# IPhone 15
The **iPhone 15** is a smartphone developed by Apple, announced on September 12, 2023 and released on September 22, 2023 as the successor to the iPhone 14 in the company's standard (non-Pro) lineup[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/). It and its larger sibling, the iPhone 15 Plus, brought the Dynamic Island display cutout, a 48-megapixel main camera, and a USB-C connector to the standard iPhone for the first time, while retaining the previous year's A16 Bionic chip[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/) • [2](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Announced / released | September 12, 2023 (pre-orders September 15); on sale September 22, 2023[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/) |
| Display | 6.1-inch (iPhone 15) or 6.7-inch (15 Plus) Super Retina XDR OLED, 2556×1179 or 2796×1290 pixels, 60 Hz, Dynamic Island, peak outdoor brightness 2000 nits[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/) • [2](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/) |
| Chip and memory | Apple A16 Bionic (carried over from the iPhone 14 Pro), 6 GB RAM, 128/256/512 GB storage[2](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/) |
| Cameras | 48 MP main camera with 24 MP default output and 2x telephoto crop, 12 MP ultra-wide, 12 MP front camera, 4K HDR video[2](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/) |
| Port | USB-C, the first on an iPhone, limited to USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s) on the 15 and 15 Plus[3](https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPhone_15) • [4](https://www.ifixit.com/News/82867/iphone-15-teardown-reveals-software-lockdown) |
| Battery | Up to 20 hours video playback, 16 hours streamed, 80 hours audio; MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging up to 15 W[5](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111831) |
| Price | From $799 (iPhone 15, 128 GB) and $899 (iPhone 15 Plus)[2](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/) |
| Repairability | iFixit score initially 4/10 over parts pairing, later uprated to 7/10 after Apple's Repair Assistant enabled on-device calibration of used genuine parts[6](https://www.ifixit.com/News/101397/an-update-on-iphone-repairability-scores) |
## Design and display
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes with the Dynamic Island, the pill-shaped cutout that replaced the notch and expands to show alerts and Live Activities such as directions, music controls, and third-party app updates[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/). The Super Retina XDR OLED reaches 1600 nits peak HDR brightness and 2000 nits outdoors, twice the previous generation[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/). Unlike the Pro models, the standard phones run at a fixed 60 Hz refresh rate and lack an always-on display[7](https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/iphone-15-review).
**Materials.** For the first time in a smartphone, color is infused throughout the back glass, finished with a textured matte surface in pink, yellow, green, blue, and black; the enclosure is aerospace-grade aluminum with a new contoured edge, and the front is Ceramic Shield[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/). The iPhone 15 weighs 171 g and the 15 Plus 201 g[2](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/).
## Cameras
The main camera moved from 12 MP to a 48 MP quad-pixel sensor inherited from the iPhone 14 Pro, with 100 percent Focus Pixels for autofocus[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/). By default the camera outputs 24 MP photos, combining a pixel-binned 12 MP image with a 48 MP reference image; a Resolution Control setting enables full 48 MP capture, and resolution drops to 12 MP in Night mode, Macro mode, with flash, or in Portrait mode with a lighting style[8](https://www.dpreview.com/articles/1933877365/iphone-15-camera-tricks-and-tips/). The 2x telephoto option is not a separate lens: it crops into the center 12 MP of the 48 MP sensor, giving three optical zoom levels (0.5x, 1x, 2x) from two cameras[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/) • [7](https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/iphone-15-review). A 12 MP ultra-wide and a 12 MP front camera complete the system[2](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/).
## USB-C and connectivity
The iPhone 15 lineup is the first generation of iPhones to ship with USB-C, only the second port change in the product's history after the iPhone 5's move to [Lightning](https://www.edgepedia.org/lightning) from the 30-pin connector in 2012[3](https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPhone_15). The same cable can charge an iPhone, Mac, iPad, or the updated [AirPods Pro](https://www.edgepedia.org/airpods-pro) (2nd generation), and the iPhone can in turn charge AirPods or an [Apple Watch](https://www.edgepedia.org/apple-watch) from its own port[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/).
**Speed limits.** The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus support only USB 2 data rates, up to 480 Mb/s, because the A16 Bionic lacks a USB 3 controller; the Pro models, with the A17 Pro's added USB 3 controller, reach USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds of 10 Gb/s[4](https://www.ifixit.com/News/82867/iphone-15-teardown-reveals-software-lockdown). The port still supports [DisplayPort](https://www.edgepedia.org/displayport) output, which is how the phone drives 4K external displays despite the modest data rate[5](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111831).
Other connectivity includes 5G, [Wi-Fi 6](https://www.edgepedia.org/wi-fi-6), [Bluetooth 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/bluetooth-5).3, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip that connects two such devices at three times the previous range for Precision Finding of friends, and eSIM with support from more than 295 carriers[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/) • [5](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111831).
## Battery and charging
Apple rates the iPhone 15 at up to 20 hours of video playback, 16 hours of streamed video, and 80 hours of audio playback; wireless charging runs at up to 15 W over MagSafe or Qi2, and 7.5 W over standard Qi, with fast charging to 50 percent in about 30 minutes using a 20 W or higher adapter[5](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111831). In Tom's Guide's continuous web-browsing test the iPhone 15 lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, about an hour and a half longer than the iPhone 14[9](https://www.tomsguide.com/news/iphone-15-battery-life-tested).
## Repairability and software pairing
At launch, iFixit assigned the iPhone 15 a repairability score of 4/10, attributing the low score largely to parts pairing, the practice of tying components to the logic board in software so that replacement parts lack full functionality without calibration[6](https://www.ifixit.com/News/101397/an-update-on-iphone-repairability-scores) • [10](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Downloads/PublicTestimonyDocument/115699). Two rumors ahead of release proved false: the USB-C port is not serialized, so swapping ports maintains full functionality, and Apple did not artificially throttle the port's throughput[4](https://www.ifixit.com/News/82867/iphone-15-teardown-reveals-software-lockdown).
**Change in 2024.** In April 2024 Apple announced support for used genuine parts, and with iOS 18's Repair Assistant, calibration for genuine Apple parts, new or used, happens on the device after installation[11](https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2024/04/apple-to-expand-repair-options-with-support-for-used-genuine-parts/). iFixit subsequently uprated the iPhone 15 models to 7/10, noting that parts harvested from identical iPhones can now be calibrated with free, publicly available software[6](https://www.ifixit.com/News/101397/an-update-on-iphone-repairability-scores). Apple's own design documentation describes the iPhone 15 lineup as its most repairable to that point, with 11 key repairable modules including the back glass, battery, display, and cameras[12](https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Longevity_by_Design-June_2024-Apple.pdf).
## Environmental specifications
The iPhone 15 uses 75 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and, a first for Apple, 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery; recycled copper, tungsten, and gold appear in the logic board, Taptic Engine, cameras, and USB-C connector[5](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111831).
## Position in the lineup
The iPhone 15 starts at $799 for 128 GB, with 256 GB at $899 and 512 GB at $1,099; the iPhone 15 Plus starts $100 higher at each capacity[2](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/). Reviewers characterized it as a standard iPhone that had absorbed most of the previous year's Pro features, including the Dynamic Island, the 48 MP sensor, and 2000-nit brightness, while keeping the A16 chip, 60 Hz display, and USB 2 port[7](https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/iphone-15-review). The phone ships with iOS 17 and remains supported by later iOS releases[1](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/) • [13](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/iphone/-iphe3fa5df43/ios).
## References
1. [Apple debuts iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, Apple Newsroom (September 12, 2023)](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-15-and-iphone-15-plus/)
2. [iPhone 15 and 15 Pro review: The final form, Ars Technica (September 2023)](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/iphone-15-and-15-pro-review-the-final-form/)
3. [iPhone 15 Repair Help, iFixit](https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPhone_15)
4. [iPhone 15 Teardown Reveals Software Lockdown, iFixit (September 2023)](https://www.ifixit.com/News/82867/iphone-15-teardown-reveals-software-lockdown)
5. [iPhone 15 – Tech Specs, Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111831)
6. [An Update on iPhone Repairability Scores, iFixit](https://www.ifixit.com/News/101397/an-update-on-iphone-repairability-scores)
7. [iPhone 15 review: new to the Island, TechRadar (September 2023)](https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/iphone-15-review)
8. [The best camera settings for iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, DPReview (January 2024)](https://www.dpreview.com/articles/1933877365/iphone-15-camera-tricks-and-tips/)
9. [iPhone 15 battery life tested, Tom's Guide (September 2023)](https://www.tomsguide.com/news/iphone-15-battery-life-tested)
10. [iFixit testimony, Oregon House Committee on Business and Labor (February 2024)](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Downloads/PublicTestimonyDocument/115699)
11. [Apple to expand repair options with support for used genuine parts, Apple Newsroom (April 2024)](https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2024/04/apple-to-expand-repair-options-with-support-for-used-genuine-parts/)
12. [Longevity, by Design, Apple (June 2024)](https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Longevity_by_Design-June_2024-Apple.pdf)
13. [iPhone models compatible with iOS, Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/iphone/-iphe3fa5df43/ios)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Computer hardware › Mobile & handheld devices*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license