Key Points
- The new iPhone has a titanium case and faster chip that enables better cameras and mobile gaming.
- Apple said the iPhone 15's satellite connectivity can now be used to summon roadside assistance.
- USB-C charging cables are coming to both the iPhone 15 and the charging case of AirPods Pro devices.
Apple has unveiled a new iPhone 15 Pro with a titanium case and faster chip that enables better cameras and mobile gaming, moves designed to respond to a global smartphone slump.
The new line-up includes the iPhone 15 starting at US$799 ($1242) - although Apple says it will cost from $1499 - in Australia and the iPhone 15 Plus starting at US$899 ($1398).
Apple chose not to raise prices during a tough period globally for smartphone sales.
The iPhone 15 Pro can capture what Apple calls "spatial videos" by using two of the device's cameras to capture a three-dimensional video. Source: AP / Jeff Chiu
Both the Pro and other iPhone 15 models will have a brighter display and a 48-megapixel camera as well as 100 per cent recycled cobalt in their batteries.
Why did Apple change to USB-C charging?
Apple said that USB-C charging cables - as the tech giant moves towards - are coming to both its iPhone 15 and the charging case of its AirPods Pro devices, allowing the use of the same charging cables already used for iPads and Macs.
It will feature the same A16 Bionic chip inside that previously formed the brains of the iPhone 14 Pro.
The event at Apple's Cupertino, California, headquarters comes amid lingering economic uncertainty, especially in China, Apple's third-largest market where it faces challenges from expanded restrictions on using its iPhones in government offices and the first new flagship phone in several years from Huawei.
The announcements largely met expectations and shares were down 1.7 per cent after the first hour of the event.
Apple said the iPhone 15 Pro Max - the largest phone the company makes - will have a new camera lens with a longer optical zoom than previous models.
The lenses uses a series of prisms to emulate the performance of a longer lens.
Apple also said that the new USB-C connector on iPhone 15 Pro models will allow videographers to record high-quality video directly to an external hard drive, making it easier to use the phone as a professional video camera.
The iPhone 15 Pro can also capture "spatial videos" by using two of the device's cameras to capture a three-dimensional video.
Those videos will be viewable on Apple's Vision Pro headset that is due out early next year, marketing chief Greg Joswiak said.
How is Apple using machine learning?
An Apple executive said the company used machine learning to detect a person in the frame, allowing users to turn a picture into a portrait immediately or later in the Photos app.
It uses machine learning to detect tiny changes in blood flow when the user taps their fingers together, freeing up the other hand for other tasks like walking a dog or holding a cup of coffee, Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams said.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has new features for cycling and diving and what Apple said is the brightest screen it has ever made.
The Series 9 will start at US$399 ($620) and the Ultra 2 watch will start at US$799 ($1,243) and be available on 22 September.
Apple will no longer use leather in any of its products, the company's environmental chief Lisa Jackson said.
The company is replacing some of those products with a textile called 'FineWoven' that it says feels like suede.
