Half a year has passed since the iPhone 14 hit shelves, meaning we could be as little as six months away from an iPhone 15 announcement. Here’s everything we know about the iPhone 15 so far.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro impressed us in our reviews, even if they didn’t represent a monumental change for either line when compared with the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. Despite the rather minor updates, the iPhone 14 series still delivered an excellent all-around experience, including a versatile camera system, an excellent battery life and some clever new safety features.
The Pro model also introduced the Dynamic Island, with Apple finally taking a step to modernise its dated notch design.
The similarities between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 have also left us excited to see what Apple has in store for 2023. It seems iOS fans are long overdue a big update, meaning the iPhone 15 could launch with a variety of new design details and features.
The leaks and rumours have already begun rolling in, so we’ll be covering all of the ones we think are reputable in this guide. Keep reading to discover everything that could be in store for the iPhone 15.
When will the iPhone 15 be released?
iPhones follow a fairly predictable launch schedule, with the new one appearing every year in the early autumn. Don’t just take my word for it; the list below shows the announcement dates for all recent mainline iPhones:
Disregarding the later launch in 2020 – likely due to Covid manufacturing complications – it seems that Apple favours a mid- to late-September launch, though there’s nothing certain just yet.
The good news is that all seems to be going well for this year’s range with a report from mid-January 2023 claiming that the iPhone 15 is already in trial production at Foxconn and China, giving Apple and manufacturers plenty of time to iron out any issues before release later this year.
How much will the iPhone 15 cost?
While the iPhone 14’s price remained the same in its home market of the US ($799 for the base model, rising to as much as $1,099 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max), we weren’t quite so lucky here in the UK. British customers got hit with a £70 price increase from the iPhone 13, with the iPhone 14 starting from £849.
The bad news is that the same may happen with the iPhone 15, though the price hike may be exclusive to the allegedly rebranded iPhone 15 Ultra with one leaker suggesting that the phone could start at a boosted $1,299 in the US, which translates to around £1,429 in the UK, though nothing is set in stone just yet.
What’s more concerning is that Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that fans may be willing to pay even more for premium models during a recent earnings call. “I think people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in that category,” Cook said while discussing the average iPhone sale price.
Let’s just hope that doesn’t include the entry-level flagship models, right?
With all that in mind, prepare yourselves for a possible price hike when the iPhone 15 makes an appearance later this year.
What to expect from the iPhone 15
Refreshed design
The design of the iPhone has practically stayed the same since the release of the iPhone 12. As a fan of the angular, industrial design, I’m personally not too disappointed by that, but there are plenty of fans that do want something new.
Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. The iPhone 15 is expected to look just like other recent entries in the iPhone series, BUT, with a tweaked design that should make it a little curvier.
The rumour originated via leaker ShrimpApplePro who claimed on Twitter that the back edges of the iPhone 15 will be rounded, allowing the frame to curve into the rear of the phone that “will create a really beautiful edge transition from the back to the camera bump”.
Even the leaker admitted it was early days and to “take it as it is”, though leaked CAD renders that did the rounds in early 2023 seem to point towards a slightly more curved rear. If anything, it’ll make the iPhone 15 sit more comfortably in the hands than previous models.
Leaked designs (via 9to5Mac) also show that the individual camera lenses have doubled in size from the iPhone 14. The renders below show that the lenses protrude less than the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s, suggesting that it could sport a new periscope zoom lens.
This is backed up further by the rendered images from 3D artist Ian Zelbo (via Twitter). However, the render below does show a large rear camera hump that is almost as thick as the phone itself, meaning that there is still some speculation on what size it will actually be at launch. There is also some possibility that the periscope lens may be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models, which may be why there are some inconsistencies in the size of the rear cameras.
On the plus side, more renders from Ian Zelbo (via Twitter) show that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has very thin bezels, with leakers claiming that it measures in at just 1.55mm. These renders also show some softened corners as well as a single flat volume strip instead of the two volume buttons that we are all familiar with. There is also a pill-shaped Action button that has been slated to replace the Mute button, with suggestions that the functions of which will be customisable within the Settings.
Dynamic Island
While the new Dynamic Island tech is currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, that’s set to change with the release of the iPhone 15.
According to display industry insider Ross Young – who has an impressive track record with display-related predictions – Apple intends to bring the Dynamic Island tech to the entire iPhone 15 range later this year. Replying to a tweet in September 2022, Young states that “Dynamic Island expected on standard models on the 15,”.
It’s worth noting that notable Apple leaker Mark Gurman has agreed with Young’s prediction in a January 2023 edition of his Power Up! Newsletter, and the Dynamic Island made an appearance on the leaked CAD renders too, all but confirming the upgrade to the iPhone 15’s display tech later this year. See you later, notch!
Sadly, it doesn’t sound as though the iPhone 15 will be getting the same treatment when it comes to the ProMotion and always-on display features, both of which are expected to remain Pro model exclusives. This is according to a tipster over on South Korea’s Naver Blog.
That’s despite many mid-range phones from competitors already offering 120Hz refresh rates and always-on displays as standard.
The long-awaited switch to USB-C
This one has been a long time coming, and it seems like Apple is finally about to transition from Lightning to USB-C with the iPhone 15 – though not through its own choice.
It all comes down to a new EU law that requires smartphone makers to switch to USB-C by 27 December 2024, and while that could mean Apple could squeeze out an additional year out of Lightning connectivity, all leaks and renders thus far all point towards it happening with the iPhone 15.
That’s great news for consumers as USB-C provides not only faster charge speeds but faster data transfer than the ageing Lightning standard, though online whispers do suggest that Apple could do the typical Apple thing and limit the fastest data transfer speeds to the Pro models, while the standard iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will have artificially stunted USB 2.0 speeds – the same as Lightning.
Hey, at least you’ll be able to charge your iPhone with the widely used USB-C cable, right?
More power
This one is a bit of a given as every single generation of iPhone has boasted a new processor in a bid to keep its lead compared to the Android competition, and we expect the iPhone 15 to offer the same – however, it won’t be available on all models.
With the release of the iPhone 14 Apple changed processor tactics; rather than adding the new A16 Bionic chipset to the entire range, it was exclusive to the top-end Pro models while the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus got the year-old A15 Bionic chipset, though admittedly the boosted variant available in the 13 Pro models.
With that in mind, it’s highly likely that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will boast the (still exceptional) A16 Bionic chipset used in the current iPhone 14 Pro models, while the next-gen A17 Bionic will likely be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max/Ultra models.
Digitimes reported that the A17 Bionic chip will bring a 35% power efficiency improvement over the existing A16 chip, suggesting that it will be a lot more powerful than all the iPhones that have come before it.
Moreover, Taiwanese research from the firm TrendForce claimed that the iPhone 15 Pro models will come with an increased 8GB of RAM, with the standard models likely keeping the same 6GB RAM as previous models. Additional RAM will provide quicker load-up times when opening and reopening apps and will be ideal for those looking to game.
The upgrade to the faster Wi-Fi 6E for improved connectivity on Wi-Fi 6E networks is also said to be in the works for the iPhone 15, though sources are yet to confirm whether it’ll be exclusive to the Pro models.
Improved camera technology
While there are rumours circulating about the possibility of a periscope lens on an iPhone, the rumours are focused on the Pro (or even Ultra) models of the iPhone 15.
Not much has been said about camera improvements for the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. I’m sure many are hoping that it’ll get the same upgrade to a 48MP main camera as last year’s Pro models, but I’m not sure that’ll happen – Apple wants the ‘pro’ photographers to opt for the more expensive models, after all.
That’s not to say that the iPhone 15 won’t boast any camera improvements though. In fact, rumours suggest that Apple could be working with Sony in a bid to finally eliminate the over- and under-exposure of images taken on smartphones.
Nikkei sources have detailed information on the new sensor, which will also allegedly offer better portrait photography, even with strong light in the background. The report says this is largely down to a new architecture that allows the sensor to essentially double the saturation signal level within each pixel and capture more light.
TomsGuide suggests that the iPhone 15 could boast a periscope camera (as seen in the previous renders) that are better equipped to take on long-range photography and zoom capabilities. Our best Android phones commonly include these lenses, and it could boost the iPhone 15 to the top of our best cameraphone list.
The Pro models look to have even more features, which is a common technique from Apple. Kuo (via Twitter) stated that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could exclusively utilise the periscope lens, meaning that the previous camera renders may only apply to the Pro models. Moreover, Kuo (via Twitter) also mentioned not to expect a new 8P, or eight-element lens on the iPhone 15 Pro camera, with it allegedly sticking with a 7P lens.
Lastly, there have been many rumours surrounding a LiDAR sensor on the Pro models, (via TomsGuide) with Apple reportedly moving suppliers for the AR/portrait mode auxiliary sensors over to Sony. This should provide better performance for those specific camera modes as well as Night modes.
Solid state buttons
One rumour we’ve seen pop up time and time again for the iPhone 15 Pro is that the phone will feature solid-state buttons that deliver haptic feedback as opposed to the physical click offered by the regular buttons that currently adorn the sides of the phone.
This includes swapping the mute switch for a “pressing type” mute button that might be capacitive in a similar way to the home button on the iPhone SE (via 9to5Mac). Renders of this mute button were later leaked on Douyin by user chenwen1987 (via NotebookCheck). You can still see the images in the tweet below:
According to a post on MacRumors’ forums, the iPhone 15 Pro will actually be fitted with a dedicated ultra-low energy microprocessor that allows the sold state buttons to continue to function even without power. The new microprocessor will also reportedly take over running the current super-low energy mode which allows the phone to be located through the Find My app up to 24 hours after it runs out of power.
While the latest addition is currently just a rumour shared on the forum, it is, apparently, from the same source that provided accurate information about the Dynamic Island ahead of the iPhone 14 Pro launch, giving us reason to consider the possibility. That being said, leaks and rumours should always be taken with a grain of salt as they can often be completely off base.
No SIM tray in the UK
Finally, it’s rumoured that the iPhone 15 will lose its SIM tray in the UK. This wouldn’t be a huge shock, as the SIM slot was removed from US versions of the iPhone 14 last year as Apple chose to make the transition to an eSIM-only approach.
Now, according to French website iGeneration, the French A2890 model could be next. That’s the same version sold in the UK and other European countries.
The eSIM format is currently supported by big names like EE, O2, Vodafone and Virgin Media. Hopefully, more budget networks will introduce eSIM support ahead of the announcement later this year.
The Trusted Take
There are almost too many rumours about the iPhone 15 lineup, which suggests to me that it will be brimming with new features, even if we don’t know about them yet. The addition of a brand-new Apple Silicon A17 chipset should provide even more power, although I wouldn’t be too surprised if the entry-level models stuck with the current-generation A16 chip, in the same vein as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.
I’m personally very excited to finally own an iPhone with a USB-C port and I’m thrilled to see Apple finally making this change, even if it has been forced upon them. I am warier of the solid-state Action button, as after many years of using an iPhone I think it will take a while to unlearn my muscle memory response to wanting to mute my phone, and it could be even trickier for anyone worried about accessibility.
But all in all, the iPhone 15 lineup looks to be a very promising addition to the family and even if the design choices aren’t to everyone’s liking, we can all – hopefully – at least rely on Apple to make some monumental leaps in terms of performance power.
