The iPhone 15 might still be far out in the future, but with Apple preparing for big changes, we are already seeing substantial leaks and rumors about the 15 series.
So what will be new in the iPhone 15 and when is it coming? Well, the timing is the same as always! The iPhone 15 family is due in the fall of 2023, and we expect to see four models, very similar in look and feel to the previous generation, but with some important changes on the inside.
It is possible that all four models will also come with a new USB-C type connector that will replace the Lightning port that Apple has been using for nearly a decade. That happens to be the same connector most other gadgets in the world use these days, so it might actually help reduce clutter in your drawer. The other exciting new upgrade that might only arrive to the Pro models is a new periscope zoom lens, plus all models are expected to get a bump in performance speeds.
Latest iPhone 15 news
iPhone 15 release date
Apple follows a strict schedule that hasn’t changed in years: new iPhones always get announced in early September and arrive on a Friday, a week and a half after the event.
We expect Apple to stay this course with the iPhone 15 release date, and based on this, we can predict the announcement to happen on Tue, Sept 12th, with an in-store release on Fri, Sept 22nd.
Keep in mind that it is way, way too early for those events, and the dates you see are based simply on calculations and Apple’s strict adherence to a yearly schedule.
| Device family | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 13 series | Sept 14, 2021 | Sept 24, 2021 |
| Apple iPhone 14 series | Sept 13, 2022* | Sept 23, 2022* |
| Apple iPhone 15 series | Sept 12, 2023** | Sept 22, 2023** |
* – probable dates
iPhone 15 price
While we know quite a few details around the iPhone 15 new features, we don’t yet have any leaked information about possible prices, and frankly, with the current inflation that would be a bit hard to predict early.
Still, if we had to guess-wish, we would say that Apple may stick with the same prices as on the previous generation models.
| iPhone model | 128GB storage | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 14 |
$799* | $899* | $999* | – |
| iPhone 14 Max |
$899* | $999* | $1099* | – |
| iPhone 14 Pro |
$1099* | $1199* | $1399* | $1599* |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max |
$1199* | $1299 | $1499* | $1699* |
| iPhone 15 | $799* | $899* | $999* | – |
| iPhone 15 Max | $899* | $999* | $1099* | – |
| iPhone 15 Pro | $1099* | $1199* | $1399* | $1599* |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | $1199* | $1299 | $1499* | $1699* |
* – anticipated prices
iPhone 15 name
Media and leaks all refer to the yet unreleased 2023 iPhone series as “iPhone 15”.
This is very likely to be the final name since in the last few years we have seen Apple shy away from using S extensions, so an iPhone 14S seems very unlikely.
So the four model names of the iPhone 15 series are expected to be as follows:
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Max
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
Nice and simple, isn’t it?
iPhone 15 camera
Leaks so far agree that the iPhone 15 and 15 Max models will stick with two cameras on the back, while the camera system on the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max remains unclear.
One thing we do know is that there is a very high chance that the Pro Max model will get a 5X periscope style zoom camera. We don’t know whether that camera will replace the currently used 3X zoom lens, or whether it will come as an additional (fourth) rear camera.
| Camera | Specs |
|---|---|
| Wide camera (all iPhone 15 models) | 12MP on 15 and 15 Max 48MP on 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max |
| Ultra-wide (all iPhone 15 models) | 12MP, f/2.4 on 15 and 15 Max 12MP, f/1.8 on 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max |
| Telephoto (only 15 Pro models) | 12MP, f/2.8, 3X zoom |
| Telephoto #2 (only 15 Pro Max) | 5X zoom |
| Front camera (all iPhone 15 models) | 12MP, f/1.9, auto-focus |
*based on early leaks and rumors.
Last we heard, reports claimed Lante Optics, one of the companies that is rumored to supply Apple with the zoom lens, continues raising its capacity for the prism required to make this lens. In those same reports, analysts were not sure whether the periscope lens will arrive exclusively to the iPhone 15 Pro Max model, or if the smaller 15 Pro model might get it too.
iPhone 15 storage
After Apple increased the base storage of even non-Pro iPhones to 128GB in the 13 series, we don’t expect any big changes to storage capacity in the next few years.
This means that the iPhone 15 and 15 Max are expected to start with 128GB storage, while the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max might get 256GB for the base model.
iPhone 15 / 15 Max storage capacity:
iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max storage capacity:
iPhone 15 design
So far, we have seen no early drawings or renderings of the iPhone 15 series, but the elephant in the room has got to be the possible switch to a USB-C port from Lightning.
Apple for years resisted using a USB-C port on iPhone, despite betting on a USB-C port for its iPads and Macbooks, but new regulation from the European Commission might finally force it to make the switch. This would mean that users will need to get new cables and throw away their Lightning cables, which might be annoying in the short term. However, we believe, that in the long term this will work out great as most gadgets these days use a USB-C port, so you won’t need to worry about getting different cables for your trips, it will all be nicely unified.
iPhone 15 display
Apple seems to have found the sweet spot for screen sizes and we don’t expect it to do any major changes, so you will have a 6.1-inch screen size on the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro, and then a 6.7-inch screen on the iPhone 15 Max and 15 Pro Max. All four models will use OLED screens, but some slight differences in the peak brightness will probably remain to give the Pro models a bit of an advantage.
The big question is around ProMotion. This technology was previously only available on the Pro models, and we are yet to hear whether Apple might change this in the 15 series, but we remain skeptical on that.
We know many people throw ideas about invisible, under-screen cameras that would help the screen feel like a truly edge-to-edge thing. Apple is surely looking into that technology, but it might be a bit too early for the company to implement it at scale in the 15 series.
iPhone 15 processor and specs
While we already mentioned the divide between the iPhone 15 non-Pro models that might get a slower chip, and the Pro versions with a faster, Apple A17 Bionic chip, there is one thing that all four models might share: the modem.
Apple has had a legal dispute with Qualcomm and it has been eager to switch away from its modems. However, this might finally happen in the iPhone 15, after years of development.
Qualcomm CFO is on the record saying that in 2023, its company is expected to provide only 20% of Apple modem chips. Currently, we don’t know much about Apple’s own modem chips, but we will keep you posted when details surface.
iPhone 15 battery
Apple rarely makes huge changes, so that is why it is very reasonable to expect battery sizes in the iPhone 15 family will be similar to the iPhone 14, which in turn will be similar to the iPhone 13 series.
The short of it is that you can probably expect two day battery life out of the Max and Pro Max models, but one day battery out of the smaller iPhones.
| Model | Battery capacity iPhone 15 series |
Battery capacity iPhone 14 series |
|---|---|---|
| regular | 3,227mAh* | 3,227mAh* |
| Max | ? | ? |
| Pro | 3,095mAh* | 3,095mAh* |
| Pro Max | 4,352mAh* | 4,352mAh* |
*projections based on iPhone 13 battery sizes.
Will Apple increase charging speeds with the advent of USB-C charging on the iPhone? We don’t have high hopes, but it’s reasonable to expect around 25W charging speeds on the smaller models, and 30W charging for the two larger models.
All four iPhone 15 models are also expected to have MagSafe wireless charging, the magnetic charging solution by Apple that can be quite convenient.
iPhone 15 features and software
The iPhone 14 family marks the first time we see Apple use different processors for its Pro and non-Pro models, basically reserving the new chips for the more expensive Pro series.
We expect this trend to continue in the iPhone 15 series too, but that will depend on the complicated processor manufacturing environment. For example, in 2022, TSMC kicked off 3nm production that could be used in the Apple A17 Bionic, but it’s way too early to tell how this will scale.
So far, it’s a bit early for more here, but we will be updating this section with new information as it comes in.
Should I wait for iPhone 15?
- You should wait for iPhone 15 if you are excited about USB-C. Using just one cable for all of your devices sounds genuinely exciting. Photo enthusiasts should also save up for the Pro Max model as that periscope lens might be a game-changer for photography and videography.
- You should not wait for iPhone 15 if you don’t want to wait! The iPhone 15 launches in 2023! There are plenty of capable phones around, and you probably shouldn’t expect massive leaps in performance speed or charging either.
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