By Charlie Levin
The new iPhone lineup offers new models in a similar format to the 14. Apple released an iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and a 15 Pro Max.
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models are the versions that have been changed the most since their iPhone 14 correspondents. Rather than having an aluminum chassis, they now are being marketed as “space-grade”, as they are structured with titanium. The alloy in use to make the titanium chassis is marketed as the same alloy used in the spacecraft traveling to Mars, as per Apple’s website, so it is supposed to be stronger.
Another big thing, but still only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, is an update to the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Apple introduced the A17 Pro, a GPU that focuses on realistic gaming. It provides speeds of graphical processing up to 20% faster and CPU (Computer Processing Unit) speeds up to 10% faster than the A16 Bionic, the chip in the iPhone 14 Pro models and in the 15 models. It also has 4 times faster ray tracing, a process used to output the most realistic graphics possible, than the previous GPU. Another benefit is that it uses much less power, resulting in a longer battery life.
Speaking of the battery, the main update to all the iPhone models (the 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max) is the substitution of a USB type C port instead of the previous lightning port. That means that you no longer can use the same charger to charge your iPhone as you use for your iPad. However, the port can now be used for data transfer to other devices or to take photos and videos directly onto an external hard drive. You can also charge your AirPods or Apple Watch directly from the USB c port.
The cameras have updated too. Now, all iPhone models contain a 48 megapixel main camera, which allows you to take high resolution photos and to zoom in up to two times as much as what your camera originally sees. You can also take photos richer in color than before.
Overall, the iPhone 15 models are cheaper than the 15 pro models, so if you are looking for a new phone at a good price, the 15 without a trade-in is around $800. However, if you want a really high-end phone, the 15 Pro is a good choice, priced at $1000 without trade-in. Since those prices may not sound realistic, Apple offers up to $650 off of a new iPhone if you trade in your old model (iPhone 11 or newer) in good condition.
