

Apple is talking about gaming now. That's likely to tout the GPU on board the A17 Bionic, which now supports ray tracing. We get to see some game makers show what they're building for the iPhone and how the A17 Bionic improves the quality of gaming.

Time to meet the A17 Pro (and not the Bionic which is what I thought had been called), which is powering the iPhone 15 Pro models. Performance cores of the CPU are 10% faster, and the efficiency cores have been sped up, too. The Neural engine is 2x as fast as before, can can process 35 trillion operations per second. That allows for on-device features that don't require contacting the cloud. GPU is redesigned with new rendering features. It's a 6 core design that's 20% faster for peak performance.

So the watchword is faster and more efficient.

The iPhone 15 Pro offers USB 3 speeds so transfer speeds are faster, too.

Apple is talking about the Standby feature in the context of the iPhone 15 Pro's always on display. That would seem to suggest no AOD feature for the iPhone 15 models, which is a bummer, if true.

The ring/silent switch is giving way to an Action button. It still handles silencing your phone, but you can use the button to customize actions.

Apple didn't use anodized coating, instead going with PVD. (I might have misheard that.) Anyhow, that's allowed for the colors to be black, white, blue and gray.

Greg Joswiak calls titanium the most premium material Apple's ever used. It's also lighter, making the iPhone 15 Pro models the lighest Pros ever. Edges are the thinnest ever, too.

Sizes remain 6.1-inches for the Pro and 6.7 inches for the Pro Max. (So no iPhone 15 Ultra, it sounds like.)

"Our Pro models represent the very best of Apple innovations," Tim Cook says, which means it's iPhone 15 Pro time. First feature is the new titanium materials. 

Prices are unchanged — $79 for the iPhone 15 and $899 for the iPhone 15 Plus with carrier activation. 

Fine woven accessories are joining Apple's accessory lineup for the iPhone, too. 

"USB-C has become a universally accepted standard," Apple says, so it's coming to the iPhone 15. It's coming to AirPods too, so that it can work with iPhones seemlessly. As expected there's no mention of the EU requirements forcing Apple's hand on this issue.

Emergency SOS is available in 14 countries and soon Spain and Switzerland will join the mix. Apple's introducing Roadside Assistance via Satellite. You can connect to a roadside assistance provider when your call breaks down outside of cellular connectivity. It's launching in the U.S. with AAA. 

Like the Apple Watch, the iPhone 15 gets a second-gen Ultra Wideband chip. It can connect with other UW devices from farther away, which will help find friends and objects.

The iPhone 15 uses a more advanced machine learning model to prioritize your voice on phone calls for improved audio. There's a voice isolation feature, too.

As expected, the iPhone 15 gets the A16 Bionic from the iPhone 14 Pro. Sounds like it's the same chip Apple used in last year's phones, though it's a step forward from the iPhone 14's A15 Bionic chip.

Portait mode is getting an enhancement, including features that let you shift the focus of the shot even after you've taken it. Portrait shots should offer better colors.

Night mode gets an improvement as does Smart HDR. The end result should be brighter highlights.

There’s also a 2x telephoto option enabled by the iPhone 15's main camera without a dedicated zoom lens. The camera offers continuous zoom capability as well.

Apple redesigned the iPhone 15's camera system, and that means a 48MP main camera. You'll be able to shoot at full resolution if you want, but you can also balance detail and light capture to bin together four pixels into one. You get a 24MP photo in those instances.

Super Retina XDR display on the iPhone 15 can hit 1,600 nits of peak brightness in HDR. Peak outdoor brighness is 2,000 nits — twice as much as the iPhone 14.

You're getting the same sizes as before — 6.1 inches on the iPhone 15, and 6.7 inches on the iPhone 15 Plus. The edges of the phone are now contoured instead of straight and the color is in the material itself.

Colors are pink, yellow, blue, green and black. You've got a textured matte finish on the back.

It's iPhone time. Let's start with the iPhone 15, and right away, the teaser video gives away the fact that the new phone now has the Dynamic Island cutout in lieu of the notch.

Your Apple Watch lineup: Apple Watch 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Apple Watch 9 starts at $399 and the Ultra is $799. You can pre-order today and the watches go on sale September 22.

The Depth app on the Ultra saves a log of each diving session with the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The watch's altitude range has been expanded as well. Battery life is unchanged — 36 hours of typical use on a single charge.

Apple Watch Ultra is next on the agenda. Apple Watch Ultra 2 also features the S9 SiP and on-device Siri. Brightness hits 3,000 nits, making the watch more readable. There's a new watchface called modular ultra to take advantage of the Ultra's new display. Night mode uses the ambient light sensor to automatically turn on in the dark.

Apple is no longer going to use leather in any of its products, including watch bands as part of its environmental effort.

Instead we're getting a new material called Fine Woven. It's making its debut as an Apple Watch 9 band. Hermes and Nike are also participating in making more environmental friendly bands.

There is a very lengthy sketch in which Octavia Spencer plays Mother Nature and Apple talks about its environmental efforts, particularly as it pertains to the Apple Watch. Lisa Jackon, the VP of Apple's sustanability efforts, is also recapping Apple's progress on being carbon neutral by 2030 and getting the carbon footprint of all Apple prodcuts down to net zero.

Apple Watch Series 9 is the first carbon neutral Apple product, by the way.

Pink, starlight, midnight, silver, and [Product] Red are the Apple Watch 9 colors for aluminum models. Stainless steel comes in gold, silver, and graphite.

There's a new gesture called double tap. You tap your thumb and index finger on your watch hand twice. Jeff Williams demos how double-tap can answer calls. It also lets you control playback and silence alarms. It's a S9-powered feature because of the neural engine.

OK, OK, I take it back, the new chip is pretty significant.

Double tap launches next month.

There's a second-generation ultrawideband chip that enhances the Apple Watch's iPhone finding feature. You'll get more precise feedback on the direction to go find your phone. And that works with the HomePod too.

You can request health queries from Siri on the Apple Watch. That feature's coming later this year.

The Apple Watch 9 is redesigned on the inside and powered by the S9, which has more transistors than the S8 and a faster GPU. There's a four-core neural engine that processes machine learning much faster. That should make dictation using Siri more accurate, incidentally.

It's impressive and all, but I'm not sure a new chipset is going to be enough to get recent Apple Watch buyers to upgrade. If you've got an older watch, though...

Apple Watch is the first product announcement of the day, with Jeff Williams, Apple COO, bringing us the deets.

Specifically, we're getting Apple Watch Series 9. It's got new Apple silicon along with some new features, which we'll hear about shortly.

Indeed, it's another pre-recorded Apple event for us in streaming land. Tim Cook greets us from the campus promising to talk more on what's coming to the Apple Watch and iPhone.

But first: an update, including a recap of the Macs Apple's released this year and the Apple Vision Pro preview we got in June. Apparently, developers are very excited about the headset. "They're creating truly amazing experiences that wouldn't be possible on any other platform," says Cook, adding that the product is on track for an early 2024 release.

Our pre-recorded video shows us people who were saved by Apple technology, whether it was the Apple Watch or the SOS/crash detection features on the iPhone. This has become a staple of recent Apple events.

And we're underway, with a pre-recorded video, alas. Those in Cupertino get to be greeted by Tim Cook.

Meanwhile, those of us not in the Steve Jobs Theater are streaming the Apple Event on our Apple TV. (Go to the TV app to find the live stream.) Is... is that a shattered iPhone display?

Tom's Guide crew is inside the theater now, as the 10-minute countdown is about to begin.

@tomsguide

♬ original sound - Tom’s Guide

Here's another TikTok, with Mark Spoonauer discussing the likely changes coming to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Our iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro comparison offers a good breakdown of what we're expecting to see.

There are two schools of thought about the likely upgrades to the iPhone 15, which figures to get a 48MP camera, Dynamic Island cut-out nd A16 Bionic processor. You'll notice that all those features debuted with the iPhone 14 Pro last year, which is why Mark Spoonauer calls the iPhone 15 a "hand-me-down upgrade."

My counter-argument: Yeah, but those are all good features that make the iPhone 15 a better device than the base model iPhones that came before it. And you get USB-C connectivity as part of the mix. That's a fine upgrade for a $799 phone that doesn't purposrt to be Apple's top-of-the-line model.

So which one of us is right, and why is it me?

Pretty good turnout for today's Apple event, judging by the size of the crowd in the Steve Jobs Theater.

Courtesy of Mark Spoonauer, we have a Greg Joswiak sighting at the Apple event. Shouldn't that dude be backstage?

We could get a ship date for the full release of iOS 17 today, since that update is likely to arrive right before the iPhone 15 models arrive in stores. Or, this could be one of those announcements that Apple makes quietly via press release after the event. Apple's gone both ways with news of its software releases.

Whatever the date ends up being for iOS 17, you can also expect watchOS 10, iPadOS17 and tvOS 17 to arrive at the same time, as those updates have interconnected features.

When you do upgrade to iOS 17, I've got a list of the new features and enhancements to try out first.

@tomsguide

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Kate Kozuch is inside the Steve Jobs Theater to give you a rundown of everything that could be announced when the iPhone 15 event gets underway at 10 a.m. PT.

Less than an hour to go now, so why not bide the time by making your most outlandish prediction? Here's mine — I think Apple announces some sort of Lightning cable collection program to ease the transition to USB-C and mitigate some of the environmental impact of Lightning's approaching obsolescence. 

On the fence about whether to upgrade to the iPhone 15 or not? Perhaps a report on rumored iPhone 16 specs will help you decide.

Wait a year, this new report claims, and you'll get a phone with more RAM and an A17 Bionic chipset that's supposed to be improved from the silicon Apple is going to use in this year's iPhone 15 Pro models. (Presumably, the iPhone 16 Pro will have moved on to the A18 Bionic by then.) Whether that's enough to convince you that the 48MP main camera, USB-C port and Dynamic Island cutout reportedly coming to the iPhone 15 aren't enough is a matter for your own conscience.

Mark Spoonauer sends this photo from the lobby of the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple campus, and this gives me hope that we'll actually see a live event today. Since the pandemic, Apple has used prerecorded videos for its product launches, and while those are fine and good, you miss the crowd's reaction — like the audible gasps at WWDC when Apple announced the $3,500 price for the Apple Vision Pro.

Buying accessories is a key part of upgrading your phone or smartwatch. But if you're intending to get a case to protect your iPhone 15, or a new strap for the Apple Watch 9, be aware that there may not be the selection you're used to.

Allegedly because of environmental concerns, Apple's going to stop making new silicone accessories for its new devices. There may be some still available while stocks last, but instead look out for new "FineWoven" cases and bands launched alongside Apple's latest devices.

@tomsguide

♬ BUT I DONT FORGET TOO WELLLLL - jrecs

Time for some predictions/previews from our crew in Cupertino via the TikTok.

If there's an iPhone 15 Pro rumor I'm interested in hearing more about, it's the titanium sides that are reportedly replacing stainless steel in Apple's high-end phones. Titanium is not only more durable than stainless steel, it's also lighter. So we should have a phone that survives drops better than its predecessor, while also weighing less.

How much less? A while back, 9to5Mac did the math and calculated that the iPhone 15 Pro models would lose more than half-an-ounce from the weight of the equivalent iPhone 14 Pro models. Now, the new iPhones might pick that up in other areas — denser batteries, anyone? — but lighter is almost always better when it comes to portable devices.

Tom's Guide has arrived in Cupertino for the big event. From left to right, that's John Velasco, Mark Spoonauer and Kate Kozuch, who are on hand to report live from the scene and go hands-on with whatever devices Apple shows off today.

Good news, everyone — Tim Cook remembered he has an appointment in about two hours. Now if only he can find his way down from the roof.

Let's not forget about iPhone 15 Pro colors — or at least the rumored color options. In keeping with Apple's tradition, these are a bit more staid than the standard iPhone color options. Leaked images show off white, black, blue and gray colors.

Missing in action is any gold color, which would be the first time a high-end iPhone hasn't featured that shade since 2017. Does this have anything to do with the rumored titanium materials the iPhone 15 Pro could be using in its frame?

My colleague Kate Kozuch is in Cupertino for today's event, but she filed a report on what to expect from any Apple Watch 9 announcement that summarizes the expected changes. The big story — the new watch is likely to feature a new processor and an updated heart rate sensor. It could be built out of new materials, too.

In other words, if you've already got an Apple Watch 8, your FOMO should be at very low levels later on today.

It's Philip Michaels, managing editor for mobile, and I'll be seeing you through the Apple event, which starts in a mere three hours. And while we're busy saying hello, let's also make sure to say goodbye.

The iPhone 15's arrival means that Apple will shuffle up its iPhone lineup, keeping some older models around at reduced prices while dropping other phones entirely. One of those phones will surely be the iPhone 13 mini — it's already in short supply, according to reports. And its departure will leave Apple without a small screen phone other than the iPhone SE (and that device's chunky bezels and outdated design almost disqualify it.) 

I wrote how the departure of the iPhone 13 mini from Apple's lineup marks the end of the era of small phones once and for all.

RIP. The iPhone 15 Ultra could be toast. There had been rumors for a long time that Apple would be replacing its usual Pro Max model with an iPhone 15 Ultra this year. But that may not be happening any more, according to Apple expert Mark Gurman.

It would certainly make sense for Apple to introduce an Ultra model. We've already got the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple M2 Ultra chipset, and other companies like Samsung sell ultra-branded phones like the Galaxy S23 Ultra. But we may have to wait until the iPhone 16 launch to see the first ultra iPhone, complete with larger displays.

The Apple Watch 9 will most likely be bringing watchOS 10 along with it, meaning upgrades for any recent Apple Watch user even if they don't buy one of Apple's new smartwatches.

Among the changes to watchOS are new watch faces, mental health and vision health tracking, improvements to the Maps app to help navigating while hiking, and Smart Stacks for organizing widgets.

The launch of the iPhone 15 is a good thing even if you don't plan to buy it, since it heralds the incoming launch of iOS 17 as well.

Apple's newest iPhone software, compatible on iPhones all the way back to the iPhone XS, brings features like StandBy mode, a Journal app, a Check-in safety feature and upgrades to AirDrop to your iPhone. iOS 17's not got a confirmed launch outside of Fall 2023 yet, but going by Apple's previous launch plans, it likely won't be long until it's out of beta.

In good news for non-Pro iPhone buyers, the iPhone 15 should inherit two features found on the iPhone 14 Pro last year - the Dynamic Island and a 48MP main camera.

The Dynamic Island replaces the Face ID notch, giving users more screen space and dynamic widgets for several different apps. Meanwhile, the 48MP camera should offer improved detail for photos, although we can't be sure if Apple will share its full 48MP ProRAW camera mode too, or keep that a feature for just Pro phones.

Now a last-minute Apple Watch leak! Kosutami over on Twitter/X has posted an alleged image of the new FineWoven Link strap that will be available for the Apple Watch 9.

It looks to be a magnetic strap like several other Apple Watch strap options, but is made of fabric rather than plastic or metal. This light brown color looks rather sophisticated too, although Apple will no doubt offer a range of color options if this band is the real deal.

More breaking news for the iPhone 15, this time for the iPhone 15 Pro Action button, the new rebindable key thought to be replacing the mute switch on the side of the phone.

Phone accessory company Spigen posted a teaser image of what we can assume is one of their new iPhone 15 Pro cases, including a button above the volume keys. Case makers don't normally get any insider information from Apple, but if Spigen's willing to go public with this before any official announcement, we can be reasonably confident that the Action button is real.

Like clockwork, the Apple Store site is now offline prior to Apple's upcoming event.

Sometimes Apple refreshes its store pages outside of events to prepare for unexpected product announcements or promotions. But if you wanted yet more evidence that Apple's going to be announcing new products later today, here it is.

If you have already made your mind up and plan to buy the iPhone 15 as soon as it's available, here's what we expect for iPhone 15 pre-orders.

Assuming Apple keeps to its usual timings, pre-orders will open on Friday, September 15, likely at 5:00 a.m PT / 8:00 a.m. ET. Open sales will come the following Friday, September 22, with the first pre-ordered units also shipping out that day.

Things have been quiet on the iPad front lately, aside from the rumors of the iPad mini getting a refresh. But one more iPad could get an update before the year's out, if not at today's event.

The iPad Air, last updated in 2022, could be getting a specs bump in the near future. It may only be moving from an Apple M1 chip to an Apple M2 chip to keep its performance ahead of the competition, but anyone looking to buy one of Apple's mid-priced tablets soon may want to wait a couple of months before making a purchase, in case Apple does shake things up.

We're expecting Apple to offer different chips in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models. So pay attention to what Apple announces later if you're interested in your iPhone's performance.

If the rumor mill has it right, then the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will use the A16 Bionic chipset, last seen in the iPhone 14 Pro. So it'll use an older chip but it'll still be more powerful than the majority of other phones on the market.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max on the other hand will apparently get a new A17 Bionic chipset. This chip is apparently made with a more efficient and more powerful 3nm process, which should mean even better performance for users going for Apple's new top-tier phones. 

A last-minute iPhone 15 leak for you! Despite rumors that a huge 2TB storage option would be offered on the iPhone 15 Pro, it looks as if that's not actually happening.

2TB is a lot of storage for a regular computer, let alone a smartphone. No doubt some iPhone users keen on capturing lots of high-quality photos and video would make use of such a large storage capacity, but it looks as if they'll have to stick with the already large 1TB model that we've seen on the past few Pro iPhone generations.

Here’s a case where I would not get your hopes up. Literally. Yeah, there’s rumors of new AirPods being introduced at the Apple event, but it could just be Apple rolling out an updated charging case with USC-B charing for the AirPods Pro and AirPods 3. The AirPods Max 2 may just have to wait, though they are certainly long overdue. 

We’ve talked a lot about the new iPhone so far, but what about the new Apple Watch 9? Well, here’s a tidbit that could get your heart racing. The Apple Watch Series 9 is tipped to feature a fourth-generation optical heart rate sensor, which should improve accuracy over the Apple Watch 8. In addition, the Apple Watch 9 will reportedly pack a faster processor and a new U2 ultrawide-band chip for an improved Find My experience.

The modem isn’t the most exciting part of the iPhone, but it’s still a crucial component — how else are you going to connect to those 5G towers out there? All signs point to Apple going with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 modem, the same part Samsung used in this year’s Galaxy S23.

Released more than a year ago, the X70 modem is highlighted by a 5G AI processor. That feature allows the modem to use artificial intelligence to better manage the 5G beams coming to and from the phone.Sadly, this year’s iPhone is going to miss out on the more advanced Snapdragon X75 that Qualcomm released earlier this year, and as for an Apple-built modem, well, those plans appear to be on ice until after 2026.

Zoom, Zoom Zoom! The iPhone has long trailed Samsung Galaxy phones in this department, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max could finally do enough to challenge the champ. The Pro Max is tipped to feature a new periscope telephoto lens, which uses folded optics to achieve a longer zoom range. How long? We’re heading 6x optical zoom, which would be double the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has dual telephoto lenses of 3x and 10x, but we’ll see how well the new iPhone stacks up in our testing. The Google Pixel 7 Pro has a 5x periscope zoom, and Pixel 8 Pro should be similar. 

The iPad mini 7 may or may not be among the products Apple shows off today. (The latest iPad rumors say nay.) And if it does appear, rumors for the updated tablet suggest a specs bump at the most.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. My colleague Jeff Parsons has an iPad mini 7 wishlist that includes everything from more storge to MagSafe connectivity. And why not throw in a faster refreshing display and an M-series chip while you’re at it? That’s an announcement that would probably be greeted with a warm round of applause instead of an indifferent shrug.

Get ready to trash all your Lightning cables! Seriously, the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series are both expected to finally embrace USB-C charging. Apple did not want to go down this road but is being compelled by EU regulators. 

The good news is that you’ll be able to use the same cables to charge your iPhone, MacBook and iPad. The bad news is that Apple may reserve faster charger and/or transfer speeds for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. 

I know, I know. Not everyone is in the market for a brand new iPhone. Some people just want a great deal. Well, I have good news. The iPhone 15 launch should bring price drops to the older models in Apple’s lineup. For example, we expect the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus to both see discounts of $100, which means you’ll be able to pick up last year’s “new” iPhone starting at just $699. Prefer a bigger screen and longer battery life? The iPhone 14 Plus should start at $799. 

I don’t know if you play Apple product launch bingo, but here’s one of the next best things you can do to amuse yourself during Apple’s iPhone 15 launch. We’ve gathered together the rumored iPhone 15 specs in one place. Turn that report into a checklist and mark off what Apple actually announces and what turns out to be a flight of fancy on the part of some leaker.

Okay, let’s turn our attention to something that could prove very unpopular and trend on X for all the wrong reasons. The iPhone 15 Pro series is tipped to get a price hike, but the amount varies based on who you’re talking to. The iPhone 15 Pro Max could cost anywhere from $100 to $200 more, which would mean it could start at $1,199 or even $1,299. My money is on $1,199, so it’s on a par with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra — but you never know. 

A separate report by market research firm Trendforce says the iPhone 15 Pro will be starting at $999, the same as the iPhone 15 Pro. So it’s possible the Pro Max is the only iPhone that will command a higher premium. 

Looking at the iPhone 15 colors — at least in their rumored phone — don’t they strike you as a bit dull? The colors Apple uses for its standard flagship phone tend to be brighter than what you get with the Pro models, though based on leaked images thus far, they appear more muted than what we’re used to seeing from Apple.

To be clear, the current rumors suggest that you’ll be able to get the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus in black, white, blue, pink and yellow. It’s unclear if there will be a [Product] Red iPhone 15 as there have been for recent models.

Another iPhone 15 color change that could be changing our perception: instead of the usual glossy colors, we’re supposed to see frosted colors on the iPhone 15. We hope the end result is a little brighter and more vibrant than what we’ve been treated to so far in leaks.

Let's talk about the the iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro rumors more generally. If you've not been following along up to now — and that's okay — there's a lot of expected differences. In a nutshell, the iPhone 15 is supposed to offer USB-C connectivity, the Dynamic Island from the iPhone 14 Pro series and a new 48MP main camera.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are tipped to feature lighter and stronger titanium designs, a new Action button and a powerful new A17 Bionic chip. And the Pro Max should get an exclusive periscope zoom camera with 6x optical zoom — double the range of the regular Pro. 

One of the iPhone 15 Pro's features that everyone is going to be talking about is the rumored Action button. Yes, Apple is set to replace the ringer / mute switch with a button that can mute sounds and do a heck of a lot more.

Based on all the leaks we've heard, this button will be able to perform all sorts of tricks, from launching the camera and opening the flashlight to starting a voice recording and pulling up a digital magnifying glass. Plus, you'll be able to customize the Action button to do almost anything you want via the iOS Shortcuts app. 

Good morning! It's Richard Priday (TG's Assistant Phones Editor) here kicking off the live blog for the day of the Apple Wonderlust event.

Our team on the ground in Cupertino is hopefully still resting up for later today, but in the meantime let's take a look at some of the rumors that have appeared in the past few months about the main devices expected to arrive today: the iPhone 15, Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.