iPhone 15: The rumours, the leaks, and all the hype leading up to the Apple event

Apple is less than a week away from its annual fall event, when the next iPhone, which we unofficially call the iPhone 15 series, is scheduled to be unveiled. Although we don’t expect to see a foldable phone from Apple yet, the Rumors are swirling about upcoming iPhones deviating from their traditional design in some meaningful way. We can always glean more clues from Apple’s “Wonderlust” call, which seems to evoke the theme of travel.

Some of the big questions people are asking are: Will the iPhone 15 get a USB-C port? Will the iPhone 15 series have thinner bezels? Will Apple raise iPhone prices in 2023?? Will Pro models receive bigger upgrades?

We won’t know for sure until Apple holds its next iPhone event. But here are some of the biggest and most credible rumors to give you an idea of ​​what to expect from the iPhone 15 series.

Watch this: Expect big changes for the iPhone 15 — including the price

05:18

iPhone 15 design: Hello USB-C, goodbye Lightning

These rumors have been circulating for years, but in 2023 the shift from Lightning to USB-C might finally happen. This is likely prompted by pressure from the European Union, which has been pushing for a common shipping standard for years. And in 2022, the bloc managed to pass legislation requiring Apple to supply its iPhones with USB-C ports by 2024 if it wants to sell them in the European Union.

If that happens, the question is whether Apple will convert all iPhone models to USB-C or just those sold in the European Union. Apple is already tweaking iPhone models regionally, as it did with the iPhone 14: the US version has it Electronic chipWhile other versions retain the SIM slot. However, there are good reasons to move all iPhones to USB-C from now on, according to Avi Greengart, an analyst at Techsponential.

“There are larger ecosystem, security, and accessory considerations around the power/data connector, so I think it is likely that Apple will transition all iPhones (globally) to USB-C in the iPhone 16 timeframe to comply with European regulations.” he told CNET in an email.

According to veteran Bloomberg reporter Mark Gorman, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models will get USB-C ports this year. Perhaps a full transition could happen next year with the iPhone 16.

Read more: Your next iPhone will likely need a different charging cable

iPhone 15 design: Dynamic Island expands to all models

Apple is likely to continue selling four iPhone models with the iPhone 15 lineup. Rumors point to a similar design overall across the board, except that the shapeshifting design of the iPhone 14 Pro, known as Dynamic Island, is set to make its way across the board. makes.

This rumor comes from show analyst Ross Young, who also said in September tweet He doesn’t expect the base iPhone 15 models to have a higher refresh rate like Apple’s iPhone Pro devices because the supply chain can’t support it. Gorman also still expects this to work as indicated in the June 30 edition of his Power On newsletter.

Read more: The iPhone 14 Pro’s most striking feature seems to be winking at something else

iPhone 15 design: Thinner edges

According to Gorman, Apple is expected to use a new manufacturing technique called “low pressure overmolding” to make the iPhone Pro devices. This is the same method used on some Apple Watch models. This will help Apple reduce the bezels by fractions of a millimeter, which in turn will allow for a very slight increase in screen real estate.

iPhone 15 design: Easy repairability

The internals of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will also be redesigned to make them easier to repair, according to the latest Gurman’s Power On newsletter. Gorman says the internals have been changed to match those of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, which received the internal changes last year.

“This is the iPhone 14 reborn as a beautiful butterfly – medium bezel in the middle, accessible screen on the left, and removable back glass on the right,” iFixit wrote in a post last September after the iPhone event.

Interestingly, Apple didn’t discuss this internal redesign in its keynote, but the change was spotted by repair experts at iFixit, who said it’s clear that Apple has gone back to the drawing board to rework the internals and seamlessly integrate them into their iPhones. .

iPhone 15: Ultra-wideband upgrade

According to noted Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 will run on an updated Ultra Wideband processor, which Apple calls the U1 chip, to better integrate with the company’s new AR headset, the Vision Pro. UWB is a short range wireless communication standard often used to track the location of objects. It can identify your Apple AirTag or unlock your car while walking up to it with your phone. in Last post on TwitterKuo said this is all part of Apple’s broader strategy to “build a more competitive ecosystem for Vision Pro.”

iPhone 15: Wireless charging upgrade

According to a May report by ChargerLab, a power specialist site with a proven track record, all iPhone 15 models will support 15W wireless charging using the open Qi2 standard. If this turns out to be true, it means that the iPhone 15 could open up a whole new world of wireless chargers that can replenish the device at full speed. Apple had previously limited open wireless charging standards to 7.5W, leaving the full 15W charging speed for Apple MagSafe-licensed accessories.

iPhone 15 camera: Periscope-style telephoto lens arrives

Apple observer Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, expects the iPhone 15 Pro Max to get a telephoto lens in the shape of a periscope. This type of telephoto lens allows for higher levels of optical zoom, giving the iPhone better capabilities for photographing distant objects. Kuo expects the 6x optical zoom to arrive on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. For reference, the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s optical zoom is 3x, which lags behind competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 10x optical zoom. That was the rumour It was recently reinforced with a known leak source And Twitter user Unknownz21, who mentioned that the Pro Max model will come with the special lens.

Read more: The iPhone 14 Pro’s cameras are a huge upgrade

iPhone 15 Design: Solid state buttons come on the iPhone 15 Pro models

Kuo expects Apple to further differentiate its base and Pro models in the coming years. One way this is expected to happen is via the volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro models instead of the standard keys found on today’s devices.

The solid-state buttons, which Kuo says will be similar to the home button found on the iPhone SE and iPhone 7, simulate the tactile feel of pressing a button with the help of haptic feedback. The obvious advantage of this type of button is that it also protects against water ingress.

Watch this: No real buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro? This rumor made me anxious

06:06

iPhone 15 strength: Increased RAM for Pro models

According to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, the Pro models of the iPhone 15 lineup will get an increase in RAM to 8GB from 6GB to complement the expected A17 Bionic chipset. Base models will continue to get 6GB of RAM, according to TrendForce. This rumor also appears to be supported by a research report from analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities, according to a MacRumors article, which cited Pu’s report.

Watch this: 3-month iPhone 14 and 14 Pro review: More to offer

08:28

iPhone 15 price: up, down and far?

iPhone 15 prices are expected to rise in the US for the first time in years. And last year, Apple actually increased prices in select countries outside of the United States.

According to a MacRumors report, citing Barclays analyst Tim Long, the iPhone 15 Pro could cost $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro, while the iPhone Pro Max price hike could range from $100 to $200 more. A similar claim was made by Jeff Pu, of investment firm Haitong International Securities, who explicitly said that the iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular is set to go up in price, according to another MacRumors report. This is based on the assumption that Apple will add more features and components to the Pro models, such as a new periscope camera, titanium frame, and 3nm A17 Bionic chip.

Pricing in the US currently ranges from $829 for the entry-level iPhone 14 model (128GB) all the way up to $1,599 for the top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro Max model with 1TB of storage.

Another possibility is that the upper end of the price range could be pushed higher if rumors about the luxury iPhone 15 Ultra turn out to be true. The rumored Ultra model will likely replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max next year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote in September last year. This is in line with Kuo’s expectations, who expects Apple To further differentiate the iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max models. However, in his June 30 newsletter, Gorman made no mention of the iPhone 15 Ultra. Other rumors suggest that the iPhone 15 Ultra will be a step up from the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Read more: What Apple can do with iPhone 15 prices in 2023

iPhone 15 Ultra camera: variable zoom

According to Tipster Revengus, the iPhone 15 Ultra will feature a telephoto camera with a variable zoom lens, which is the camera setup that is rumored to be featured on Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. Variable optical zoom (continuous zoom) cameras are not commonly found in smartphones for several reasons, including the fact that the size and design of phone cameras restrict the type of lenses that can be used.

iPhone 15: launch and release schedule

Apple holds its annual iPhone event around September, so we expect the schedule to remain the same for the iPhone 15. New iPhones are usually released shortly thereafter, usually on the Friday of the following week. Sometimes Apple arranges release dates for certain models, especially when introducing a new design or size. So it is possible that the iPhone 15 lineup will have more than one release date.

Here’s what we know:

• Apple tends to hold its events on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Apple’s iPhone 14 event was held on Wednesday, September 7, while the iPhone 13 event was held on Tuesday, September 14.
• iPhone release dates are usually a week and a half after Apple’s announcements.
• Generally, new iPhones are released on Friday, around the third week of September. For the iPhone 13, pre-orders began on September 17th and the phones went on sale on September 24th.

Looking for more iPhone tips? Verify iPhone upgrade guideOur list of The best iPhones And our tour of The best cases for your iPhone 14 or 14 Pro.