Apple’s highly-anticipated iPhone 15 line is now just days away, with the company all but certain to unveil the next generation of its best iPhones in September 2023.
In any case, to give you an idea of what to expect from Apple’s successor to the standard iPhone 14, we’ve put together this one-stop shop guide to all the latest news, rumors and predictions surrounding the iPhone 15.
Latest leaks, rumors and news (Updated September 8)
This guide refers to the standard iPhone 15, specifically, but we’re also expecting Apple to unveil an iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in September. Here’s how all four models could compare:
iPhone 15 release date predictions
Official poster for Apple’s ‘Wonderlust’ September 2023 event (Image credit: Apple)
Apple event scheduled for Tuesday, September 12
Actual shipping dates will likely come a week or so later
iPhone 15 Pro Max was rumored to face delays, but now back on track
This event will almost certainly play host to the launch of the iPhone 15 line, with iPhone 15 pre-orders likely to begin a few days later on Friday, September 15. Shipping dates will probably follow another week later on Friday, September 22.
Price expected to be similar to the iPhone 14 across the globe
Naturally, we don’t yet know the price of the iPhone 15, but we can make an educated guess at the figure using a combination of rumors and the launch prices of the iPhone 14:
128GB: $799 / £849 / AU$1,339
256GB: $899 / £959 / AU$1,579
512GB: $1,099 / £1,179 / AU$1,899
We expect the iPhone 15 to match the iPhone 14 for price, with a starting price of $799 / £849 / AU$1,339 looking likely. That said, some analysts have predicted that the iPhone 15 will cost more than the iPhone 14, owing to increased production costs on Apple’s part.
If accurate, a series-wide price increase for the iPhone 15 line would mark the first of its kind in the US since 2017. International markets have seen price increases as recently as last year’s iPhone 14 line.
However, the most recent iPhone 15 price prediction suggests it will cost the same as the iPhone 14, so we’re inclined to believe that.
Apple may also opt to forgo the 128GB storage option with the iPhone 15 this year, as other manufacturers – including Samsung and Oppo – have done with their respective 2023 flagships. However, we suspect that the company will take this decision for its next Pro models, exclusively, if at all.
iPhone 15 colors
(Image credit: Apple)
Going by rumors and previous iPhone models, Apple will likely offer five iPhone 15 colors at launch. We’ve heard much talk about a green iPhone 15 and a pink iPhone 15, but any of the six shades listed below could make the cut:
Cyan / Green
Light blue
Pink
Midnight
Starlight
Product (RED)
The iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will most likely be offered in a different selection of shades to the iPhone 15, but in the same colors as each other. We’re expecting four different color options in total:
The front and rear of the iPhone 14 (Image credit: Future / Apple)
All four models could get iPhone 11-style curved edges
iPhone 15 rumored to feature textured matte glass rear panel
USB-C charging ports expected
Rumors surrounding the iPhone 15 design are particularly interesting, not least because they hint at some noticeable differences between Apple’s next vanilla iPhone and the base iPhone 14.
Some (but not all) of those rumors are backed up by dummy iPhone 15 units that MacRumors has been able to source. You can see from the video below how the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max are likely to look.
Further renders of the iPhone 15 Plus emerged in February 2023, showing more of those aforementioned design changes: USB-C, more rounded edges, and the addition of the Dynamic Island on the less expensive models (which you can read about in the ‘screen sizes’ section of this guide).
It looks as though the dimensions of the iPhone 15 handsets are going to be more or less the same as their iPhone 14 equivalents – although, as mentioned, there are reportedly going to be some slight variations in the size of the camera bumps.
How the iPhone 15 might look (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
Annoyingly, however, it looks like the remainder of the design differences between the iPhone 14 series and iPhone 15 series – titanium sides, thinner bezels and so on – will be reserved for the latter’s Pro models. But that’s just what we’ve come to expect from Apple in recent years.
It’s also worth noting that Apple may be preparing to move to eSIM in countries outside the US for the iPhone 15, with eSIMs reportedly coming to the next generation of Apple’s best iPhones in France. Given the scale of integration with mobile carriers needed to support the implementation of eSIMs in countries that don’t already use them widely, it’s unlikely that Apple will be able to flick a switch and ditch the SIM card tray for every iPhone 15 model sold in Europe come September – but major Apple markets like the UK seem ready to join France in its adoption of eSIMs.
iPhone 15 camera
(Image credit: Apple)
Will likely ship with a 48MP main sensor
Might use a different 48MP sensor to the Pro models
However this could still make for a massive upgrade, with a TrendForce report suggesting that the iPhone 15’s cameras will be the key upgrade on this phone, thanks to a new Sony-made main sensor that offers extended dynamic range.
We haven’t heard about changes to the ultra-wide camera, so that will probably be the same as last year, and on the selfie-snapping front, the iPhone 14’s 12MP selfie camera is expected to remain in place on the vanilla iPhone 15.
The inclusion of an A16 Bionic in the iPhone 15 should technically make the device feel snappier than the iPhone 14 (though the latter is certainly no slouch when it comes to performance). The bad news is that we’re also expecting to see an A17 Bionic come September, which – you guessed it – seems destined for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, exclusively.
That said, the iPhone 14 is fast enough for most users, and the iPhone 15 – by offering even more power under the hood – will likewise meet the demands of streaming, swiping, snapping and gaming with ease.
The iPhone 14 Pro (Image credit: Shutterstock / Framesira)
The iPhone 14 being held in a hand (Image credit: Future)
Will likely use the same 6.1-inch Super XDR OLED display
Every model expected to get the Dynamic Island
When it comes to iPhone 15 screen sizes and displays, we’re expecting the standard iPhone 15 to deliver one major improvement over the iPhone 14.
The latter sports a 6.1-inch Super XDR OLED display that offers a 2532 x 1170 pixel resolution, and rumors suggest the iPhone 15 will follow suit. However, the iPhone 15 is all but certain to inherit the Dynamic Island – Apple’s fancy screen cutout – from the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which should give the phone a more premium feel.
Potential evidence for this claim has emerged, too, with leaked videos showing the front glass for reportedly three iPhone 15 models. They all include Dynamic Islands along with slightly curved bezels, with the Pro models having smaller bezels than the standard ones.
We’re not expecting the iPhone 15 line’s Dynamic Islands to be identical to the ones currently featured on Apple’s flagship devices, though. According to a recent tweet from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15’s proximity sensor will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island itself, rather than positioned below it (as on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max).
Every model in the iPhone 15 line is expected to feature the Dynamic Island (Image credit: Future)
Beyond the Dynamic Island, though, the iPhone 15’s display is expected to remain identical to its predecessor’s. Both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max boast adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate technology (dubbed ProMotion) that automatically adjusts the smoothness of their displays to suit whatever’s happening on-screen, but it looks like the iPhone 15 will again be sticking with the iPhone 14’s static 60Hz refresh rate.
Judging by Apple’s history when it comes to updating (or rather, not updating) battery sizes with each iPhone iteration, we were expecting the vanilla iPhone 15 to boast a similarly-sized power pack to the iPhone 14 (3,279mAh), however recent rumors suggest that the iPhone 15 lineup will feature significantly larger batteries across the board.
The iPhone 15, specifically, will reportedly feature an 18% larger battery than the iPhone 14, taking its capacity up to 3,877mAh. In theory, then, it’ll boast better battery life than its predecessor. We also think the batteries might be switched to a stacked type of technology, as used in electric vehicles.
As for how fast these charging speeds might be, reports suggest that at least some of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 devices will support charging up to 35W. At present, the standard iPhone 14 is limited to 20W charging, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max is capped at 27W. The former takes around an hour and a half to recharge to full capacity, so we’ll gratefully accept any improvements on that figure for the iPhone 15, though we suspect that the fastest charging speeds will be reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Another interesting battery rumor surrounding the iPhone 15 line is the potential addition of reverse wireless charging, which would see the vanilla iPhone 15 capable of wirelessly charging other Apple gadgets, where its predecessor can’t. We’re less certain about this particular feature prediction, though. And if it does turn out to be true, reverse wireless charging seems likely to be exclusive to Apple’s next Pro iPhones.
iPhone 15 outlook
While the iPhone 15 isn’t expected to offer huge changes from what we’ve seen from iPhones before, a combination of tweaks and upgrades could lead to a phone that’s more than the sum of its parts.
An improved main camera, curved edges, USB-C connectivity, and a boost in performance, all for a price that may be similar to the iPhone 14, could see the standard iPhone 15 shape up to be one of the best phones of the year.
by #AI September 8, 2023 · Automatic
