Counting Down to iPhone 15 – Complete Summary of What We Know So Far

The upcoming iPhone 15 is expected to bring major changes in design and functionality, and we’re keeping tabs on all the latest rumors and leaks. We’ve heard whispers that Apple may finally adopt USB-C charging and bid farewell to the Lightning port. Additionally, the iPhone 15 may boast a rounded design for a more comfortable grip.

There’s also speculation that the divide between the regular and Pro models will remain significant, with only the iPhone 15 Proline rumored to receive a cutting-edge periscope zoom lens. Some sources suggest that there could even be a brand-new iPhone 15 Ultra, complete with a titanium build for ultimate durability. However, there are also rumors that the iPhone Ultra may not hit the market until 2024.

Join me to explore all the details I’ve gathered about the iPhone 15 so far.

The Models of the iPhone 15

It looks like the trend of simplifying the iPhone options will continue into 2023 with the likely release of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, similar to the 2022 lineup. The iPhone 12 mini did not sell well, and the iPhone 13 mini had to continue because the plans were already set in place. A report from TrendForce also used these names to highlight the expected features of the iPhone 15, which suggests that the naming convention will stay the same.

However, there could be one new addition, the iPhone 15 Ultra. Apple analyst Mark Gurman recently tweeted about the possibility of an iPhone Ultra after the release of the Apple Watch Ultra this year. He later clarified that we might see the iPhone 16 Ultra in 2024 instead of the iPhone 15 Ultra. But all these are just speculations, and nothing is confirmed yet. We must wait and see what Apple stores for us in 2023.

Will There Be an Ultra iPhone 15?

People have been discussing the possibility of Apple releasing an iPhone 15 Ultra instead of the typical Pro Max. Earlier, there were rumors about a fifth iPhone, but now it seems that this may not be the case.

There have also been whispers that Apple wants to set the iPhone 15 Ultra apart from the iPhone 15 Pro by offering something different besides just the screen size. Unfortunately, we don’t have any specific information about what those differences may be, especially since it’s been rumored that all iPhone 15 models will have features like USB-C.

However, all these speculations could be for nothing if Apple follows what Gurman has suggested and waits until 2024 to launch a high-end Ultra phone.

The Design of the iPhone 15

The latest design rumors surrounding the iPhone 15 are circulating and packed with potential game-changers! According to one leak, the iPhone 15 could bring back the popular curved design of the iPhone 11 Pro Max while still keeping the flat display. And get this, all three models could potentially have curved bezels!

As for ports, there are whispers that the iPhone 15 might be portless or at least feature USB-C for some of its models. Could this mean that a portless model could be a premium “Pro” feature? We’ll have to wait and see. Another analyst, Mark Gurman, claims that all iPhone 15 models will come with the Dynamic Island, which could inspire developers to create apps that fully utilize the morphing camera cutout/display feature.

Finally, the question on everyone’s mind — will the iPhone 15 have reverse wireless charging? Although all the hardware used in iPhones starting from the iPhone 11 pro, supported this feature, it was never activated. A report from 9to5Mac suggests that development is ongoing, but there’s no official word on whether and when this feature will be added. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and stay tuned!

It looks like Face ID is going to be the only biometric authentication option on Apple’s iPhones for the next few years! Rumors have been circulating that Touch ID might make a comeback, but the latest reports from Mark Gurman say that Apple has no plans to bring back fingerprint scanning. They’ve been testing in-display Touch ID, but it seems like Face ID will remain the king of biometrics.

But we could see some changes in other areas of the iPhone 15! Ming-Chi Kuo says that “two high-end iPhone 15s” will have solid-state buttons, similar to the home button found on the iPhone SE. Barclays analysts and Jeff Pu also echo this rumor, saying that the iPhone 15 Pro will have solid-state buttons and extra Taptic Engine vibration motors to give feedback when you press them. This would make the iPhone more durable and still provide a tactile button feel. It’s almost like the Force Touch trackpad on the MacBook, and if these rumors are true, it will be awesome!

There have also been rumors about the design of the back panel of the iPhone 15. ShrimpApplePro says that the back panel could have curved edges, similar to the iPhone 5C. This would make the iPhone more comfortable to hold. But there’s a conflicting rumor from LeaksApplePro that says the iPhone 15 lineup may not have a rounded design due to supply chain and wireless charging constraints. So, we’ll have to wait and see!

The new iPhone 15 Pro render from 4RMD is an exciting concept that takes the rumored design changes and blends them into a visually appealing masterpiece. The render showcases the haptic power and volume buttons, a smaller Ceramic Shield back panel with a curved-edge design, and a sleek titanium body. Although the iPhone 15 Pro may look slightly different, this concept has certainly piqued our excitement for the future.

The Camera on the iPhone 15

The rumors surrounding the iPhone 15’s camera upgrades have been exciting, with reports suggesting that the basic iPhone 15 could get a Pro-like camera. Analysts at Nomura believe that the main camera on the basic iPhone 15 will be upgraded to 48MP with an image sensor size of 1/1.5″, which is slightly smaller than the i14 Pro’s 48MP sensor but much better than the i14’s 12MP one. There have also been reports of a periscope camera that could be included in the iPhone 15 for better long-range photography and zoom capabilities.

Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple could give its Pro models some unique features, and it’s possible that the periscope camera could be an iPhone 15 Pro Max-only feature to upsell the larger 6.7-inch handsets. However, Kuo has also said that the iPhone 15 Pro’s main camera will stick with a 7P lens and not include a new 8P lens, which was previously rumored.

A report from Nikkei (via AppleInsider) claims that Apple will work with Sony on the iPhone 15’s main camera, using Sony’s new “state-of-the-art” sensor. This new part doubles the pixel saturation, which could lead to much better exposure controls on the iPhone 15. The report did not mention whether this will be a Pro/Ultra exclusive feature.

USB-C on the iPhone 15

The biggest rumor surrounding the iPhone 15 is that Apple is finally bidding farewell to the Lightning port. This is not surprising, as the company has already switched to USB-C on its laptops and tablets, and the European Union has even mandated that all phones must use USB-C by 2024. So, the real question is not if but when Apple will switch to USB-C.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the type of USB-C used could vary between Pro and non-Pro models. He believes that the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will have the same data transfer speeds as current Lightning iPhones, while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will have faster speeds thanks to their USB-C ports.

A rumor from the Chinese site Weibo suggests that Apple could restrict certain USB-C functions to approved accessories, similar to the Made For iPhone program it has for Lightning accessories. This speculation suggests that only Apple-certified accessories can access faster data transfer speeds. It’s hard to know how credible the rumor is.

Regardless of the details, the shift to USB-C on the iPhone 15 is definitely a big deal for iPhone users.

The Display on the iPhone 15

It looks like Apple is sticking to its tried and true formula with four models, including the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro with 6.1-inch OLED displays and the iPhone 15 Plus and 15 Pro Max with larger 6.7-inch screens.

But the real excitement is with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is rumored to have a display with an incredible 2,500 nits of brightness! That’s a huge jump from the already impressive 2,000 nits on the iPhone 14 Pro Max and could make it the brightest display on any phone yet! This information comes from the always-reliable tech insiders on Twitter, ShrimpApple Pro and OreXda.

The Specs of the iPhone 15

It’s still early, but two exciting rumors have started to circulate. One of them is quite likely to happen, while the other is more speculative.

Starting with the more certain one, adopting the A17 chipset is a trend that we might see continue in the future. In the past, only the iPhone 14 Pro models had the all-new chipset, while the regular iPhone had a slightly improved version of the A15. It looks like this might be the new standard, so the iPhone 15 Pro models might get the A17, while the regular iPhone 15 might have an upgraded version of the A16.

According to a report from TrendForce, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will keep the A16 Bionic CPU, while only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (or Ultra) will get upgraded to the rumored A17 chipset.

Now, as for the 3nm manufacturing process that the A17 chip is expected to be made with, chip maker TSMC predicts a 35% improvement in power efficiency. That’s great news for the battery life of the iPhone 15 Pro.

Another rumor is that Apple may be getting ready to make its modems, starting with the 2023 iPhones. But, current supplier Qualcomm is confident they will be supplying the majority of the modems for the 2023 iPhones. This means the iPhone 15 will likely feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 modem.

Lastly, there’s a rumor based on a Barclay analysis that the iPhone 15 could have Wi-Fi 6E, but this could be a feature exclusive to the Pro model. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has backed this up.

The Software on the iPhone 15

The iPhone 15 is expected to come with the latest iOS 17 software, which is usually released alongside the new iPhone models. If Apple follows its traditional schedule, we’ll see what’s new in iOS 17 at the Worldwide Developer Conference in June. After that, a public beta version will be available during the summer and a full release in the fall.

As of now, we don’t have much information about the changes in iOS 17. But, there are rumors suggesting major changes to iMessage and the opening up of the iPhone to third-party app stores. Some reports also suggest that iOS 17 may be less feature-rich than previous versions as Apple diverts its resources toward developing its VR/AR headset, which is expected to be launched this year.

The Release Date of the iPhone 15

The release date for the iPhone 15 is likely to be in September, following the pattern set by recent releases. The iPhone 14 was announced on September 7 and released on September 16. The only time Apple has deviated from a September release in the past decade was in October 2020 due to the global pandemic.

It’s typical for Apple to announce their new smartphones about ten days before the release, with pre-orders opening a week prior. One source suggests the iPhone 15 could go on sale on September 22 or 23.

There is a slight possibility that the release date could be earlier, as the trial production for the iPhone 15 reportedly started a month earlier than in previous years. This could be due to Apple’s mass-production plans in India and China, but it’s too early to say for sure. Until further information is available, we anticipate the iPhone 15 will be unveiled in September.

The Price of the iPhone 15

With the release of the iPhone 14, there was speculation that prices would go up by 15%. However, this only turned out to be true in certain regions, while in the US, the only change was eliminating the cheapest ‘mini’ model. Prices currently range from $799 to $1,599, depending on the model and storage capacity.

For the iPhone 15, we may see a similar price range, but it’s possible that the US could see the price increase that was missed in 2022. There have been rumors of a $100 price hike for the iPhone 15 Pro, which could be due to its advanced features. This would push the starting price for the iPhone 15 Pro over the $1,000 mark, which might be a bit of a shock for consumers. It is unclear if this price hike applies to regions like the UK and Australia.

On the other hand, some sources suggest that Apple could lower the prices of the iPhone 15 to boost sales, especially in light of the weak sales of the iPhone 14 Plus. This would make the lower-cost iPhones more appealing to value-conscious shoppers.

Summary

In conclusion, the upcoming iPhone 15 is expected to bring major changes in design and functionality, with rumors about its design including a curved design with rounded bezels and the potential for USB-C charging and a portless design.

There is speculation about the existence of a new iPhone 15 Ultra with a titanium build, but it is unclear whether it will be released in 2023 or 2024. Regarding biometrics, Face ID is expected to remain the only option while some rumors suggest that the iPhone 15 Pro may feature solid-state buttons with extra Taptic Engine vibration motors.

The camera on the iPhone 15 is also rumored to receive upgrades, with a cutting-edge periscope zoom lens expected to be included in the Pro model. With all these exciting possibilities, it will be interesting to see what Apple has in store for us with the release of the iPhone 15.