The next-gen iPhone 15 series will surely make its debut sometime this year but as we all know, Apple is great at keeping secrets so a lot of important information about the device is yet unknown to many of us at the moment.
Although there are rumors and reports from reputable leakers and many sources that claim to have a knowledge of what the device will reportedly look like or the features the devices will have.
If anything, one certain expectation is the fact that there won’t be a lot of differences in terms of physical design on the iPhone 15 when compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 14 series.
As we all know, Apple doesn’t usually just change their hardware design that often compares to other brands that constantly switch their device’s designs every now and then.
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Another thing is that smartphone cameras are getting better every year and that can also be one of the primary focuses of Apple this year as well apart from other tweaks such as software and processor capabilities, battery longevity, and better display quality.
As argued, smartphones may have peaked (for now) as there aren’t over-the-top innovations in this category anymore.
With that said, below are some of the important leaks and reports we got from insiders and reputable sources on what to expect from the next-gen iPhone 15 series.
iPhone 15: models
According to reports, there will be another four kinds of iPhone 15 series and they will be grouped into the “Pro” and “Non Pro” models just like the previous model.
Although there are some reports that Apple might in fact release an iPhone Ultra which will look similar to the Apple Watch Ultra. But when this device will debut is yet unknown and there isn’t a lot said about it.
But about the ones we think we know, the base models will consist of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, just like the previous iPhone 14 series.
It’s also as if Apple is completely done with the “Mini” iPhones as its sales haven’t been encouraging to the world’s most valuable tech company. So this is quite understandable. Also, most customers prefer larger devices which is where the iPhone 14 Plus comes in as it took the big 6.7-inch display size that was only previously found on the iPhone 13 Pro Max (and all the iPhone Maxes that preceded it.)
So, the iPhone 15 Plus could follow in that footsteps while the base iPhone 15 will also have a moderately sized 6.1-inch panel like the base iPhone “Pro” models.
As previously mentioned, the “Ultra” moniker could in fact replace the “Pro Max” this year but that may also be unlikely according to some reports.
iPhone 15: design and sizes
This shouldn’t even be a debate because Apple is often adamant when it comes to suddenly redesigning its products. When it does, it will usually be gradual and deliberate even though it quickly swapped the notch on the iPhone 13 for a pill-shaped cut-out that it calls the “Dynamic Island” on the iPhone 14 Pros.
According to a report, the company might just implement Dynamic Island across all of its iPhone 15 models this year which will be interesting to some fans.
As we all know, the Pill-shaped cut-out isn’t just to house the device’s camera and FaceID sensor but it has some cool software features as well where users can easily interact with notifications.
ShrimpApplePro in its own claims made it known that Apple could make some slight tweaks to the iPhone 15 Pro such as making the bezels thinner and curving the edges a little bit even though the display will remain flat.
The leaker had previously uploaded a video of what the device will potentially look like back in March. In the video which was part of a tweet, he wrote “the real-life video of the front glass panel of the iPhone 15 series.”
Goôd morning! Here’s is the real life video of the front glass panel of the iPhone 15 series, i was able to confirm its authenticity with my source. It’s real! pic.twitter.com/5BkI0OFgz9
— ShrimpApplePro 🍤 (@VNchocoTaco) March 5, 2023Relative to the current models, the image showed noticeably thinner bezels on the iPhone 15 series. Also, all the iPhone 15 models got the Dynamic Islan feature as mentioned above.
Still on the design, another reputable leaker, IceUniverse said the bigger iPhone 15 Pro Max will in fact be breaking some records with its “super-thin bezels”. The current record-holder is the Xiaomi 1 with a 1.81m bezel but the forthcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly sport a display with a 1.55mm bezel.
In comparison, the current iPhone 14 Pro Max’s bezel is about 2.17mm while that of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is about 1.95mm bezel.
If this is true, I wonder what effect such a thin bezel will have on interaction with the device’s screen.
The Display of the iPhone 15 Series
If all of the iPhone 15 series now has the Dynamic Island pill-shaped cut-out, that is simply the official death of the notch that the brand started back in 2017 when it released its iPhone X.
Leaker yeux1122 said only the high-end iPhone 15 Pro models will sport the 120Hz ProMtion display feature while the standard models (Non-Pros) will retain their 60Hz refresh rate.
Although the iOS and the Apple Bionic chipset are so optimized that most iPhone users don’t seem to care whether their screen is 120Hz or not, it’s quite shameful that despite the device possibly coming with a steep price point relative to budget-friendly Android devices in 2023, a fast 120Hz display would be an ideal practice.
Another report has it that a 120Hz refresh rate screen won’t be making it to all iPhone 15 series until the 2025 series (iPhone 17 if that’s what they would be called by then.)
So the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will more than likely still have a 60Hz LTPS display, and Apple will continue using this for the next two years.
Another interesting report has it that Apple might in fact switch the volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15 to virtual buttons with haptic feedback.
This would work similarly to the iPhone 7 Home button. Essentially, instead of physically depressing when pressed, it would use haptic feedback to mimic how it would feel if you pressed a button.
A new iPhone 15 Pro leak from Twitter user ShrimpApplePro, which is based on leaked CAD images, suggests that the volume buttons will change to a single, elongated button rather than two separate ones.
The mute switch will also become a single button instead of a toggle, which you would press to turn the ringer on or off.
However, it appears that the regular iPhone 15 models will still have the mute switch instead of a button, and two separate volume buttons instead of a single volume rocker.
Furthermore, the tech publication 9to5Mac gave some exclusive first look at what the iPhone 15 Pro could potentially look like based on a CAD model from a reliable case manufacturer.
The rendering showed that the Lightning Port has been switched to a USB-C port based on the recent mandatory obligation from the EU.
Other noticeable design changes include the slightly curved glass around the edges of the device hence, the thinner bezels.
Another prominent thing is that Apple might just be switching from physical buttons o solid-state buttons instead as mentioned above.
Lastly, there seems to be a much thicker camera bump on the device which could mean some camera hardware tweaks and component upgrades.
iPhone 15: colors
As usual, Apple often releases new color options with each of its iPhone models every year and that could be the same this year as well.
According to a 9to5Mac report, there could possibly be a red color option f the “Pro” iPhone 15 model and there could also be light pink and light blue color options.
This would open up a world of possibilities for the user in terms of customization, though a drawback would be making the iPhone 15 Pro less accessible for some since it would no longer be possible to tell from physical touch if the phone is silent or not.
iPhone 15: Processor and Specs
According to a report, the base iPhone 15 models might use the chipset from the current iPhone 14 Pro models while the Pro iPhone 15 models will use the A17 Bionic chipset.
The report also added that popular chipmaker, TSMC, will be using the 3nm process for the A17 chips which will further make it more efficient at power consumption while reducing the heat generated during use.
The 3nm A17 chip will also have a 15% boost in speed and power and 30% more power savings over the current 5nm chips.
In the RAM department, the high-end iPhone 15 Pro will reportedly sport between 6GB and 8GB while the base models will only have 6GB of RAM but the RAM will be based on the faster LPDDR5 RAM technology which is seen on the current iPhone 14 Pros.
And as for storage capacity, this could peak at about 2TB according to a report for the iPhone 15 Pro which in my opinion is quite huge but will certainly have an impact on the device’s price point.
And while there were rumors circulating that Apple could be building its own in-house modem chips, the efforts so far have not bared any results. Apple will likely still use Qualcomm for modem chips in the iPhone 15.
It’s also worth pointing out that the iPhone 15 series will reportedly sport a Wi-Fi 6E modem but only on the Pro models while the none pro models will only have the Wi-Fi 6 modems.
For the record, Wi-Fi 6E has more bandwidth, which gives it the capacity to process data faster and reduce latency significantly. You can also get a 1.2GHz spectrum in the 6GHz band, which would make the iPhone 15 Pro models capable of home gigabit coverage.
iPhone 15: cameras
Apple will reportedly make some tweaks in the camera department as well. According to reports, there could finally be a periscope zoom lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, the triple rear-camera system will still remain on the pro while the base models will have their dual camera set-up.
If a periscope zoom lens is achieved on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it will give the device the capacity to do between 5x and 10x optical zoom compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Mx’s 3x optical zoom.
I think the rumored iPhone 15 Pro series's adoption of an 8P lens won't likely come true.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 30, 2022There were previous reports that the iPhone 15 would get an 8P camera, which refers to the number of elements within the lens material. Theoretically, having another element in the lens could help with having less image distortion in the final image. However, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, this does not appear to be happening — at least, not with the iPhone 15.
iPhone 15: battery, charging, and USB-C
European regulations recently enforced that all electronics use a common charger in order to reduce e-waste.
Although Apple opposed this in the past, the company seems to be complying faster than one would expect. While the deadline for the USB-C implementation is 2024, there have been rumors that Apple will be implementing a proprietary USB-C technology on the iPhone 15 even though there were faint rumors that Apple could in fact build a portless device and rely solely on its wireless charging called MagSafe.
The majority of other Apple products including its MacBook and the iPad have the USB-C implementation.
Reputable Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo has confidently stated that the iPhone 15 series will sport a USB-C port.
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My latest survey indicates all 2H23 new iPhones will abandon Lightning and change to USB-C, but only two high-end models (15 Pro & 15 Pro Max) will support the wired high-speed transfer, and the two standard ones (15 & 15 15 Plus) still support USB 2.0 same as Lightning.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) November 17, 2022Implementing it will also give the iPhone 15 series an edge to fast-charge like Android-based devices. One sad news though which any iPhone user will be happy to be untrue is the fact that the USB-C will still be based on the slower USB 2.0 transfer speeds that are currently n the Lightning Port.
Apple might want to create a proprietary technology that would make other USB-C cables incompatible with its device and that could in fact lead to landing into hot waters with the EU.
Alex Agius Saliba, who is a Maltese representative in the house, sent out the following tweet: “Pity that today Apple rejected an invitation for an exchange of views to conform/deny that they are planning to bypass our rules by limiting charging speed to sell only their chargers.”
While the EU originally did not specify anything about charging speed for a mandatory common charging method — in this case, USB-C — that seems to have changed. The requirement now is that devices must “ensure that any additional charging protocol allows the full functionality of the USB Power Delivery, irrespective of the charging device used.”
Pity that today @Apple rejected an invitation for an exchange of views in @EP_SingleMarket to conform/deny that they are planning to bypass our rules by limiting charging speed to sell only their chargers. Weather they like it or not fast charging is harmonized by #CommonCharger
— Alex Agius Saliba (@alexagiussaliba) March 28, 2023So restricting the charging speeds with non-MFI USB-C cables could land the company in a tricky situation with the EU but we can only hope that Apple won’t be that stupid even though the company is known to brand everything in order to maximize its profit in every way possible.
iPhone 15: release date and price
As usual, the iPhone 15 models just like the previous ones will be premium devices ad will cost in the north of US$700 for the base models while the high-end models would be in the US$1,000 price points.
A report from Forbes made it known that Apple could, in fact, be hiking the price of its high-end iPhone 15 Pros by as much as US$200 which in my opinion is an outrageous price hike.
However, you should note that the previous iPhone 14 Pro models were rumored to carry a US$100 price hike over their predecessor but this was false when the device debuted. So I’d be very happy to be wrong about the US$200 price hike this time around.
If the iPhone 15 Ultra is a reality, the base price could be as much as US$1,300 according to a previous report.
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