Apple Unveils iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max with Titanium Bodies and ‘Action Button’

Cupertino, CA – During its annual September product launch event dubbed ‘Far Out’, Apple unveiled its flagship iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max smartphones featuring a major redesign with titanium chassis and a customizable ‘Action Button’.

The iPhone 15 Pro series marks a significant upgrade over previous Pro models with upgraded internals, enhanced camera capabilities, and titanium construction touted to be the most durable on a smartphone. Starting at $999, the iPhone 15 Pro will be available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage variants while the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for 256GB model.

Both models will be available for pre-order this Friday, September 16th with shipments beginning September 23rd. Here are the major highlights of Apple’s new high-end iPhones:

Titanium Bodies for Strength and Durability
One of the standout changes in the iPhone 15 Pro series is the use of titanium in the chassis, which Apple claims makes it the toughest and most durable material ever used in a smartphone. According to Apple vice president Greg Joswiak, “The exclusive use of titanium results in the most axiomatically profound enhancement in iPhone Pro durability”.

Titanium is lighter and stronger than traditional steel or aluminum used on other iPhones. It is 45% stronger than steel yet offers the same level of protection. Both models are available in four finishes – space black, silver, gold and a new ‘deep purple’ option. Early hands-on impressions confirm the solid yet lightweight feel of the new titanium bodies.

‘Action Button’ Replaces Volume Switch
A notable hardware addition is the new ‘Action Button’ that replaces the ringer switch on the left side of the device. This customizable button allows users to invoke actions with a single tap like launching the camera app or flash, opening widgets and more based on how it’s configured in Settings.

By default, it still functions as a ringer switch but its programmable nature opens up new ways to interact with the iPhone. The removal of the physical switch in favor of a capacitive button improves water resistance as there’s one less moving part.

A17 Bionic – Faster Than Most Windows PCs?
Powering the iPhone 15 Pro lineup is Apple’s new A17 Bionic chip manufactured on TSMC’s 3nm process. It delivers a significant boost in CPU and GPU performance compared to the A16, with Apple claiming it outperforms most Windows PCs in many tasks.

Early benchmark results show around a 40% multi-core performance gain versus the A16. The A17’s improved neural engine enables new camera capabilities like Photonic Engine and Advanced Data Stream encryption accelerates privacy features like iMessage Contact Key Verification.

Industry-Leading Rear Camera System
The new iPhones feature Apple’s best iPhone camera system yet with a quad-lens array including a 48MP main camera with a new custom sensor featuring 65% larger pixels and advanced image stabilization.

The 12MP ultra-wide camera and 12MP telephoto camera also receive upgrades. A new quad-pixel sensor with Photonic Engine allows 4x more optical sensor shift stabilization. Other highlights include dynamic 4K video capture up to 4K/30fps in ProRes, Advanced Computational Photography across all cameras and improved low-light performance.

5x Optical Zoom Telephoto Lens
The iPhone 15 Pro Max takes telephoto prowess a step further with a new 5x optical zoom offering a focal range of 24mm to 120mm, surpassing Samsung’s 3x optical zoom. This allows users to get closer to the action without losing image quality or relying on digital zoom. Portrait mode shots also benefit from improved edge detection.

Always-On Display & New Lock Screen Widgets
Like rumors suggested, both iPhone 15 Pro models gain an always-on display allowing notifications, widgets and other info to be seen at a glance without waking the phones. This utilizes the OLED panels and new low-power modes to minimally display essential info while preserving battery life.

IOS 17’s new lock screen widgets are also supported, bringing glances of weather, stocks, calendar events, activity rings and more straight to the lock screen. Early impressions praised the clean yet information-dense home screens enabled by widgets.

10Gb/s USB-C, ProRes Video & More
Other noteworthy features include the use of USB-C instead of Lightning with support for 10Gb/s file transfer speeds, up to 2TB of storage, Cinematic 4k video recording at 30fps in ProRes format and new satellite connectivity for emergency texting in supported areas without cellular coverage.

Pricing & Availability
Pre-orders for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max begin this Friday September 16th directly from Apple.com as well as carrier stores and authorized resellers. Shipping starts on September 23rd with the standard configurations priced as follows:

• iPhone 15 Pro: Starts at $999 for 128GB (additional 256GB, 512GB and 1TB models available for higher prices)
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: Starts at $1,199 for 256GB (additional 512GB and 1TB models available for higher prices)

In India, the base iPhone 15 Pro price starts around ₹1,29,900 while iPhone 15 Pro Max is ₹1,39,900 onwards for 256GB variant. Carrier discounts and bundled plans are also expected for eligible existing customers.

This completes the highlights of Apple’s new iPhone 15 Pro lineup featuring titanium bodies, enhanced cameras, A17 processing and more. Early impressions point to a major generational upgrade appealing to power users and pros. The sturdy build, customizable button and always-on display also bring new experiences to the table.