Apple Names iPhone 15 Release Date, Also Introduces iPhone 15 Plus

Standing in the middle of Apple Park, the firm’s corporate headquarters in Cupertino, California, Apple CEO Tim Cook offered up an iPhone 15 release date, showcasing both the company’s new flagship device and it’s bigger sister, the iPhone 15 Plus.

Available in pink, yellow, green, blue and black at 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities, the devices retail for $799 for the iPhone 15 and $899 for the Plus. They will be available starting Sept. 22.

Apple’s Kaiann Drance

It appears that its most notable upgrade is to the camera, which Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing, notes is “pushing the power of computational photography to new levels this year with a 48MP main camera featuring a new 24MP default for super-high-resolution photos, a new 2x telephoto option, and next-generation portraits.”

There’s also “Dynamic Island,” a black pill-shaped feature that appears at the top of the iPhone 15 and the Plus that can morph into different sizes to enable facial ID, timers and turn-by-turn navigation — turning an otherwise dead space into prime iPhone real estate.

In previous iterations of the iPhone, it was only on the Pro model; it now appears on both versions.

There’s also the issue of the screen, which got a revamp. Apple’s iPhone 15 and its Plus counterpart can reach up to 1600 nits (brightness level) to enhance the phone’s HDR (high dynamic range) photos and videos.

Looking to solve one of the most annoying aspects of phone ownership – combating the sun – Apple introduced a feature for that. When it is sunny, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus can reach up to 2000 nits, which Apple notes is twice as bright as the previous generation of iPhones.

Apple Customers Willing to Pay Premium on iPhone 15 Release Date

In another first, Apple says it infused color throughout the back glass. The device features an all-new contoured edge on the aerospace-grade aluminum enclosure, in addition to being water and dust-resistant.

Set to run on iOS 17, the device will also feature an A16 Bionic Chip, vastly enhancing the phone’s performance, and a six-for CPU (central processing unit), which Apple says is faster than the previous generation.

We wanted to understand what all these premium features meant for Apple loyalists, so we reached out to analysts at Omdia, part of Informa Tech, Channel Futures’ partner company, to get the lowdown.

Aaron West is the firm’s senior analyst covering smartphones, components and devices. As the consumers and business buyers alike await next week’s iPhone 15 release date, he highlights the most sizable shift in customer behavior.

Omdia’s Aaron West

“I would say that with the Apple iPhone 14s, we saw a tremendous shift in consumer behavior toward choosing the Pro models over the non-Pro ones, which could partly be down to the Dynamic Island exclusively on the Pro models,” said West.

Since the Dynamic Island feature is on all iPhone 15s, there no longer appears to be an incentive to “go pro,” as West put it.

“Despite this, our smartphone analysts believe that Pro models will remain most popular,” West added.

In the end, West contends, Apple consumers want premium, and by having these two tiers of iPhones, those with the funds will often stretch to get what they feel is “the best.” Highlighting that truth, West noted that the most expensive Pro Max model outsold the cheaper standard iPhone 14, even during a global cost-of-living crisis.

“This just goes to show how much brand value Apple has been able to cultivate over the years, as consumers want the most premium option of an already premium phone range,” West said.

Carriers Offering iPhone 15 Release Date Discounts

Multiple U.S. wireless carriers are offering free or discounted models of the new iPhone in connection with the launch. They include AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, who are trying to add more subscribers. According to Bloomberg, Boost Mobile parent company Dish Network is offering its first ever promotions for Apple iPhones.

But will the discounts be enough to raise up the North American smartphone market? Despite today’s news from Apple on the pending iPhone 15 release date, researchers at Canalys say smartphone shipments in North America will fall 12% this year compared to 2022. The market reported its worst performance in the second quarter in more than 10 years. Canalys, which is owned by Channel Futures’ parent company, Informa Tech, cites “macroeconomic challenges, including rising interest rates and persistent inflation” for the drop in consumer demand.

“Mobile carriers and smartphone vendors are responding and adapting to the adverse business environment with more targeted approaches to build sustainable business models,” said Canalys analyst Lindsey Upton. “For example, major carriers are optimizing their premium plans to drive user and device upgrades as well as higher average revenue per account and customer loyalty. Verizon Wireless recently launched myPlan, which has already brought 70% of customers to the premium option. T-Mobile also introduced the Go5G Next and Plus plans, which allow for more phone upgrade flexibility with extended, no-interest payment plans to drive device upgrade and refresh cycles, particularly for premium devices.”

James Anderson and Craig Galbraith contributed to this report.