Despite the fact that iPhone 15 series won’t come out until September 2023, there have already been a lot of rumors and leaks about the next iPhones.
Keep in mind that everything we know so far is based on rumors and other media reports. Nothing is firmly established yet, and it probably won’t be until September, when Apple usually releases a new iPhone. Even though you may be (and should be) skeptical about some things, these rumors help show the likely path that Apple will take with the next iPhone.
iPhone 15 models
Right now, we don’t know how many iPhone 15 models there will be. There should be at least four models in the 2023 lineup. A basic model. An expert model. Some analysis seems to show that the Plus model wasn’t very popular, but it may still be available. The most expensive iPhone will finally be an ultra-premium model.
The exact name of this new model is still up in the air. It may be called the “iPhone 15 Ultra,” according to rumors that keep coming up. It’s being used by the brand more and more. You can get the M1 Ultra processor. You can get the Apple Watch Ultra. There would also be an iPhone 15 Ultra available. Will the iPhone 15 also come in a Pro Max and Ultra version? Ming Chi Kuo, a well-known financial analyst from Taiwan, doesn’t agree. The iPhone 15 Ultra will be replacing the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone Mini could be brought back. It’s not certain. But it could be the replacement for the iPhone SE, which got a late start at the beginning of the year and is only updated every two years. With the previous two models, this was the situation. The next thing wouldn’t happen until the year 2024.
iPhone 15 design
Those who are waiting for a major redesign of the iPhone may be let down, since the iPhone 15 may look the same as the iPhone 14. The Dynamic Island pill-and-hole cutout, on the other hand, was only on the iPhone 14 Pro models, but Apple could add it to all iPhone 15 models. If that’s the case, the iPhone 15 line will be the first to get rid of the notch for good.
As we’ve already said, the iPhone 15 should come in four sizes: 6.1 inches for the iPhone 15, 6.7 inches for the iPhone 15 Plus, 6.1 inches for the iPhone 15 Pro, and 6.7 inches for the iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra).
A recent report says that the iPhone 15 might not have physical power and volume buttons. Instead, it might have haptic, solid-state power, and volume buttons. This would work like the Home button on the iPhone 7. Instead of physically depressing when a button is pressed, it would use haptic feedback to make it feel like a button has been pressed.
If the report about solid-state buttons is true, then the iPhone 15 would need two Taptic Engines on each side. Such a change would also affect how cases fit. Even if the iPhone 15 models were the same size and thickness as the iPhone 14 (including the camera bump), you would need a case that always lets you use these haptic buttons.
Even though there have been rumors for a long time that Apple was considering about using an under-display solution to bring Touch ID back to its top-of-the-line iPhones, the iPhone 15 models are not expected to have Touch ID and will continue to use Face ID.
Apple is working on a Face ID feature that will be hidden under the screen. It won’t be ready until 2025, though. Instead, the iPhone 15 will still use Dynamic Island in 2023. Apple could make this feature available on all models, not just the Pro models.
USB-C
Apple is considering about replacing the Lightning port on the iPhone 15 with a USB-C port. This would make the iPhone 15 compliant with new rules being made in Europe. Because of these rules, Apple would have to make iPhones with USB-C ports for Europe. This means that Apple needs to either change the design of all iPhones or make special iPhones for Europe.
Reliable sources like Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have said that Apple is going to make the swap, so this is a strong possibility right now. Of course, Apple’s plans could change.
iPhone 15 processor and technical specifications
The A16 chip, which is already in the iPhone 14 Pro, may be used in the standard iPhone 15, and the new A17 chip may only be in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This seems to be the new way Apple is telling the difference between the regular and Pro versions of the iPhone. This started with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.
TSMC, which has been making iPhone chips for a long time, is rumored to use a 3nm process for the A17 chips. This would make the A17 more efficient at using power and reduce the amount of heat it makes when in use. The new 3nm A17 chip will also be 15% faster and use 30% less power than the current 5nm chips.
Another report says that the RAM on the iPhone 15 Pro could also go from 6GB to 8GB. The storage capacity could also be different, but the base storage may depend on what features the iPhone 15 has. Even though the iPhone 14 Pro has the most storage at 1TB, the iPhone 15 Pro could have 2TB.
Even though there were rumors that Apple might be making its own modem chips, the company’s efforts haven’t led to anything yet. Most likely, Apple will still use Qualcomm to make modem chips for the iPhone 15.
iPhone 15 camera
Apple has always been one of the best companies in the field of photography. Even though it has lost some of its shine in recent years and let Chinese companies like Huawei pass, the company has stayed at the top of the list. So, it only makes sense that the iPhone 15 will build on this heritage and add some expected improvements, especially to the more expensive models.
One of the long-awaited changes is the addition of a periscopic telephoto lens to high-end iPhones. The benefit of such an aspect is that, depending on the model, it greatly increases the suggested optical zoom ratio from 2x or 3x to 5x or 10x. So, by getting even closer to the details, high-end iPhones would be able to significantly improve the quality of photos taken from far away. Apple most likely would have opted for a device that possesses 8 lenses and a 10x optical zoom if given the choice.
The problem with this kind of system is that it takes up more space. Only the biggest phones can fit a big battery, a strong heat-dissipation system, and a periscope zoom. So, it’s likely that this periscope zoom only works on the iPhone 15 Ultra/Pro Max.
On the other hand, analyst Ming Chi Kuo says that the main sensor will not change much, especially in the Pro and Pro Max/Ultra variants. The main sensor will still be a 48-megapixel version. It could be a new model from Sony that takes better pictures even when the lighting is poor. Such as with low light, backlight, or a background that is too bright. This sensor would make the dynamic range bigger, which would improve the colorimetry of the photos.
As usual, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus would not benefit from the next generation of camera sensors. It’s not clear if the old 12-megapixel sensor will get better over time. The lens should then be used seven times with the same settings (f/1.8 aperture, 24 mm equivalent focal length). Some reports say that there would be a lens with eight elements (to enhance light capture and decrease aberrations). But this wouldn’t be the case.
The possible release date for iPhone 15
This is the most likely early rumor about the iPhone 15. In the last 10 years, Apple has only announced its new flagship phones outside of September once (in October 2020). This was because of a once-in-a-generation pandemic that forced people to stay home and messed up tech supply chains.
Because of this, it’s very likely that the iPhone 15 will come out in September 2023. Usually, Apple announces its new phones about ten days before they go on sale, and you can start pre-ordering them a week before they go on sale.
Price rumors for the iPhone 15
There was a lot of speculation that the price of the iPhone 14 would go up by 15%, but if you live in the United States, this was not the case. In other places, prices went up a lot, but in the US, the only change was that the cheapest “mini” model was taken off the market.
That means that the 1TB iPhone 14 Pro Max ends up costing $1,599, while the entry-level iPhone 14 with 128GB of storage costs $799. We’d expect the same this time, but it’s possible that the iPhone 15 will get the price increase that the US didn’t get in 2022. If so, you can expect a rise of about $100.
At least one leaker thinks that Apple’s high-end iPhone could cost a lot more than its predecessor, the iPhone 14. Leaks ApplePro says that the iPhone 15 Ultra could go up in price by $100 to $200, which would put it between $1,199 and $1,299