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Apple’s iPhone 15 arrives with USB-C (finally)

Brian Heater @bheater / 8 months

The iPhone 15 has arrived. As anticipated, Apple’s 17th-generation handset took center stage at today’s “Wonderlust” event in Cupertino. The device brings over a lot of familiar features, including the Dynamic Island cutout, which is now available across the line.

There are plenty of new arrivals as well, including — perhaps most notably — an updated port. Perhaps not the sexiest addition for a handset but one that’s undeniably practical. About nine months ago, a friend asked whether she should upgrade her iPhone. I told her to hold off for one simple reason: USB-C. After a few false alarms, Apple is finally joining the rest of the smartphone world by adding the otherwise ubiquitous connector. The move was spurred, in part, by EU legislation mandating connector standardization. It’s something the company wasn’t thrilled about, but it’s a net positive for consumers.

Image Credits: Apple

Lightning has gotten a bit long in the tooth, more than a year after its introduction. And frankly, it wasn’t ever a great connector to begin with. Apple has already begun the lengthy process of transitioning away from the Lightning port, moving the iPad line over to the standardized connector.

Catch up on all of our Apple Event 2023 coverage here.

Dynamic Island now offers a number of new features, including airline information. The iPhone 15 features Apple’s Super Retina XDR display at 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches for the Plus model.

Image Credits: Apple

The main camera is 48 megapixels and uses pixel binning to combine images into a high-res 24-megapixel image. The handset features improved zoom with 2x telephoto “optical quality,” which should be able to get tighter shots without degrading the image.

Image Credits: Apple

Machine learning will now automatically detect whether a person or pet (cats and dogs only, apparently) is in frame and switch over to add the bokeh effect. Smart HDR mode has been improved as well, using depth sensing in the front-facing camera to distinguish objects in the image to offer a fuller color spectrum.

The device is powered by the new A16 bionic chip, which features a six-core GPU. The chip also delivers Ultra Wideband, which offers improved FindMy functionality — similar to what we’ve seen in the new Apple Watch Series 9.

Voice isolation has been improved to better remove ambient noise when in a noisy environment. The existing satellite connectivity is now getting a Roadside Service feature. The company is working with AAA on that one, to help you when you don’t have signal.

The handset is available in yellow, green, blue, black and — yes — pink.

Read more about Apple's iPhone 15 Event on TechCrunch