While the iPhone 14s have barely been released, the iPhone 15 is already making waves through many hallway noises. Price, technical sheet, release date, cameras, we take stock of the rumors concerning the iPhone 15, expected in the fall of 2023.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro were recently released, but the rumor mill is already buzzing about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro due next year.
The updates could be particularly important, at a time when USB-C is about to become the standard for Apple (and for all electronic devices in Europe) and when Dynamic Island is attracting a large number of users.
How much will the iPhone 15 cost?
The euro prices of the iPhone 14 have increased compared to the iPhone 13. Several reasons for this, including the galloping inflation which gives reason to the tech giants to increase their prices.
As a reminder, the iPhone 14 costs:
- 1019 € in 128 GB
- 1149 € in 256 GB
- €1,409 in 512 GB
The iPhone 14 Plus:
- 1069 € in 128 GB
- 1299 € in 256 GB
- 1559 € in 512 GB
The iPhone 14 Pro:
- €1,329 in 128 GB
- €1,459 in 256 GB
- €1,719 in 512 GB
- €1,979 in 1 TB
What about the iPhone 15? Difficult to say, at this stage, if prices will increase further. According to LeaksApplePro, the iPhone 15 Ultra (which would replace the Pro Max line) will cost $1199 or $1299. That’s $100 or $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
When will the iPhone 15 be released?
For comparison, the iPhone 14s were presented on September 7, 2022 in a dedicated Keynote. Pre-orders opened Friday, September 9 with availability September 16. The iPhone 15 will probably be presented at the same time of the year, as usual. An analyst further thinks that the iPhone 15 will be released on September 23, 2023.
iPhone 15: towards a change of range?
In terms of naming and strategy, Apple reportedly has a few changes in store for its iPhone 15.
The company would plan to differentiate iPhone 15 Pro from iPhone 15 Pro Max, because the top-of-the-range model could potentially become particularly good in photos. Apple could thus rename the most high-end iPhone in iPhone 15 Ultra. This would match what we’ve seen with the Apple Watch this year, with an Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple Watch Ultra.
Also remember that the iPhone 14 have abandoned the mini format in favor of a new iPhone 14 Plus with a 6.7-inch screen. While the iPhone 14 Plus is apparently selling worse than Apple had anticipated, rumors have it that the company plans to continue this strategy next year.
iPhone 15: which screen?
So, we can expect to see an iPhone 15 with a 6.1-inch display, alongside an iPhone 15 Plus with a 6.7-inch display. Both should benefit from a 60Hz OLED screen, although we would like the whole range to go to 120Hz.
What about the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max? We expect fewer changes here in terms of screen sizes and display technology. For the moment, Apple would plan not to change anything on that side and therefore, to keep Dynamic Island and the permanent display. Dynamic Island could however be offered on the whole range, as we explained to you.
We could therefore expect four models:
- iPhone 15 : 6.1 inches.
- iPhone 15 Plus : 6.7 inches.
- iPhone 15 Pro : 6.1 inches.
- iPhone 15 Ultra : 6.7 inches.
To read: iPhone 14 and 14 Plus and their differences with the iPhone 13
Will the iPhone 15 have a USB-C port?
The EU has now set its deadline for the switch to USB-C: December 28, 2024. But according to the famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple does indeed plan to anticipate by installing the charging standard from 2023. 15 would thus be the first smart phones to take advantage of it.
However, we don’t have any details on data transfer speeds and charging speeds. There is also a strong possibility that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will adopt Thunderbolt connectivity alongside USB-C. This would correspond to the strategy that Apple has adopted with the iPad line. In the latter, all the latest generation models are equipped with USB-C, but the most high-end Pro models also support Thunderbolt.
iPhone 15: which cameras?
According to a new report from Nikkei, all four models of the iPhone 15 will be equipped with a new photo sensor from Sony “ at the cutting edge of technology “. Compared to a standard sensor, Sony’s would be able to double the saturation signal in each pixel, reducing the effects of overexposure and underexposure in photos. With this photo sensor, the iPhone 15 could for example better photograph the face of a person against the light. More rumors will emerge over the next few months.
It is also expected that iPhone 15 Pro Max features a new periscope lens. Periscope lenses rely on a prism that reflects light to multiple internal lenses at 90 degrees to the camera sensor, resulting in better optical zoom. The telephoto camera of the iPhone 14 Pro models only offers 3x optical zoom and 15x digital zoom.
For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra (see our test) already has a periscope lens that allows 10x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. A rumor said that Apple could opt for a 5x optical zoom.
iPhone 15: which technical sheet?
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to be powered by the A16 Bionic chip, currently used in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This continues Apple’s strategy of bifurcating iPhone performance between Pro and non-Pro models, a strategy that began this year. As a reminder, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are powered by the A15 chip, although they take advantage of the 6-core variant of the iPhone 13 Pro.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max should benefit from a more powerful Apple Silicon chip, potentially the A17 Bionic. A 3 nm etching process has already been mentioned. This format would bring about a major change in performance and power efficiency, which could significantly improve battery life.
On the design side, the high-end iPhone 15s could sport curved titanium edges. But Apple has not made a decision on this yet, being concerned about production problems at its Chinese factories.
Ultimately, we’re still in the early days of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro rumors. We will have many more over the next few months, which will help us better draw the table of Apple’s plans.
