Every year, Apple introduces a new line of iPhones, and its introduction is the biggest event on Apple’s calendar. As Mac sales increase and Apple’s push into services grows, iPhone sales are central to the company’s portfolio and serve as a driver for accessories like Apple Watch and AirPods.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro haven’t been out for very long, but rumors are already swirling about what to expect with next year’s iPhone 15 lineup. Here’s what we’ve heard so far and what we expect based on Apple’s recent history.
Updated on 02/22/23: The alleged iPhone 15 CAD files show thinner bezels (meaning a very slightly larger screen or a very slightly smaller body), USB-C, and Dynamic Island.
iPhone 15 release date
Apple typically introduces new iPhones on a Tuesday or Wednesday around the second week of September.
Therefore, we believe the iPhone 15 will be unveiled on September 12 or 13, 2023. At least some of the models will likely go on sale for pre-order this Friday (September 15) and hit stores the following Friday (September 22).
Here’s when the latest generations hit stores:
- iPhone 14: September 16, 2022
- iPhone 13: September 24, 2021
- iPhone 12: October 23, 2020
- iPhone 11: September 20, 2019
- iPhone X: September 21, 2018
iPhone 15 price
With the iPhone 14 models, Apple kept the same price in the US, but due to exchange rates and inflation had to raise prices in the UK and many other countries. For reference, here are the prices for the iPhone 14 range:
- iPhone 14: $799/£849
- iPhone 14 Plus: $899/£949
- iPhone 14 Pro: $999/£1099
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: $1099/£1199
If Apple does indeed rebrand the iPhone 15 Pro Max to iPhone 15 Ultra (see below) and give it some exclusive new features, we think that will be enough of an excuse to raise the price of this model, maybe $100/ £100. . A tweet from LeaksApplePro in November 2022, he expects the iPhone 15 Ultra to “cost significantly more to manufacture than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.” That doesn’t necessarily mean it will cost more, but it’s a good indication that it might.
A rumor in December claimed that Apple was “seriously” considering a price drop for the iPhone 15 Plus following disappointing sales of the iPhone 14 Plus this year.
iPhone 15 Ultra
Now that Apple has introduced the Apple Watch Ultra, there are rumors that the company will expand the brand to the iPhone lineup with the iPhone 15 Ultra.
That’s really about all there is to these rumors so far. The assumption is that the iPhone 15 Ultra would be the brand used for the “Pro Max” variant, and there would be some sort of new features to set it apart. Apple has done this once before with the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which had a slightly better camera than the iPhone 12 Pro.
So most people would expect the camera to be the distinguishing feature again on the new Ultra phone, possibly with a better periscope telephoto lens (see below). The rumor mill has plenty of other ideas for how Apple could bring out the Ultra version, like faster charging or more storage, but most of them aren’t supported by any evidence. Wishlist features, if you will.
This hypothetical iPhone 15 Ultra could otherwise be considered an iPhone 15 Pro Max – it’s supposed to use the same processor, screen and design as the iPhone 15 Pro (although ApplePro Leak Reports that it might have a titanium body like the Apple Watch Ultra).
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iPhone 15 design
While Apple has kept the same general design since the iPhone 12, rumors suggest a change may be in store for the iPhone 15. Here’s what we’re hearing about the look of the next iPhone.
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According ShrimpApplePro on Twitter, the iPhone 15 will feature “a new border design”. As the leaker explains, the back edge corners will be “rounded, not square” like the iPhone 14. From the images below, it looks a bit like an updated version of the iPhone X.
We expect to see the same four general sizes: around 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. 9to5Mac has obtained CAD files believed to be of the iPhone 15 case, which sports a very slightly larger 6.2-inch screen thanks to a thinner bezel. The iPhone 15 Pro CAD files showed a similar slimmer bezel. It’s not yet known if the Max variants will also have a larger screen, or if none of these iPhones will, but will have a slightly smaller body instead.
ShrimpApple Pro says the iPhone 15 will use titanium for the first time, a rumor we’ve been hearing for several years. If that’s true this time around, it might be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Ultra, just like the Apple Watch Ultra.
Buttons
According to a rumor by Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple could switch to solid-state buttons for the iPhone 15 Pro and Ultra models, much like the Home button on the iPhone SE. Kuo says Apple will add a pair of Taptic Motors to either side of the phone to mimic the feel of a clickable button.
USB-C
The EU requires most portable electronic devices, including phones, to standardize around USB-C for charging ports (if any – gadgets that only charge wirelessly like the Apple Watch don’t need add a USB-C port). Apple will have to transition several products over time, and instead of making special USB-C versions for Europe, will likely change everything globally, as we saw recently with the 10th iPad generation and the Siri Remote. It is expected that all iPhone 15 models will come with a USB-C port.
Current iPhones use USB-C power adapters, so that won’t change, just the USB-C to Lightning cable and the port on the iPhone itself. The bright side ? Potentially faster charging and faster data transfer speeds for those plugging their iPhone into their Mac or PC.
CAD files obtained by 9to5Mac show a USB-C port on the iPhone 15.
dynamic island
One significant change to the display on non-Pro iPhones is that the Dynamic Island – that pill-shaped camera cutout that serves as a prominent interface element on the iPhone 14 Pro – will come to all iPhone 15 models. This means non-Pro iPhones will have the same look and interface.
Note that this doesn’t mean the iPhone 15 will get an always-on or ProMotion display, though. There are rumors that these features will remain exclusive to the Pro models.
Dynamic Island could come to all iPhone 15 models.
Jason Snell/Foundry
iPhone 15 specs and features
Apple is testing a lot of new technology with a lot of vendors, and over time, small leaks can sometimes give us a clue as to what’s to come in the next iPhone. These leaks are sometimes wrong, often misunderstood, and usually miss the software innovations that come with new hardware (like Dynamic Island, where we only heard about the “pill and hole” cutout and not how Apple had the intention to use it).
Here’s what we currently expect to find in the iPhone 15 lineup.
Periscope camera lens
Rumors have it that Apple is working on a “periscope lens” to provide much longer optical zoom. It’s the same technology that allows the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra to achieve such a long zoom range. There hasn’t been much movement on this rumor lately, but it was last suggested that it could be an exclusive feature of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It’s unclear whether this would require a different camera array layout or size, although the S22 Ultra’s cameras are much larger than other models.
Elsewhere, there are sure to be camera upgrades in the iPhone 15 as there are every year. Between one front camera and three rear cameras, you can bet that at least one of them will get an upgraded sensor or lens. The only specific rumor around the cameras right now is that the iPhone 15 Pro Max might have a periscope telephoto lens, giving optical zoom likely somewhere in the 5x to 10x range.
A17 processor
The next major processor-making technology from TSMC (the company that makes most of Apple’s chips) wasn’t ready for the A16 just yet. We think the A17 will likely be one of the first mass-produced chips to use the chipmaker’s 3nm process, which should allow for more transistors in the same area, allowing Apple to integrate more features and better performance.
With the iPhone 14 line, Apple reserved its new A16 for Pro models and again used the A15 on non-Pro models. We expect this to continue into 2023, with the standard iPhone 15 using the A16 processor and the iPhone 15 Pro using the new A17.
Memory
After the iPhone 14 Pro kept the same 6GB of memory as the iPhone 13 Pro, Trendforce reports that the iPhone 15 Pro/Ultra models will have 8GB of RAM. Non-Pro models are expected to have the same 6GB of RAM as this year.
Apple’s 5G modem
Apple has been working on its own cellular modem for years now, having acquired the modem from Intel in 2019 for $1 billion. While it was originally rumored that Apple might have a competitive 5G-enabled cellular modem ready in time to be part of the iPhone 15, recent rumors suggest that won’t be the case. In May, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that modem development had encountered a “roadblock” and Marc Gurman reported in November that Qualcomm should provide “the majority of new modems” for the iPhone 15. Instead, we should expect another Qualcomm Snapdragon modem, most likely the Snapdragon X70.
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