As we are a year away from the iPhone 15 launch, you need to take these leaks with a grain of salt. While we are sticking to individuals with a strong track record on Apple rumors, even the best sources will have some misses this far out. With that preamble aside, here’s a look at everything we’ve gathered on the iPhone 15 so far, including the expected release date, pricing, design, specs, and even a tease of an iPhone 15 Ultra.
iPhone 15 release date
We can be reasonably confident that the iPhone 15 will launch in the first half of September of 2023. Apple has stuck almost unwaveringly to these dates for a decade now, except for the iPhone 12 launch, which was impacted by COVID-19. If we had to venture a guess at the exact date, it would be September 12, 2023, but just circle that date in pencil for right now.
iPhone 15 price
Despite rumors to the contrary, Apple didn’t make any changes to its pricing for the iPhone 14 and while that doesn’t rule out a price hike next year, if Apple can hold the pricing steady under the current economic and supply chain conditions, it feels unlikely that it would happen next year. If that’s right then the breakdown for next year would look like this: iPhone 15: $799 iPhone 15 Plus: $899 iPhone 15 Pro: $999 iPhone 15 Pro Max: $1,099 However, rumor has it there will be an iPhone 15 Ultra to look forward to. As Apple tracker Mark Gurman speculates, the iPhone 15 lineup will see a major shift, swapping the iPhone 15 Pro Max with a new, high-end iPhone 15 Ultra. What’s more, a recent leak claims the iPhone Ultra models will be made out of titanium, much like the Apple Watch Ultra. If this is the case, the iPhone 15 Ultra could be quite expensive, priced somewhere between $1,500 to $2,000 — considering the gap between the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra.
iPhone 15 design
The iPhone 15 may have a more significant design shakeup than the iPhone 15 Pro. The new capsule front-facing camera on the iPhone 14 Pro models will likely trickle down to the standard iPhone 15 models in 2023. Particularly given how prominently Apple featured the “Dynamic Island” design element in iOS 16 that turns the capsule into more of a feature than a nuisance, this is something Apple will want across the entire lineup. We may also see Apple finally adopt an under-display fingerprint sensor. While Face ID remains well ahead of facial recognition in the Android competition, the lack of a fingerprint sensor on the modern iPhone is problematic at times with the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting that issue. To be fair, though, Apple rectified this issue by making its masking-wearing users more recognizable on Face ID. The other potential major design change would be a move to USB-C for charging. The EU mandated the move to USB-C by 2024, and while some have projected Apple going to an entirely wireless design rather than using USB-C, that still doesn’t seem feasible. Apple would need to include a MagSafe charger in the box, and while wired data transfer isn’t incredibly common anymore, it is relevant for service and for the professional videographers that Apple likes to court with its class-leading video performance. Otherwise, the current leaks suggest that the basic squared-off redesign that the iPhone 12 kicked off will remain through the iPhone 15. That shouldn’t come as a shock; this design has rolled out across Apple’s entire lineup to an overwhelmingly positive response and the company is not known for frequent design shakeups. That goes for the rumored iPhone 15 Ultra model as well, except it may be made out of titanium instead of the usual aluminum or stainless steel. Notable leaker LeaksApplePro claims it will be made out of titanium, which offers a rugged design with improved scratch and corrosion resistance and stronger durability.
iPhone 15 specs
The only spec update of note so far regarding the iPhone 15 is about the A17 Bionic processor. While that name could change, the rumor is that this will mark the move to a 3-nanometer chip for Apple’s A-series processor, which points to a more significant performance bump than a typical year-on-year update. Given that Apple just moved to a 4-nanometer chip with the A16 found in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max this year, the company is moving pretty fast. Projections are for roughly a 10-15% boost to performance, but perhaps more exciting is up to a 30% reduction in power consumption, which, if Apple sticks to at least the same battery sizes, could cement them at the top of the list for the phones with the best battery life.
iPhone 15 cameras
While the updates to the iPhone 14 Pro cameras look pretty good on paper, next year we may finally get an update to the telephoto on the iPhone 15 Pro models to rival the Galaxy S22 Ultra and other Android flagships. Even then, the latest rumors suggest that only the iPhone 15 Pro Max will get a periscope zoom, so going big on the camera may mean going big for your entire iPhone. This is one of the only weaknesses in Apple’s mobile photography compared to Android flagships, so it’s a much-needed upgrade that could put Apple clearly at the top. Apparently, the iPhone 15 Ultra is expected to get a major camera upgrade. According to known tipster Majin Bu on Twitter, an anonymous source claims the iPhone 15 Ultra will have two front-facing cameras. Having dual-selfie cameras will be a first on an iPhone, but the source doesn’t note what the additional camera could be used for.
iPhone 15 outlook
That’s everything we know so far about the iPhone 15. There are a lot of missing puzzle pieces, but now that the iPhone 14 launch is over the leakers will move on to their next target. While it goes without saying that the iPhone 15 will remain one of the most popular phones on the market, there are a number of incredibly compelling updates here that we have been waiting years for and could win over more converts from Android. Bookmark this page if you want to stay up-to-date on all of the latest leaks and rumors regarding the iPhone 15.
