Apple Event 2023 Live Blog: Hands-On With the iPhone 15, New Apple Watch

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max as seen in the demo area after Apple's event -- which includes the phone's new Action button.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the demo area of Apple's event.

Apple's iPhone 15 from the demo area at Apple Park.

The Apple Watch Series 9 is on display and wearable in the demo area following Apple's event.

The entire iPhone 15 line -- including the Plus, Pro and Pro Max -- will be available for preorder on Sept. 15, starting at 5 a.m. PT. All devices will be available on Sept. 22.

We're not sure. In a weird twist, Apple didn't unveil a release or preorder date.

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models have improved cameras and processors, but they also have a feature for Apple's upcoming spatial computing headset, Vision Pro. The Pro phones will be able to record 3D spatial video that can be seen on Vision Pro headsets. The feature is launching next month, even though Vision Pro won't arrive until 2024.

One question I have: Will this spatial video feature be viewable anywhere else other than Vision Pro in the meantime? It's a clear incentive to try to port over more memories into Apple's AR/VR world, but it's not clear if you need to record clips in a whole different mode to do it.

iPhone 15 Pro will start at $999 at 128GB of storage, whereas the Pro Max will start at $1,199, which is $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. But, Apple says it'll include more storage at 256GB, which makes the bill somewhat more justifiable. 

Apple brings some pro features to photographers and videographers. Thanks to the USB-C port and a USB 3.0 cable, you can now record directly to an external drive to allow for 4K 60fps recording. It's also possible to take photos while plugged into a MacBook, sending photos directly and quickly. Apple says video recording will also include LOG encoding and will support ACES color standards. 

Apple says that pro photo fans will have more features to play with on iPhone 15. This includes setting certain focal lengths as standard. Apple also touts its better night photography, capturing more color in darker scenes. But the major selling point is its 5x telephoto 12-megapixel camera. Apple also says it has the largest focal length of any phone camera. It uses a telescoping lens to give users a longer focal length with greater stabilization. 

Apple says the console version of the game is coming to the iPhone 15 Pro next year. Apple also says this is the first time a full console game can be played natively on the iPhone. 

Apple says the iPhone 15 Pro is the best phone for gaming. Games like Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 are coming to the iPhone. Games like The Division Resurgence, Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact will look better. 

Apple says the GPU on the A17 Pro chip is its biggest design in history. Apple says the 6-core GPU will feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing for more realistic lighting in games. Apple says the use of Metal FX upscaling will give higher-quality graphics and resolution at more efficient loads. 

Apple has announced the A17 Pro Bionic chip, made on a 3nm process. This allows more transistors on the chip, increasing efficiency and power. Apple says A17 Pro is 3x faster than the competition. The Neural Engine is faster, too. This uses machine learning on the device to help with typing and speech recognition. 

Apple has introduced a customizable Action button. This isn't a totally new feature in smartphones, as many Android phones have done this in the past. But this will allow users an extra button to pull up certain features quickly. Or, we assume, people can still use the Action button to mute. 

Apple is really excited about the iPhone 15 Pro material design. The internal aluminum is fully recycled. Apple says it takes 14 hours to fully apply the titanium layer and brushed design on the iPhone 15 Pro. The back glass is also easily replaceable, Apple says. If true, this should make repair more affordable. 

Apple has lifted the curtain on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This line will use titanium side rails. Apple says not only is titanium lighter, but these are the thinnest borders ever put on an iPhone. 

The iPhone 15 will start at $799 and the iPhone 15 Plus will start at $899. No price increase over the iPhone 14. 

Apple has finally announced that USB-C is coming to iPhone, starting with the iPhone 15. 

Apple is using the tech in Emergency SOS to help people get roadside assistance. This feature will work with AAA in the US. Apple says people can get two years of Emergency SOS and roadside assistance for free. 

For better location tracking, the iPhone 15 will get a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. This will work with Find My to better find other devices or friends in a crowded area. Emergency SOS is expanding to Spain and Switzerland later this month. This allows people to access emergency services in remote areas.

Apple says the iPhone 15 battery is getting bigger, but doesn't give details. 

Apple says the front camera does a better job of using computational photography to give selfies more depth and HDR capabilities. 

The iPhone 15 will have a 48-megapixel camera, giving standard iPhone users much greater resolution to work with. It'll use pixel binning to combine pixels and utilize computational photography to give stronger image quality and detail. But using this method, it'll cut the resolution down to 24 megapixels. 

The main camera can use the center 12 megapixels for better zoom capabilities. 

The iPhone 15 will be available in pink, yellow, green, blue and black. Apple says the iPhone 15 uses 75% recycled aluminum.

The iPhone 15 has been unveiled, and it looks a lot like the iPhone 14 Pro. There's no third camera like with the Pro line, but the Dynamic Island is included. It uses an OLED XDR display and has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. 

The iPhone 15 will be available in pink, yellow, green, blue and black.

Apple says the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is available for preorder today for $799. It'll be available on Sept. 22. 

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is unveiled. It gets the new S9 chip, same as the Series 9. This allows users to use Siri without network connectivity, just like on the Series 9. Brightness hits at 3,000 nits, 1,000 more than the Series 9. There's also a new exclusive watch face called Modular Ultra. Apple says to expect 36 hours of battery life and a diving depth of 40 meters. 

Apple also doubles down on sustainability, saying the Ultra 2 uses recycled aluminum and that it's also carbon neutral. 

Apple has developed a new material it calls "FineWoven." It apparently feels like leather, but is made of cloth. Apple says it's also working with Hermes and Nike on cloth and recycled silicone bands using recycled materials. 

Apple introduced a new Apple Watch Series 9 feature called Double Tap, which uses hand gestures to control the watch one-handed. Double-tapping fingers can be customized to control individual watch functions, which works in a similar way to gesture-based accessibility controls that were introduced on the watch previously.

However, the official onboard tap function feels like a different step. It'll be useful for things like answering calls, but it's also similar in spirit to some of Apple Vision Pro's hand tracking-based gesture features.

The Vision Pro doesn't work with the Apple Watch (yet). But it should, eventually, and the watch's haptics and display could also make it a key AR accessory. Is Apple connecting the dots slowly here?

Apple says it'll use more sustainable metals and materials with its products. This includes eliminating leather iPhone cases, possibly switching to alternative materials. The company's offices are also carbon neutral. Apple says its suppliers are switching to renewable energy and that the company has been planting plenty of trees, going so far as to say it's planted forests. This is a bit of marketing spin, as planting trees can't pull us out of our carbon output problem. Tim Cook also says by 2030, all Apple products will have a net zero carbon output. Still, don't take this "greenwashing" at face value, as achieving net zero and carbon neutrality is complex and often companies engage in clever language. It's best to wait for independent analysis. 

Apple now has Double Tap on the Apple Watch. It's a new feature that allows you to tap your index and thumb together twice to answer calls. This is thanks to internal hardware on the Apple Watch that can measure your finger movements. This includes being able to snooze your alarms or hang up when on a call. The Apple Watch Series 9 will also get brighter, going up to 2,000 nits. 

Apple brings new features from iPhone to Apple Watch. This includes Name Drop so you can easily exchange contact info. Or when going near a Home Pod, it'll be able to sync with content being played. 

Apple is leaning heavily toward emotional appeal with the Apple Watch Series 9. It launched the show with a sizzle reel of people whose lives have been saved with the help of the Apple Watch. Apple also says neural engine will use what's essentially AI to allow better voice recognition so Siri can better capture what you're saying.

Tim Cook is leading the show, leaning heavily toward how impactful Apple products are on people's lives. Including saving their lives altogether. Cook also teased MacBook and Vision Pro.

As Apple's event gets started, there are apple turnovers and fruit being provided to attendees.

And outside the Steve Jobs Theater, guests are arriving as the event begins.

Even though the iPhone 15 hasn't been unveiled yet, we're already starting to see rumors of the iPhone 16. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will reportedly feature 8GB of RAM and have the A17 Bionic chip, the same processor that's rumored to power the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, according to a note to investors seen by MacRumors. The chip will reportedly be made on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s N3E process, an enhanced 3nm node. Compared to the Bionic A14, A15 and A16 chips, which were all made on a 5nm node, the A17 will see improvements to performance and efficiency.

If Apple is indeed embracing USB-C on the iPhone today, it prompts the question when it might expand the switch to iPhone accessories. Recent Beats headphones like the Studio Pro and Studio Buds Plus already use USB-C for charging, but what about AirPods? All of the AirPods line relies on Lightning for wired charging. It would make sense that with this new love for USB-C, Apple will take the opportunity to bring the connector to its AirPods line. The AirPods Pro line just got an update last year, but a new case could make sense. The AirPods Max headphones also seem ripe for an update since they haven't had any real changes since they were introduced in 2020. 

If you're looking for a brand-new iPad, expect only the standard model to possibly get an update in the near future. Apple has reliably released a new standard iPad alongside or shortly after its launch of new iPhones. Last year's 10th-generation iPad brought a switch to a USB-C port, better cameras, a bigger screen and nicer speakers. We anticipate an 11th-generation iPad will eventually arrive with modest upgrades, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Tuesday that the company is unlikely to debut an updated tablet this year. But given that we got iPad Pro models with M2 chips as well as a new iPad Air last year -- and that the iPad Mini doesn't regularly get released -- the standard iPad appears to be the most likely to get a refresh next.

Various rumors suggest that both the base iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models will get significant camera boosts, including a larger 48-megapixel main image sensor. That would put them on a par with the main camera currently seen in the iPhone 14 Pro models and could allow for better digital zoom. 

Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are slated to get a big upgrade in zoom skills, including a periscope-style zoom that could offer up to 6x optical zoom. We love the 5x zoom on Google's Pixel 7 Pro as well as the 10x zoom on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, so seeing stronger zoom skills on the iPhone would help make it a more fully featured camera setup for more passionate photographers.

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro might be getting a new, mappable button. Several reports from Bloomberg and MacRumors point to the possibility that the Action key, which debuted on the Apple Watch Ultra, could be making its way onto the new iPhone line.

If true, this could make the iPhone more personal than ever, by letting a physical button provide fast access to apps, tools or other shortcuts. The iPhone already provides a similar idea through the Back Tap gesture that debuted with iOS 14, but a tactile button would add a new way to separate the Pro model from the base iPhone.

Apple's next major event is happening in a matter of hours. We're expecting to see a new iPhone 15, the Apple Watch Series 9 and possibly even a Watch Ultra 2. 

Rumors are sparse for the Watch 2 Ultra, but they point to a minor upgrade from the original Apple Watch Ultra. According to the leaker known as ShrimpApple Pro, the Watch Ultra 2 will be available with a black titanium case. There could also be a faster processor and a lighter Watch Ultra 2, potentially thanks to 3D printing of components, according to noted analyst Min Chi Kuo. Nothing is confirmed until Apple officially reveals it, so we'll have to wait and see what surprises are in store.

Apple debuted the original Watch Ultra last year for $799. It's Apple's most advanced smartwatch as well as its most expensive. It's designed to be more durable than the regular Watch Series 8 and it can be used for extreme outdoor activities including scuba diving.

We're expecting the Apple Watch 9 to launch alongside the iPhone 15 series with a handful of small improvements, as has been the case with the company's smartwatches. Last year's model added temperature sensing, and rumors suggest the Apple Watch 9 will get a new, more powerful chipset with potentially better battery life, but maybe not much else. Unfortunately, the glucose monitoring that had been rumored seems years away from making it into an Apple Watch.

Last year also saw the debut of the affordable Apple Watch SE 2 and the debut of the premium Apple Watch Ultra, and of the two we may see another Ultra smartwatch this year. But rumors also predict the earliest we'll see another premium smartwatch is next year, and it could have a brighter and sharper MicroLED display rather than the OLED screen that's currently standard on all of Apple's smartwatches.

We reported earlier this month that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models might get a price increase. Those analysts said they believe that the base iPhone 15 won't see a rise in price, especially considering people's spending habits are changing amid ongoing inflation. But people with the means to opt for the Pro and Pro Max models might have to pay an extra $100 or $200 compared to last year's prices. Apple had already increased prices for the iPhone in the UK and Japan last year. Taiwanese research firm TrendForce expects, however, that only the iPhone 15 Pro Max model will see the price jump, according to a report from MacRumors. If TrendForce's predictions are correct, then the iPhone 15 Pro will cost $999, just like the iPhone 14 Pro, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max will see a $100 jump to $1,199. TrendForce also expects the iPhone 15 Pro models will have 8GB of RAM instead of 6GB.

Apple often releases its base iPhone in several colors, with a more limited palette for its Pro models. A rumor from last week claims the iPhone 15 may come in colors like pink and gold, while the Pro models may debut a "Titan gray" along with a dark blue.

While we expect an iPhone 15, larger iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro, the jury's out on whether there will be an iPhone 15 Pro Max or if Apple will replace its larger premium phone with a specced-out, highest-end monster rumored to be called the iPhone 15 Ultra. Samsung has released its own Ultra-branded model at the top of its premium phone lineup since 2020, most recently with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. But as with all the other times when Apple has been late to the party (wireless charging, 5G), an iPhone Ultra will probably still please fans. It's also possible that Apple keeps the iPhone 15 Pro Max and adds an Ultra model. We'll see what the company thinks consumers will go for. 

In a potential shift toward more environmentally friendly materials, Apple might discontinue its line of leather cases with the iPhone 15, according to leaker DuanRui, as reported by MacRumors. Both 9To5Mac and leaker ShrimpApplePro have also heard similar rumors. CNET spoke to a source who had heard similar rumblings, but couldn't definitively confirm them. If Apple does make the move, it could mean there will be fewer choices for customers looking for leather cases when the iPhone 15 launches, likely later this month. Luckily, there are some excellent third-party manufacturers of leather cases, such as Bluebonnet and Nomad. Both brands are featured on our best iPhone 14 cases roundup.  

Apple is rumored to be continuing its tradition of saving the best perks for its premium phones. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are expected to get periscope telephoto cameras that extend their zoom range, faster processors and a new material for the frame: titanium. Otherwise, the phones should look a lot like last year's top-end phones, though rumors suggest Apple could shrink the bezel edge of the phones even more.

After last year's debut of the Apple Watch Ultra, rumors of an iPhone 15 Ultra quickly followed. The rumor claims that this would be an iPhone that's a tier above the existing Pro line, starting with 256GB of storage and a telephoto camera with a variable zoom lens.

The rumor that excites me the most though is a purported dual-lens front-facing camera system, which I haven't seen on flagship phones since the Google Pixel 3 and the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. I would love to see two front-facing cameras return to premium phones, and in this commentary I describe the benefits of such a system.

But I'm not going to get my hopes pumped up too high. There haven't been many additional rumors pointing to an Ultra model. A Bloomberg report Friday said there won't be an Ultra model, with Apple making the iPhone 15 Pro Max the most expensive iPhone this year. Yet one Apple Watch Ultra-related rumor might end up on the iPhone 15 Pro: It's purported that this model could receive an Action button that's similar to the one available on the high-end watch.

Apple announced its Sept. 12 event with an invitation displaying the word "Wonderlust" and a disintegrating Apple logo. The term derives from the travel-oriented term "wanderlust." Does that mean Apple's next iPhone launch will relate to how the new phones help with travel?

While Apple doesn't necessarily tie its invitations directly to product announcements, there are a number of travel-oriented clues in the iOS 17 beta that might well correlate with new iPhone features. I took a dive into what Apple could announce based on the invitation and some existing areas the company has been developing, including the possibility of enhanced satellite communication, faster wireless charging and an improved Visual Look Up to make it better at scanning the world around us.