We’re fully into 2023 now, which can only mean one thing: even more iPhone 15 rumors. With Apple’s next yearly upgrade nine months away, we’re seeing more leaks and analyst reports on what to expect from the next generation. Most of these have been corroborated from various independent sources, so while we’d still advice taking these reports with a pinch of salt, they’re fairly likely to have truth to them. Let’s take a look.
Firstly, it’s worth noting that most of the cool new features this year are predicted to be iPhone 15 Pro exclusives. Apple wants to further differentiate its standard and Pro models, with the iPhone 15 expected to inherit many of the specs from last year’s 14 Pro, while the 15 Pro gets the shiny new things. That means the standard iPhone 15 is likely to come with an A16 Bionic chip and the impressive 48MP camera system currently available in the iPhone 14 Pro models.
USB-C
One thing the two models will have in common – according to these reports, anyway – is the addition of USB-C as a replacement to the Lightning port. EU regulations make the switch somewhat inevitable, although according to the letter of the law Apple could probably get away with waiting until the iPhone 16 to make the change, or release a Europe-only variant. But it’s expected Apple will bite the bullet and switch to the better and more convenient USB-C this year for all iPhones.
Titanium
iPhone 15 Pro (and Pro Max) are said to be making the switch from stainless steel to titanium, a metal that’s lighter, tougher, and has a more “premium” feel. Apple already uses a titanium casing for the pro-level Apple Watch Ultra, and people seem to love it.
Periscope
The Pro level iPhones are also expected to implement a “periscope” camera system, offering improved optical zoom levels. Various other smartphone makers have had a crack at this already, but it will be very interesting to see how Apple approaches it from a technical standpoint. It’s unlikely Apple will improve the resolution any further than the whopping 48MP it already offers.
A17 Bionic
It’s no surprise that this year’s iPhone 15 Pro will upgrade last year’s A16 Bionic chip to a – you guessed it – A17 Bionic. These processing chips have been so impressive for so long, and we expect another round of iterative improvements the average user will probably never really notice. But for the tech nerds out there, it’s worth noting that this may be the only smartphone this year to rock a 3-nanometer chip.
No buttons
Finally, and probably most controversially, leakers expect Apple to drop the physical buttons on iPhone 15 Pro in favor of digital buttons supported by haptic feedback. This means no more protruding power or volume buttons, which certainly raises the question of how to force restart the device if it freezes. Hopefully Apple has a few smart answers up its sleeves – certainly the haptic Home buttons and haptic Force Touch trackpads it makes are pretty good.