Action Buttons and Pleasing Portraits: Hands On With Apple iPhone 15

pcmag.com:

CUPERTINO—Of all of Apple's announcements today, the iPhone's switch to USB-C elicited the loudest cheers from attendees in the Steve Jobs Theater.

Apple is releasing four new phones this year—the mainstream iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus, and the high-end iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And yes, at long last, Apple is finally ditching the iPhone's proprietary Lightning connector introduced in 2012 in favor of a USB-C port, as was widely rumored.

Some of the other major rumors circulating before today's Apple Wonderlust Event also bore fruit: the iPhone 15 line will receive some of the best features of last year's Pro models, including the Dynamic Island and a 48MP main camera. The high-end iPhone 15 Pro models, meanwhile, are getting an Apple Watch Ultra-esque customizable Action Button, along with a lighter-weight titanium case. 

Apple also had some surprises up its sleeve, including a handy new AI-powered automatic Portrait Mode feature available across the lineup that lets you blur the background of photos after taking them.

Following the presentation, attendees at the Apple Event, myself included, filed into a large demo room, where we could handle all the new iPhone and Apple Watch models and try out their key features. Keep reading for my first impressions. 

I'm personally waiting on a folding iPhone, but the Apple Event delivered nothing of the sort. The iPhone 15's design isn't a wild departure from last year's model. 

But in the absence of a foldable, Apple delivered the next best thing: a light pink iPhone 15. If you're rolling your eyes, you don't get it. Others will understand: consumers care about phone colors and a pink iPhone, in the era of Barbiecore, will be in high demand. I know I'm not