Apple held its major iPhone event on Tuesday and — surprise! — the company dropped its highly anticipated iPhone 15, iPhone Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. But that's hardly all Apple announced at the event.
Luckily we've collected all the big announcements and all you need to know in one place. Let's get into it.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus
Duh, we have to start here. Apple dropped the latest version of its flagship product. The new, more basic version of the iPhone comes with improved performance, a better camera, USB-C charging and Dynamic Island, the shifting widget that killed the dreaded notch. The iPhone 15 starts at $799, while the Plus starts at $899.
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
Apple upgraded its priciest iPhones, even if they look largely the same. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are now made of titanium, meaning they're more durable and lighter. It also has a new, customizable Action Button, which replaces the mute switch. iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999, while the Pro Max starts at $1,199.
Apple Watch Series 9
Apple dropped the latest version of Watch on Tuesday. Mashable's Cecily Mauran has all the details but TL;DR, its more powerful, carbon neutral, comes in new colors, and features a new, touch-free feature called double tap.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The company also announced its latest version of its premium Watch. The rugged, sportier version of the Watch got an upgraded processor, longer batter life, and improved health readings.
Dynamic Island for all
Apple announced that all versions of iPhone 15 would get Dynamic Island, the widget near the top of iPhone screens that shifts with users' needs. It debuted with the iPhone 14 Pro, but now it's coming standard with all the new iPhones. As Mashable's Alex Perry wrote, this means it is goodbye to the infamous iPhone notch.
USB-C charging
Apple, as everyone suspected, said on Tuesday it would shift iPhone to USB-C charging. This is a huge relief for folks whose lightning ports often break or for iPhone users looking to grab a charge from Android pals. Users have long desired this shift but it only comes after the European Union passed a law requiring universal USB-C charging compatibility by 2024.
The action button
Apple killed off its mute switch in the deluxe iPhone 15 models. In its place: The action button. While the new button can still be used for muting, it's now customizable for a number of functions via the Shortcuts app.
iOS 17 release date
Apple was mostly silent on iOS 17 on Tuesday, though the software was covered extensively at their previous event in June. Still, it was announced that iOS 17 would drop on Monday, Sept. 18.
So long, leather
Apple spent a good portion of the keynote highlighting its environmental efforts. Among those efforts: the elimination of leather products. Its Watch bands will now be made with a material the company dubbed "FineWoven," which apparently has a suede-like texture.
Spatial video
Apple announced Tuesday that the iPhone 15 Pro will let users record spatial video. This is a feature designed to work in concert with Apple's forthcoming Vision Pro headset. It means you can take a video then be immersed in it with your headset.
