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| Rumor has it that the Dynamic Island feature will appear on all upcoming iPhone 15 models, not just the Pro. |
The iPhone 15 range certainly won't debut until the autumn of 2023, but there are lots of concerns about what to anticipate from Apple's next-generation phone. Will the iPhone 15 feature a USB-C port? Will Apple boost iPhone pricing in 2023? Will it even be named the "iPhone 15"? No one outside of Apple knows for sure, but the rumor mill will definitely stoke our interest until Apple holds the next iPhone event. Here are some of the largest and most believable rumors we've seen so far, to build a picture of what we may expect from the iPhone 15.
iPhone 15 design: Embracing USB-C charging
The buzziest design speculation so far is the iPhone's charging connector, given the European Union's judgment that iPhones sold in the EU would need to migrate to a USB-C connection by 2024. The issue is whether Apple will transition all iPhone models to USB-C or only those sold in the EU. Apple already adjusts iPhone models geographically, as it has done with the iPhone 14: The US version features an electronic SIM, but other variations maintain the SIM slot.
But Avi Greengart, an analyst at Techsponential, feels Apple has excellent reasons to convert all iPhones to USB-C going ahead. "There are wider ecosystem, security, and accessory implications with the power/data connection, so I believe it is more plausible that Apple transitions all iPhones [globally] to USB-C in the iPhone 16 timeframe to comply with European standards," Greengart added.
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| iPhones have had Lightning ports since the iPhone 5 in 2012. Android phones typically have the slightly larger USB-C. |
iPhone 15 design: Dynamic Island spreads to all models
Apple is expected to continue offering four iPhone models with the iPhone 15 range. Rumors indicate to a broadly identical design across the range, except that the iPhone 14 Pro's shape-shifting cutout, known as Dynamic Island, is anticipated to make its way across all models.
That speculation comes from display expert Ross Young, who also claimed in a September tweet that he's not anticipating basic iPhone 15 models to have a faster refresh rate like Apple's Pro iPhones since the supply chain can't sustain it.
iPhone 15: Solid-state buttons coming to pro iPhone 15 models
Noted Apple watcher Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, anticipates Apple to distinguish more between its basic and Pro models in the coming years. One way he's anticipating it to happen is by providing the iPhone 15 Pro versions solid-state volume and power buttons instead of the normal keys found on today's handsets, he noted in a tweet in October.
The solid-state buttons, which Kuo predicts will be comparable to the home button featured on the iPhone SE and iPhone 7, simulate the sense of pushing a button with the use of haptic feedback. The apparent benefit of this style of button is that it also guards against water getting through.
iPhone 15 camera: Periscope-style telephoto lens appears
Yet another Kuo forecast has been making the rounds, but this time it's regarding the iPhone 15's camera. The expert expects that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a periscope-style telephoto lens. This style of telephoto lens enables for greater optical zoom capabilities, with Kuo projecting a 6x optical zoom might emerge with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The optical zoom of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is restricted to 3x, which behind competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's 10x optical zoom.
iPhone 15 price: Up, up and away?
Prices have substantially grown since the initial iPhone came in 2007. And it may happen again in 2023 with the iPhone 15, although not in the manner you would imagine. The pricing of the ordinary iPhone 15 is presently likely to stay the same, according to experts who previously talked with CNET.
However, the highest limit of the pricing range might be pushed further if speculations of a luxury iPhone 15 Ultra turn out to be genuine. The anticipated Ultra model may possibly replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max next year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. This fits in line with forecasts from Kuo, who expects Apple to differentiate more between the iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max models. US pricing presently vary from $829 for the entry-level iPhone 14 model (128GB) all the way up to $1,599 for the highest-end iPhone 14 Pro Max with 1TB of storage.
iPhone 15: Launch and release chronology
Apple has its annual iPhone event in September practically every year, so we'd anticipate the timing to stay the same for the iPhone 15. New iPhones often get launched soon afterwards, usually the Friday of the next week. Sometimes Apple may stagger release dates for certain models, especially when introducing a new style or size. So it's feasible that the iPhone 15 series will have more than one release date.
Here's what we know:
- Apple prefers to have its events on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Apple's iPhone 14 event was held on Wednesday Sept. 7, while its iPhone 13 event was held on Tuesday, Sept. 14.
- iPhone release dates are normally a week and a half following Apple's announcements.
- In usually, new iPhones are introduced on a Friday, during the third week of September. For the iPhone 13, preorders started Sept. 17 and the phones launched on sale Sept. 24.
Looking for more iPhone advice? Check out our iPhone upgrading guide, our list of the greatest iPhones and our collection of the finest covers for your iPhone 14 or 14 Pro.