Apple officially releases iPhone 15!All series have been replaced with C-ports, and there is another update that is far ahead of the curve.

All iPhone 15 series are now available, fully embracing USB-C

Like previous revelations, the entire iPhone 15 series has been replaced with USB-C interfaces, which vary depending on the model. The basic model of iPhone 15 only supports USB2, with a maximum transfer speed of 480 MBps, while the more advanced Pro model supports USB3, with a maximum transfer speed of up to 10 Gbps, which is a full 20 times higher than before.

At the same time, Apple quietly updated AirPods Pro (second generation) on its official website to support USB-C charging. With the iPhone also using the USB-C interface, we can now charge Mac, iPad, AirPods and iPhone 15 series products with one charging cable.

As for the charging speed that many users are concerned about, the basic model of iPhone 15 can use a 20W or higher power adapter (need to be purchased separately), which can charge to 50% in about 30 minutes.

In terms of wireless charging, the iPhone 15 series will support MagSafe charging and the new Qi2 standard, enabling 15 W wireless charging.

2023 is the year of the imaging war, and Apple’s participation is naturally indispensable. The camera is still the familiar dual-camera module, but in terms of image specifications, Apple is very sincere.

The basic model of iPhone 15 uses the 48-megapixel main camera of the previous generation iPhone 14 Pro series, bringing a 12-megapixel 2× crop focal length to capture more details and colors.

The entire iPhone 14 series is equipped with 4K 24fps movie mode video shooting capabilities, providing the best of both worlds with ultra-high definition and a cinematic feel. This year’s iPhone 15 adds a 2x telephoto feature, combined with advanced computational photography, to support 2x zoom shooting of 4K videos.

At the same time, iPhone 15 adopts a new portrait mode, which uses machine learning to intelligently detect the subject of the picture, making it easier to shoot portraits with rich details and low-light performance.

For better depth of field control, users can also adjust focus after taking the photo. With improvements to night mode, nighttime shots have clearer details and more vivid colors.

When light is bright or uneven, new Smart HDR captures both the subject and the background with more realistic renderings of skin tones.

No one knows better than Apple when it comes to model differentiation strategies. As in previous years, the basic model of iPhone 15 chooses a new shell to house the old core, and continues to use the A16 bionic chip of the previous generation.

Although it is a previous-generation chip, there is no need to worry about the performance of this bionic chip. The A16 Bionic chip is manufactured using a 4-nanometer process and includes up to 16 billion transistors. It can handle large-scale heavy-load games or support 4K video shooting and playback.

The iPhone 15 series are all equipped with the U2 ultra-wideband chip, which is the first new Apple UWB chip since the launch of U1 in the iPhone 11 Pro in 2019.

UWB chips serve several important functions. In a small area, UWB can provide more accurate positioning results than Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Apple once called it a “GPS system for use in the living room.”

Powered by the U2 ultra-wideband chip, the iPhone 15 series will enhance positioning capabilities, allowing users to more accurately track people and devices using the “Find My” app.

When Smart Island appeared on the iPhone 14 Pro last year, this special interactive form made many people call it “really fragrant”. This year, all members of the iPhone 15 series directly “landed” on the island.

In other words, Apple’s “notch” design will become a thing of the past, and the era of “Smart Island” will follow. As more users become “island owners”, I believe that the new iPhone gameplay with its changeable appearance, flexibility and multi-purpose will give rise to a new Smart Island ecology.

This year’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus come in five colors: black, yellow, green, blue and coral pink.

It is worth noting that the coral pink is very similar to the coral version of the iPhone XR released in 2018. The fresh and refined look is more in line with “girly hearts”. Friends who are attracted by the movie “Barbie” may wish to try the iPhone “Barbie” , the naked machine’s appearance on the street instantly attracted a lot of attention.

The basic models of iPhone 15 are equipped with frosted back glass, which makes the basic models look more similar to the Pro models.

iPhone 15 is also equipped with a satellite SOS emergency contact function, which will be available in Spain and Switzerland later this month. When your car breaks down and there is no network, you can try to request roadside assistance from the satellite. This function is currently supported for free for two years.

Every year when Apple launches a new iPhone model, it always offers matching cases made of leather and silicone. However, this year is different. For environmental reasons, Apple announced this year that it will use “FineWoven” material to make mobile phone cases and will no longer produce leather accessories, which will effectively reduce its carbon footprint.

In terms of screen, the iPhone 15 uses a 6.1-inch OLED display, while the iPhone 15 Plus uses a 6.7-inch OLED display. The peak HDR brightness of the basic iPhone 15 is as high as 1,600 nits, and the outdoor peak brightness can reach 2,000 nits.

As you might expect, as in previous years, the refresh rate of the base model of iPhone 15 is still 60Hz, without high refresh rate.

Unfortunately, the basic model of iPhone 15 did not succeed in “slimming down”. The weight of iPhone 15 is 171 grams, which is 1 gram lighter than iPhone 14. The thickness of iPhone 15 is 7.8 mm, which is the same as last year’s thickness. The weight of iPhone 15 Plus is 201 grams, and the thickness of iPhone 15 Plus is 7.8 mm.

Finally, the prices were officially announced: the starting price of iPhone 15 in China is 5,999 yuan, and the starting price of iPhone 15 Plus is 6,999 yuan. Pre-orders will start at 8 pm on September 15, and sales will go on sale on September 22.

The iPhone 15 Pro series has an update that’s way ahead of the curve

Major upgrades always belong to the Pro series. This year, Apple has completely squeezed out the toothpaste. Many new designs and new technologies are debuting in the iPhone 15 Pro series.

These changes can be felt in your hands. For the first time, the iPhone 15 Pro uses a titanium alloy middle frame. The surface has undergone multiple processes of precision machining, grinding, brushing and sandblasting to present a delicate and delicate brushed texture.

The titanium metal of the iPhone 15 Pro series is the same type used in the Mars exploration mission spacecraft. The frame is welded together with the new aluminum metal inner frame through solid-state diffusion technology. The thermo-mechanical processing process is used to achieve a high-strength bonding of the two metals. .

After using lighter and more durable titanium alloy, the iPhone 15 Pro series has been “slimmed down” a lot, being 19 grams lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro, a weight reduction of nearly 10%. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is also 19 grams lighter than the previous generation.

Also “shrinking” is the screen frame, which is currently the narrowest iPhone, and you can clearly see that the screen-to-body ratio has become larger. At the same time, the back of the fuselage is more rounded than the right-angled frame of the iPhone 14, making it more comfortable to hold.

We have previously introduced the production process used for the narrow bezels of the iPhone 15 Pro. A new technology called low-injection pressure over-molding (low-injection pressure over-molding) is called LIPO internally at Apple. This process was originally Applied to Apple Watch Series 7.

Apple did not announce the specific bezel thickness at the press conference. The iPhone 15 Pro series is likely to be the smartphone with the narrowest bezels currently.

The “infinity pool” envisioned by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive – a borderless iPhone screen, has taken another step forward.

After Smart Island, iPhone 15 Pro also continues the innovation of interaction, using the Action button to replace the mute button on the iPhone 15 Pro model, similar to the customizable operation button on Apple Watch Ultra. After selecting the function you want to use, press and hold Click the button to start the corresponding operation, and it will be displayed on the smart island.

Another major upgrade of the iPhone 15 Pro series is the A17 Pro chip – the world’s first 3nm mobile phone chip. From the 5nm process of A14-A16 to the 3nm process, the performance improvement of A17 is also the largest in recent years.

The A17 Pro chip uses a 6CPU+6GPU configuration, which is one more GPU than the A16. The CPU is 10% faster and the GPU is 20% faster. The speed of the neural network engine is increased by 2 times, and the computing power per second is greatly improved, reaching 35 trillion operations.

iPhone 15 Pro supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing technology, which is up to four times faster than software-based ray tracing, which means smoother pictures and realistic light effects.

What can be done with such powerful performance? You can now run console games on your iPhone.

Apple announced that the native versions of “Resident Evil: Village”, “Resident Evil 4” and “Death Stranding” will be launched on the iPhone 15 Pro series this year, while “Assassin’s Creed: Vision” will be launched next year.

In the field of mobile phone processors, the A17 is once again far ahead.

As for the image upgrade, although there are still three cameras, Apple said that carrying the iPhone 15 Pro series is equivalent to carrying 7 lenses.

The most obvious change is that the new telephoto lens of iPhone 15 Pro Max can achieve 5x optical zoom, which is the longest optical zoom distance of iPhone to date. This telephoto lens uses an innovative quadruple prism design. The principle is similar to that of a periscope lens, but it achieves a 120mm focal length in a small size and also supports optical image stabilization.

With a four-in-one pixel sensor, the 48-megapixel camera can capture more details in low light. The new generation light imaging engine can also select the best pixel part from a high-resolution image and fuse it with another image optimized for capturing light, automatically generating a high-quality 24-megapixel photo.

When taking full-resolution HEIF photos with Apple’s AI system, you can choose multiple focal lengths including 24 MM, 28 MM and 35 MM for shooting. This is why Apple says that the iPhone 15 Pro is worth so many lenses.

The new portrait mode can capture more colors, light and darkness, and details, use continuous zoom to smoothly zoom in, and change the focus subject after taking a photo. In the night scene, while the portrait is clear, the background blur and light spots are also very natural.

In terms of video shooting, iPhone 15 Pro supports spatial video shooting. It can shoot 3D videos through ultra-wide angle and main camera, and display them on Vision Pro. It will be opened later this year. Apple has begun to provide content ecology for Vision Pro. Layout.

iPhone 15 Pro color options include black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium, and raw titanium. The starting price of iPhone 15 Pro in China is 7,999 yuan, and the starting price of iPhone 15 Pro Max is 9,999 yuan. The starting price of Pro Max is 1,000 yuan higher than last year, but the entry-level memory has also been increased from 128 GB to 256 GB. The 512 GB and 1TB versions have increased by 300 yuan and 500 yuan respectively.

Judging from this update of the Pro series, Apple seems to intend to further widen the gap with the digital series by “crazily stacking” the iPhone 15 Pro series. This can greatly save consumers time, and more importantly, make it easier for you to accept a higher-priced iPhone.

All three Apple Watch models updated

Like last year, the Series, Ultra and SE are all getting updates.

Apple Watch Series 9 follows the previous two sizes of 41 mm and 45 mm, and its appearance is generally the same as in previous years.

Apple Watch Series 9 is equipped with the S9 chip built on the A15 chip for the first time, which is also the first major update of the chip since Apple Watch Series 6.

Equipped with the S9 chip, this is Apple’s most powerful watch chip to date, with 5.6 billion transistors, between the level of A11 and A12, and 4 neural network engines, which can help Siri become smarter and respond to various instruction.

Thanks to the combination of self-developed chips and systems, Apple Watch Series 9 has an “all-day” 18-hour battery life. In addition, the Siri health query function will be launched later this year, supporting English and Mandarin.

Apple Watch Series 9 also adds a new control gesture. When you are walking the dog or carrying a shopping bag, and you have no room to spare, you only need to tap your fingers twice to turn off the alarm, answer the phone, and A series of operations such as replying to messages.

In terms of design, in addition to the original midnight color, starlight color, silver, and red, Apple Watch Series 9 also added a pink color, launched a loop-type sports strap, and redesigned the packaging box to use 100% fiber material to reduce Carbon emissions during production and transportation are also the first carbon-neutral product in Apple’s history.

The price of Apple Watch Series 9 starts at 2,999 yuan. It will be available for pre-order at 9 a.m. on September 14th and will be released on September 22nd.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 also follows the previous size of 49 mm. The similarly configured U2 chip and optical heart rate sensor will provide better performance and better positioning accuracy.

The appearance has not changed much. It is still made of titanium alloy. The screen brightness has been increased to an astonishing 3000nits. It is equipped with an S9 chip and provides dual-frequency GPS, bringing a better experience to more sports scenes.

From the mountains to the deep sea to wild trails, Apple Watch Ultra 2 can accompany you there.

The normal battery life of Apple Watch Ultra 2 reaches 36 hours, and in low-power mode, the battery life of Apple Watch Ultra 2 can reach 72 hours.

In addition, the entry-level Apple Watch SE has also been updated, with the same chip as the Apple Watch S8, and a retina display with a brightness of up to 1,000 nits.

Finally, let’s reveal the prices. Apple Watch Ultra 2 is priced at 6,499 yuan, and Apple Watch SE starts at 1,999 yuan. The reservation and release time are the same as Series 9.

Farewell to Lightning, not just a victory for USB-C

The update of the USB-C interface of the new iPhone has been announced in advance. It may be difficult to call it a surprise at tonight’s press conference, but when looking back on the development history of the iPhone, the iPhone 15 series will still be classified as one of the “milestones.” .

In September 2012, Apple released a new generation connector called Lightning with the iPhone 5. It was 80% smaller than the previous generation connector. It was the first mainstream reversible pluggable interface in the mobile market at that time, and also supported video and audio. Digital signal transmission.

In the face of Android phones that were still generally using Micro-USB interfaces at that time, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were “way ahead”. Phil Schiller, Apple’s then senior vice president, also said at the press conference: “This is a new interface for the next decade.”

Lightning is now 11 years old and has completed its historical mission. It is an epoch-making interface, but it can no longer keep up with the changing times 10 years later.

In recent years, USB-C has integrated high-standard standards such as fast charging, bandwidth, data, and audio and video. Charging power and data transfer rate have become a pain point for more and more iPhone users.

Another important invisible factor is that the Lightning interface gradually does not match the leading brand image that Apple has established in the minds of consumers.

The iPhone is still a very successful high-end flagship phone, but even though Apple has many strong points, it does not show such a leading advantage in the interfaces used every day, which will give users more reasons to hesitate when considering switching.

SellCell, a second-hand mobile phone trading platform, conducted a survey of U.S. Android users and iPhone users on the eve of the launch. The results showed that 44% of Android users would consider switching to iPhone 15 after switching to USB-C. , 66% of old iPhone users said they would upgrade, and 63% of them said the reason for upgrading was the USB-C interface.

It can be seen how much users are looking forward to an iPhone with USB-C interface. A college student even sold the iPhone X for a sky-high price of US$86,000 after converting the interface to USB-C.

Although Apple has been “stubborn” in the iPhone’s Lightning interface in the past, it is actually actively embracing the USB-C interface.

In 2011, before Lightning was launched, Apple was already working with Intel to develop the Thunderbolt interface and has been promoting the popularization of the latest Thunderbolt and USB protocols. The MacBook launched in 2015 began to use the USB-C interface. It was one of the first consumer electronics products to adopt the USB-C interface. Later, the iPad also gradually supported it.

As Apple’s family of tools iterates in the direction of creator tools, problems caused by non-universal interfaces have also begun to appear. When iPhone images support ProRes format, ProRAW format, 4K HDR Dolby Vision format… naturally a reliable and high-speed transmission method is needed to handle large-capacity data that can easily reach hundreds of gigabytes.

Even if compatibility with other brands of devices is not considered, a unified interface will have a direct impact on the experience of the entire Apple ecosystem, so it is even more imperative for the iPhone to switch to a USB-C interface.

Of course, there are currently many problems in the USB-C ecosystem, including inconsistent naming and standards. Different devices have different private protocols. It can be said that there are “thousands of mouths and thousands of faces”, which is dazzling.

These problems will continue to exist in the short term, but Apple’s influence will also drive more products to be compatible with this interface and standard, which is expected to accelerate the popularization and unification of the new USB standard. For example, the USB4 standard has been released for three years but has been slowly advancing. Even the newer Android flagships still use USB3.2 Gen1, with transmission rates concentrated at 5Gbps-10Gbps.

Last year, USB-IF actually released a new generation of data interface specification USB4 V2.0, which supports a maximum data transfer rate of 80Gbps, which is twice that of the Thunderbolt 4 interface. This is also the fastest physical interface currently. Just today, Intel officially announced Thunderbolt v5, the next generation technology standard for Thunderbolt 4, bringing a bidirectional rate of up to 120Gbps.

With the iPhone 15 supporting USB-C, we can claim that it will belong to the next decade, and this is not just a victory for USB-C.

It provides a more pleasant experience for ordinary users, and is more convenient and efficient for professional creators. The two together constitute a new driving force for replacement, making the iPhone’s biggest upgrade in recent years accepted by more users. .

This article was co-written by Li Chaofan and Mo Chongyu