Apple’s rumored iPhone 15 lineup, expected to arrive in fall 2023, already has an active rumor touting a variety of new features. Those rumors, plus the recent ones EU ruling mandating USB-C charging on phones sold in Europe, it could mean a number of departures from Apple’s traditional design. Will the iPhone 15 have a USB-C port? Will Apple increase iPhone prices in 2023?? Will it even be called “iPhone 15”? No one outside of Apple knows for sure, but these reports will certainly fuel our curiosity until Apple launches the next iPhone event. Here are some of the biggest and most credible rumors we’ve seen so far, to paint a picture of what we may see on the iPhone 15.
iPhone 15 design: hello USB-C, goodbye Lightning
This one has been in the rumor mill for years, but in 2023 the switch from a Lightning port to a USB-C port could finally happen. That’s possibly due to pressure from the European Union, which has been pushing for a common charging standard for years. In 2022, the bloc managed to pass legislation requiring Apple to equip its iPhones with USB-C ports by 2024 if it wants to sell them in the EU.
The question is whether Apple will switch all iPhone models to USB-C or just those sold in the EU. Apple already modifies iPhone models regionally, as it has done with the iPhone 14: the US version has a electronic SIM, while other variants retain the SIM slot. However, there are good reasons to move all iPhones to USB-C in the future, according to Avi Greengart, an analyst at Techsponential.
“…There are broader ecosystem, security, and accessory considerations with the power/data jack, so I think Apple is more likely to move all iPhones [globally] to USB-C in the iPhone 16 time frame to comply with European regulations,” he told CNET in an email.
read more: Your next iPhone will probably need a different charging cable
iPhone 15 design: Dynamic Island expands to all models
Apple will likely continue to sell four iPhone models with the iPhone 15 lineup. Rumor points to a generally similar design across the board, except that the iPhone 14 Pro’s shape-shifting cutout, known as Dynamic Island, is set to work its way into all models.
That rumor comes from display analyst Ross Young, who also said in September cheep that it doesn’t expect base iPhone 15 models to have a higher refresh rate like Apple’s iPhone Pros because the supply chain can’t support it.
read more: The iPhone 14 Pro’s flashiest feature feels like it’s winking at something else
iPhones have had Lightning ports since the iPhone 5 in 2012. Android phones tend to have slightly larger USB-C ports.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
iPhone 15: Solid-state buttons coming for iPhone 15 models
Noted Apple watcher Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, expects Apple to further differentiate between its base and Pro models in the coming years. One way he expects that to happen is by giving iPhone 15 Pro models solid-state power and volume buttons instead of the standard keys found on current devices, he wrote in a paper. cheep in October.
The solid-state buttons, which Kuo says will be similar to the home button found on the iPhone SE and iPhone 7, mimic the feeling of pressing a button with the help of haptic feedback. The apparent advantage of this type of button is that it also protects against the ingress of water.
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No real buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro? This rumor has me worried
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iPhone 15 Power: RAM increase for professional models
According to Taiwanese research firm TrendForceThe Pro models of the iPhone 15 lineup will see a RAM bump from 6GB to 8GB to complement the anticipated A17 Bionic chipset. Base models will still get 6GB of RAM, according to TrendForce. This rumor is also apparently supported by a research report by Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu, according to a MacRumors article, referencing Pu’s report.
iPhone 15 camera: the periscope-style telephoto lens arrives
Yet another Kuo prediction has been making the rounds, but this time it’s about the iPhone 15’s camera. analyst forecasts that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will receive a periscope-style telephoto lens. This type of telephoto lens allows for higher optical zoom levels, with Kuo predicting that 6x optical zoom could be coming on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Optical zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro Max is limited to 3x, lagging behind rivals like the Samsung Galaxy. 10x optical zoom of the S22 Ultra.
read more: The iPhone 14 Pro camera upgrade is bigger than you think
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iPhone 14 and 14 Pro 3-month review: More to offer
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iPhone 15 price: up, up and away?
Prices have risen dramatically since the original iPhone arrived in 2007. And that may happen again in 2023 with the iPhone 15, except not in the way you might think. The price of the regular iPhone 15 is currently expected to remain the same, according to analysts who previously spoke to CNET.
However, the upper end of the price range could rise if rumors of a luxury iPhone 15 Ultra turn out to be true. The rumored Ultra model could replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max next year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes. This agrees with Kuo’s predictions, who waits for apple to further differentiate between the iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max models. US prices currently range from $829 for the base iPhone 14 model (128GB) to $1,599 for the higher-end iPhone 14 Pro Max with 1TB of storage.
read more: What Apple could do with iPhone 15 prices in 2023
iPhone 15: launch and launch timeline
Apple holds its annual iPhone event in September almost every year, so we expect the timeline to remain the same for the iPhone 15. New iPhones typically launch soon after, usually on Friday of the following week. Sometimes Apple will stagger the release dates of specific models, especially when it introduces a new design or size. So it’s possible that the iPhone 15 lineup will have more than one release date.
This is 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.
- New iPhones are generally released on a Friday, around the third week of September. For the iPhone 13, pre-orders began on September 17, and the phones went on sale on September 24.
Looking for more iPhone tips? Take a look at our iPhone Upgrade Guideour list of best iphone and our summary of The best cases for your iPhone 14 or 14 Pro.
