The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max up close

We braved the press scrum to show you the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. USB-C is the big news across the line. Since Apple introduced the Lightning port exactly 11 years ago, a refresh was overdue.

Add to that recent EU legislation to universalize USB-C and the fact that the company has rolled out that nearly ubiquitous standard to its other devices (iPad, Macs) to see why the company acted.

The Pro and Pro Max use USB 3 to transfer data faster than the 15 models. Your cable must be purchased separately. The new 15 models are also among the first to support Qi2, a faster wireless charging version of MagSafe.

Apple really wants to talk about titanium. Quite understandably. The metal balances strength and weight well. Indeed, the phones feel lighter than previous models (the Pros have been heavy).

The Action button should also be noted immediately. That replaces the iPhone’s original Mute button with one from the Apple Watch Ultra. Some people miss Mute, but you can assign it like Lightning.

The button is an upgrade, similar to Samsung’s customizable Bixby button for generations. Settings lets you update it. A simple walkthrough lets you select screen shots and camera shutter. I like it.

I didn’t have time to test the new camera features (did I mention the scrum?), but we’ll get more quality hands-on time with the device soon. I can only say that the sample photos are impressive (aren’t they always?) and that the ability to quickly switch focus points is impressive. Think computational photography and machine learning like the Lytro camera (RIP).

Besides USB-C, 5x optical telephoto is my biggest excitement. I don’t think people realize how much that changes photos. Will be curious to see what “optical quality” means on standard 15, but this is real.

Friday is iPhone 15 Pro pre-order day. Devices go on sale September 22.