After a very long week since pre-orders, some lucky people will be getting their iPhone 15s today. If you were able to secure your pre-order fast enough, there might just be an iPhone 15 going to your door at this very moment. If not, you're going to have to wait even longer until mid-October to receive one. Apple's estimates indicate shipping times between October 23 and October 30th. The longer you wait to order, the longer it will take.
If you were able to secure a new iPhone, you're most likely going to need to protect it. In fact, drop tests conducted by AppleTrack's Sam Kohl indicate worsened durability on the Pro models. The damage was significantly worse on this year's Pro phones as compared to the 14 Pro he tested it against. This means you might want to get a case so the entire camera module doesn't break away, like Sam's unit.
Apple is striding to be completely carbon-neutral, and to get closer to achieving that they have discontinued every single leather product they sold. That means phone cases, watch bands, AirTag keychains, and even the leather mats for Apple Watch demonstrations in store are gone. Apple has replaced their leather products with a new material they have dubbed "FineWoven" these new FineWoven products are the same price as the outgoing leather ones, however less durable. They are reportedly less premium than the leather products; being damaged quickly and easily. Only time will tell how they hold up. I could not recommend them.
Apple still offers their silicone cases, but you probably shouldn't buy them. The one I've used since I got my iPhone 14 Pro at launch is in laughably bad condition even after being babied. It's made its rounds in and out of pockets and backpacks, so I'm not exactly treating it lightly. The edges have worn away to a cheap, shiny sheen, and the front corner is peeling away. After one mild drop, there is a massive gash in the case that will never go away. On top of all that, these silicone cases don't go in and out of pockets very easily. Don't buy these, either.
The only cases I could reccommend are Apple's own clear MagSafe case and dbrand's new Ghost case. Both have MagSafe, which is a must if you're buying a new phone case. dbrand's offering has a rubber edge, too, and is guaranteed to never yellow or you get a replacement for life. Apple's option shouldn't yellow either, which I cannot say about every other clear case.
If you don't want a case, at least get a screen protector. I'd recommend Belkin's UltraGlass 2 model. They offer perfect in-store application through Apple as well as free replacements if damage occurs later on. Even though Apple's Ceramic Shield glass should be very resilient against cracking, it will still scratch easily. I'd get a screen protector mainly so that if your screen scratches you don't have to worry about it being permanent.
Regardless of how you plan on protecting your new phone, I'd purchase AppleCare+ just in case you get some internal damage. You'd want to enjoy the phone you spent so much money on, right? Let me know what color you're going to get on the poll on my X (@TyleTweets) later today. I'd get Natural Titanium, personally.