Every year Apple introduces a new iPhone line and its introduction is the most important event in the Apple calendar. While Mac sales are growing and Apple’s pressure on services is mounting, iPhone sales are at the heart of the company’s portfolio and serve as a driver for accessories like Apple Watch and AirPods.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro may have just hit store shelves, but there are already rumors of what to expect with next year’s iPhone 15 line. Here’s what we’ve heard so far and what we expect based on Apple’s recent history.
iPhone 15 . release date
Apple usually introduces the new iPhones on a Tuesday or Wednesday around the second week of September.
Therefore, we suspect that the iPhone 15 will be unveiled on September 12 or 13, 2023. At least some of the models will go on presale that Friday (September 15) and will be available in stores the following Friday (September 22).
Here’s when the last few generations arrived in stores:
- iPhone 14: September 16, 2022
- iPhone 13: September 24, 2021
- iPhone 12: October 23, 2020
- iPhone 11: September 20, 2019
- iPhone XS: September 21, 2018
iPhone 15 Ultra
Now that Apple has introduced the Apple Watch Ultra, there are rumors that the company will expand its branding to the iPhone line with the iPhone 15 Ultra.
That’s really about all there is to those rumors so far. The assumption is that the iPhone 15 Ultra would be the branding used for the “Pro Max” variant, and there would be some kind of new features to distinguish it. Apple has done this before with the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which had a slightly better camera than the iPhone 12 Pro.
So most people expect that the camera will again be the feature that sets the new Ultra phone apart, possibly with a better periscope telephoto camera (see below). The rumor mill has plenty of other ideas about how Apple could make the Ultra version stand out, such as faster charging or more storage, but most are unsupported by any evidence. Wishlist features, if you will.
This hypothetical iPhone 15 Ultra could otherwise be thought of as an iPhone 15 Pro Max — it’s believed to use the same processor, screen, and design as the iPhone 15 Pro (though LeaksApplePro Reports that it could have a titanium case like the Apple Watch Ultra).
IDG
iPhone 15 design
There are currently no rumors suggesting that the iPhone 15 lineup will look very different from the iPhone 14 line. Expect the same shape and flat edges, as well as oversized cameras on the Pro models. We also expect to see the same four sizes: 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch standard iPhone 15, along with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro.
USB-C
The EU requires most wearable electronics, including phones, to standardize around USB-C for charging ports (if equipped: wireless-only gadgets like the Apple Watch don’t have to) to add a USB-C port). Apple will have to port over different products over time, and instead of making special USB-C versions for Europe, it will likely change everything globally, as we saw recently with the 10th-generation iPad and Siri remote. All iPhone 15 models are expected to come with a USB-C port.
Current iPhones use USB-C power adapters, so that doesn’t change, just the USB-C to Lightning cable and the port on the iPhone itself. The advantage? Potentially faster charging and faster data transfer rates for those who connect their iPhone to their Mac or PC.
Dynamic Island
A major change to the screen on the non-Pro iPhones is that the Dynamic Island — that pill-shaped camera cutout that serves as a key interface element on iPhone 14 Pro — will all iPhone 15 models. That means the non-Pro iPhones have the same look and interface.
Note that this doesn’t mean the iPhone 15 will get an always-on display or ProMotion, though. It is rumored that these features are currently exclusive to the Pro models.
The Dynamic Island may be coming to all iPhone 15 models.
Jason Snell/Foundry
iPhone 15 Specifications and Features
Apple is testing a lot of new technologies from many vendors, and over time, small leaks can sometimes give us an idea of what’s coming in the next iPhone. These leaks are sometimes wrong, often misunderstood, and generally lack software innovations that come with the new hardware (such as Dynamic Island, where we only heard about the “pill and hole” cutout and not how Apple plans was used).
This is what we currently expect to find in the iPhone 15 line.
Periscope camera lens
It is rumored that Apple has been working on a “periscope lens” to provide a much greater range optical zoom. It is the same technology that allows the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra to achieve such a large zoom range. There hasn’t been much movement on this rumor lately, but it was most recently suggested that it could be an exclusive feature of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It’s unclear whether this will require a different camera array layout or size, though the S22 Ultra’s cameras are much larger than the other models.
Elsewhere, there will definitely be camera upgrades in the iPhone 15, like every year. Between a front camera and three rear cameras, you can bet that at least one will get an upgraded sensor or lens. The only specific rumor around the cameras right now is that the iPhone 15 Pro Max may have a periscope telephoto camera, meaning an optical zoom is likely somewhere in the 5x to 10x range.
A17 processor using TSMC’s 3nm process
The next major processor manufacturing technology from TSMC (the company that makes most of Apple’s chips) wasn’t ready for the A16. We think the A17 is probably one of the first mass-produced chips to use the company’s 3nm process, which should allow more transistors in the same area, allowing Apple to cram more features and better performance.
With the iPhone 14 line, Apple reserved its new A16 for the Pro models and reused the A15 on the non-Pro models. We think this will likely continue into 2023, with the standard iPhone 15 featuring the A16 processor and the iPhone 15 Pro featuring the new A17.
Apple’s 5G modem
Apple has been working on its own mobile modem for years year now, after purchasing Intel’s modem unit for $1 billion in 2019. Most sources say that Apple won’t have a competitive 5G-capable cellular modem ready in time to be part of the iPhone 15, and that we should expect another Qualcomm Snapdragon modem instead. It will probably be the Snapdragon X70.
iPhone 15 price
We expect the iPhone 15 line largely carry on the same prices as the iPhone 14 line. With the iPhone 14 models, Apple kept the price flat in the US, but had to raise prices in the UK and many other countries due to exchange rates and inflation.
If Apple does indeed rebrand the iPhone 15 Pro Max as the iPhone 15 Ultra and give it some exclusive new features, we think that will be enough excuse to raise prices for that model a bit (perhaps $100 / £100). ).
For reference, here are the prices on the iPhone 14 line:
- iPhone 14: $799 / £849
- iPhone 14 Plus: $899 / £949
- iPhone 14 Pro: $999 / £1099
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: $1099 / £1199
