Time to place your iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro preorder. Photo: Apple
Apple began accepting preorders for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series early Friday morning. The company showcased the devices earlier this week during its “Wonderlust” event.
Unlike last year, when Apple staggered the iPhone release dates, the entire iPhone 15 lineup will begin shipping a week from now on September 22.
We can help you pay for your next Apple Watch. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The entire iPhone 15 lineup goes up for preorder from Apple’s online store tomorrow morning. They might be pricey — in fact, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the most expensive iPhone yet — but there’s an easy way you can earn some quick cash to help you pay for them.
Our buyback program makes it incredibly easy to turn your old iPhone, Apple Watch and other gear into real cash. And we typically pay more than any other service. What’s more, you can get a quote now and hold onto your device until your upgrade arrives. Click here to learn more.
Find out how much you could save on your next upgrade today.
It's not about money this time. Photo: Apple/Public Domain
No, Apple didn’t change the Lightning connector on the iPhone 15 to make more money selling you new cables and dongles. It’s a common conspiracy theory that Apple switches the connector all the time for lining their pockets, but it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
First of all, Apple changes the connector very rarely; this is only the second occurrence in 16 years. Secondly, Apple is actually giving up money to make the switch happen. Not that there’s much money to be made selling Lightning cables, anyway. And all that aside, it’s out of Apple’s hands — USB-C is European Union law.
You don't have to buy AirPods to get decent earbuds from Apple for your Mac or iPad. Photo: Apple
Apple’s transition away from the old Lightning connector includes a USB-C version of EarPods, and these can now be purchased online for under $20.
The wired earbuds that come with iPhone are surprisingly good — audio quality is closer to AirPods than you might realize. And there are other advantages for Mac and iPad users, too.
Watch the event in just 1.25% of the time. Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
You might not have time to watch the full Wonderlust keynote, where Apple spent two hours talking iPhone 15 and Apple Watch. You may not even have time to read the highlights from our coverage. Just for you, we’ve edited down Apple’s keynote to just 90 seconds.
Do you need any of Apple’s new products? Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Should you buy the new iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9 (or Ultra 2) or AirPods? The new iPhones brought big changes this year. The Apple Watch and AirPods… not so much.
Now that the products are available to order, you might be wondering if it’s time to upgrade. That depends on what devices you have, so I’ve put together a buying guide with charts and a video to help you decide.
The differences between the Pro and Pro Max models expand with this year's iPhone lineup. Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh
Trying to decide if you should buy iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max? After a few years of feature parity, this year’s lineup once again makes a marquee feature exclusive to the Pro Max model. And for photographers, it’s a doozy: iPhone 15 Pro Max gets a new 5x optical zoom, thanks to its tetraprism periscope lens.
Bigger display and longer battery life aside, this key camera improvement alone could make it worth upgrading to the larger iPhone Pro this year. Here’s how iPhone 15 Pro compares to iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Keep using your Lightning cables and earbuds with iPhone 15 thanks to this adapter from Apple. Photo: Apple
Anyone unhappy that the iPhone 15 series dumps Lightning in favor of USB-C should consider a just-released adapter from Apple. With it, an old Lightning cable can be plugged into a USB-C port — and for more than just power.
Apple doit réparer l'iPhone 12 dès que possible. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
The iPhone 12 can no longer be sold in France. The handset reportedly emits more electromagnetic radiation than is allowed in that country, and retailers have been ordered to take it off its shelves.
The order applies to only one model that Apple released in 2020. And the problem is fixable with a software patch.
The iPhone 15 Pro models feature a strong and lightweight new titanium design. Photo: Apple
The new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max handsets feature a lightweight titanium design with contoured edges, a new Action button, powerful camera upgrades and the A17 Pro chip to jack up mobile gaming, Apple said at its Wonderlust event Tuesday. And surprisingly, only the Pro Max’s price went up.
“This is the most pro lineup we have ever created, with a state-of-the-art titanium design, the best iPhone camera system yet that enables game-changing new workflows, and the A17 Pro chip, which ushers in a new chapter of performance and games never before seen on iPhone,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, in a press release about the new models. To know more, read why the iPhone 15 might be Apple’s cheapest since 2007.
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come in a range of pastels, plus basic black. Screenshot: Apple
The just-launched iPhone 15 and 15 Plus include the Dynamic Island previously reserved for Pro models. And they’re enhanced with another previously Pro feature: a 48 megapixel camera.
What they don’t have is a Lighting port or screen notch. These have been replaced with better options.
“iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus represent a huge leap forward with exciting camera innovations that inspire creativity, the intuitive Dynamic Island, and features like Roadside Assistance via satellite that make a real difference in users’ lives,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing.
The handsets were unveiled Tuesday at Apple’s Wonderlust event, along with two iPhone 15 Pro models andnew Apple Watch iterations.
Install iOS 15.7.9 on your older iPhone to protect it from the Pegasus spyware. Photo: Андрей Сидоренко/Pixabay/Cult of Mac
The newly-released iOS 15.7.9, macOS Monterey 12.6.9 and iPadOS 15.7.9 are intended to protect older computers from hackers, including those using the Pegasus spyware.
Apple recently introduced security patches for newer versions of these operating systems to close the same security vulnerability.
The "standard" iPhone 15 will cost less, in real world terms, than any predecessor for many years. Photo: Sonny Dickson/Cult of Mac
Those ordering an iPhone 15 can do so knowing they’ll pay less for it in real-world cost than for any just-launched Apple flagship handset since the original.
But that doesn’t mean there’s a giant price cut coming. The magic words here are “adjusted for inflation.”
The iPhone 15 series is only a days away, but you don't have to wait for the details. Image: Cult of Mac
Apple will launch the iPhone 15 on September 12 at the Wonderlust event, but you don’t have to wait — leaks have revealed plenty of details already. This year’s models will allegedly be faster in multiple ways, plus there’ll be design changes, including USB-C and the Dynamic Island for everyone.
Here’s everything we’re expected from Apple’s new-for-2023 iPhone lineup.
Live Voicemail, FaceTime video messages, Check-In and others are some of the best iOS 17 features. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
iOS 17 brings with it a lot of new features to the apps you use to communicate every day: iMessage, FaceTime — and last and certainly least — Phone. If you’re trying to call someone and have a missed connection, you have many more options for leaving them a message to pick up later. Changes to iMessage bring small but impactful improvements to stickers, threaded replies and sharing your ETA.
iOS 17 is out now. If you bought a new iPhone 15, you’ve got it already. Otherwise, head over to Settings > General > Software Update to get it. Upgrading may take about 20 minutes after downloading, so make sure you don’t start it at a bad time.
There should be plenty to love at Apple's September 12 event. Image: Cult of Mac
Apple’s biggest event of the year is only a few days away. On September 12, Tim Cook and Co. will reveal at least six new Apple products and possibly more.
The event is titled “Wonderlust” — Apple clearly hopes the new iPhone 15 series and fresh Apple Watch models will fill us with an uncontrollable desire to buy.
Can’t wait to find out what’s coming? We don’t blame you. Here’s everything that leaks already revealed about the handsets and wearables on Tuesday’s agenda.
No iPhone for you, China government workers! Illustration: Cult of Mac
Apple has been caught in the middle of the high tech trade war between the United States and China. Many government employees have been ordered to not use an iPhone for work. Official government disapproval could result in lowered sales in the country, which currently contributes heavily to Apple revenue.
iPhone has not been singled out, though. The workers are not allowed to use any smartphone made outside of China.
The iPhone won plaudits. Its price reduction? Not so much. Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac
September 5, 2007: Just months after the first iPhone went on sale, Apple ditches its bottom-tier 4GB model and cuts the price of the 8GB version by $200.
A rare misstep (considering Apple’s usual mastery of the press), this tone-deaf PR move backfires immediately. Early adopters rage about shelling out premium prices for their first-generation iPhones. Fortunately, Apple makes good.
The iPhone 15 series might not have much for fans of bright colors. Photo: Sonny Dickson/Cult of Mac
Apple reportedly will produce the iPhone 15 in an array of mostly muted colors. New images of mockup units show the upcoming handset in five generally pastel shades.
The iPhone 15 Pro series supposedly will be available with a different, smaller range of colors.
Workers in China and India are now assembling the iPhone 15 series. Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC
Apple and the companies assembling the iPhone 15 reportedly worked through all the significant production problems they faced making the next iOS handsets. They supposedly faced issues with the cameras, LCDs, batteries and titanium frame in upcoming models
After clearing those hurdles, the four models in the iPhone 15 series are now set for the launch that’s almost certainly happening in September.
As usual, everyone's trying to divine hidden meanings from Apple's latest event invitation. Image: Cult of Mac
Apple’s “Wonderlust” event invite features the Apple logo in a windswept, sandy visage. How could the artwork relate to the expected announcements of the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 coming during the Apple event on September 12?
Here is some off-the-wall speculation — the reasonable and the ridiculous.
The USB-C port in the iPhone 15 series could be blazing fast. Photo: Cult of Mac
Good news for those hoping iPhone 15 Pro will support very high-speed data transfers: Images supposedly showing a Thunderbolt cable specifically for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max just leaked out. This offers yet another indication that Apple’s next handsets will be able to move data at up to 40Gbps.
Whether the iPhone Thunderbolt cable will be released is open to question — it’s almost completely redundant.
Who killed the groom? Better have a look at the wedding videographer's footage. Photo: Apple
A TV director just revealed that he and his crew “got away with” using an iPhone to shoot much of an episode of murder-mystery comedy The Afterparty on Apple TV+.
Season 2, episode 8 of the show benefited from the sense of iPhone “found footage” because it takes place mostly during a wedding, so they took pains to make it look like some amateur shot it.
The months-long wait for iOS 17 is almost over. Image: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
The launch of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is drawing close, as the many steps of beta testing for these operating systems are almost finished. The same holds true for tvOS 17, and watchOS 10 is nearly as close. Apple likely will release them all in September.
macOS Sonoma, however, isn’t expected to debut until later.