Apple Integrates ISRO-Created GPS in iPhone 15 Series – Check Details

Apple officially unveiled its new high-end iPhone models, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, featuring a refreshed design with a brushed titanium frame for increased durability and a slightly lighter weight compared to the previous stainless steel frame. Both models retain the same display sizes of 6.1 and 6.7 inches.

What sets the iPhone 15 series apart are the advanced specifications, including Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC), a digital compass, Wi-Fi, cellular connectivity, and iBeacon micro-location technology. Notably, the inclusion of NavIC, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is a key feature. NavIC, formerly known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), is a regional navigation satellite system consisting of seven satellites and a ground network to provide precise positioning, navigation, and timing services.

NavIC offers two services: Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users, with signals provided in both L5 (1176.45 MHz) and S band (2498.028 MHz). Its coverage area extends beyond India's borders by up to 1500 km, and it offers superior user position accuracy and timing accuracy.

Additionally, the iPhone 15 series introduces an "Action Button" in place of the traditional ring/silent switch, allowing users to customize shortcuts, accessibility features, camera access, flashlight activation, and more.

Both iPhone 15 Pro models feature Super Retina XDR displays with ProMotion and support the always-on display and StandBy mode in iOS 17. These devices are powered by Apple's new A17 Pro chip, built on a 3 nanometer process with 19 billion transistors, a 16-core Neural Engine, and a combination of performance and efficiency cores.

The camera capabilities have been enhanced, particularly on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which boasts a new telephoto camera with a tetra-prism design, enabling up to 5x zoom (compared to the 3x zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro). Both models see improvements in their main and ultrawide cameras.

Notably, the iPhone 15 series can capture Spatial Video, designed for viewing on Apple's upcoming Vision Pro (to be released later this year).

In terms of pricing, the iPhone 15 Pro starts at the same USD 999 as last year, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max begins at USD 1,199, with the added benefit of starting storage capacity at 256GB.