IPhone 15 Pro is coming, here’s how it will be in advance. The time is approaching when the new Phone will be presented. We are talking about the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 that we could define as standard. In this article we will focus on the iPhone 15 Pro which could (conditionally as we explain below) have two models: iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Max.
Apple Vision Pro will receive 1 TB of internal memory
How many iPhone 15 Pros?
Let’s start right from the assortment in the range. The most accredited hypothesis, as mentioned above, is the continuation of the current offer: Apple should therefore present two iPhone 15 Pros. The first with a 6.1-inch screen size and the second with a 6.7-inch diagonal. This scenario would assume that the iPhone 15 will split like the iPhone 14 Pro today, into iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Ultra
In reality there is also the hypothesis of a change of strategy and that with a view to increasing the distinction between products could lead to the launch of an iPhone 15 Ultra.
At this moment, those who elaborate this forecast say they are uncertain whether this product will be additional to the Pro range, therefore adding up to two iPhones (iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max) or ending up replacing the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
At the moment the thesis that is most popular is that if there is an iPhone 15 Ultra, this will replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max, a bit like the iPhone 14 Plus has taken the place of the iPhone mini.
Aesthetics, design and colors
More converging forecasts focus on the aesthetic factor. At the moment, all the rumors suggest that the iPhone 15 Pro series will be aesthetically similar to the current iPhone 14 Pro models but it will not be unrecognizable as it is when comparing the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro.
First of all, there will be differences in materials. In particular, the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to have titanium edges and a more curved back instead of the current squared design. This change would make iPhone look closer to the current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro lineup.
To make the look of the new iPhone further different, a reduction in the size of the edges around the display (of this something further below) and a greater roundness of the edges would also contribute.
The internal components, different due to processors, connection system (of which we say below), technologies used and assembly system, will influence the positions of some elements such as the keys. So the cases will be different as demonstrated by some prototypes that have been seen in circulation in China.
For colors, an ancient rumor concerns the dark red tint. The hexadecimal value (parameter that defines the R, G and B components of the color) is also known: #410D0D, indicated as “Dark Sienna”. The current colors would remain, perhaps with new nuances: black, silver, gold.
In addition to rumors concerning the dark red colour, recent hypotheses have also been circulated regarding a blue-grey colour.
This tint would not be an absolute novelty. In the past there has already been a blue iPhone, it was the iPhone 12 Pro. Here, however, according to sources compared to the iPhone of two years ago, there would be less blue and more gray.
The news in the keys
The scenario on the device controls is interesting, from which a couple of technical and functional innovations could come.
Solid state keys
One of the most popular hypotheses until the beginning of spring (but the rumors about it are years old) is that the iPhone 15 Pro would have lost the electromechanical texts. In their place will arrive, it has been said for many weeks, solid-state buttons for on – off and volume. This would have been reported by an Apple supplier, confirming what Ming Chi Kuo assumed from the month of October.
In particular, the rumor referred to components required for solid-state buttons. The solution would not have been new: at the launch of the iPhone 7, Apple had replaced the electromechanical key for recalling the home with a capacitive one that responded to touch with a vibration that simulated a click.
Today it is still used on the iPhone SE whose home button, albeit without moving mechanical parts, returns the sensation of pressure via the Taptic Engine; the same goes for the solid-state trackpad on later-generation MacBooks.
We write “keys” but in reality we should write “key” because based on the information that has spread (and some renderings) the component would have been single and would have behaved differently, volume up or volume down, depending on whether it had been pressed by one side or the other.
Today, however, all the excitement about this daring and technologically complex (just think that Apple would have to use components capable of responding to some commands even with the phone off and without battery charge), has calmed down because in mid-April the same analyst Ming Chi Kuo, the main source of the rumors about the iPhone 15 with capacitive keys, has greatly reduced his certainties in this regard. Due to technical and supply problems, Apple would have in fact decided to stay with the current system with mechanical keys.
The solid-state keys would therefore be deferred to the near future when they could also appear on the iPad.
The action key
However, a second rumor on the keys continues to survive: the cancellation of the lever to silence the ringtone. In its place, a key would appear which according to rumors should be multifunctional and programmable, therefore conceptually capable of performing the function of the action key of the Apple Watch Ultra.
By replacing the lever to mute the phone, the action key can be used to mute the phone but the user can also reconfigure it as desired
Inside one of the iOS 17 beta details have emerged in this regard. We know that we could activate, for example: do not disturb, flashlight, power saving mode, screen rotation lock, show Home screen or lock screen, open Notification Center and many, many more.
The same button would work to restart the phone.
iPhone 15 Pro processor and RAM
It is widely expected that the Apple A17 Bionic chip will manage the iPhone 15 Pro. It is a processor that should be made with 3-nanometer technology, which will guarantee greater performance and lower energy expenditure.
In particular, the Apple A17 is expected to offer a performance improvement of between 10-15%, while the reduction in energy consumption could reach up to 30%, again compared to the previous generation. The presence of an additional GPU core suggests a significant leap in graphics performance as well.
Alongside the A17 there will also be the Qualcomm X70 chip, capable of improving artificial intelligence for higher data processing speed, better data signal coverage and lower latency.
Despite the leap forward with the A17 chip, the RAM memory technology is expected to remain the same as that of the current models, so there will be the same LPDDR RAM as the iPhone 14 Pro.
However, the memory capacity should grow. According to the analyst firm TrendForce, Apple will increase the RAM to 8 GB, compared to the 6 GB installed in the iPhone 14 Pro. By increasing the RAM memory, multitasking performance improves and the opening times of apps running in the background are significantly reduced.
iPhone 15 Pro screen
The first indiscretion on the iPhone 15 Pro screens dates back to a year ago, so it should be taken with a grain of salt. Moreover, it only concerned the manufacturers: apparently Apple wants to reduce its dependence on Samsung, so that it will not be only the South Korean giant that will take care of the production of the Pro Motion displays that will be installed on the iPhone 15 Pro.
Then we learned that this year Apple may update the iPhone 15 Pro Max screen to make it even brighter; currently the iPhone 14 Pro Max can reach 2,000 nits peak, but the new rumors circulating around this topic seem to suggest that its successor could reach 2,500 nits of brightness.
Still speaking of the screen, we will still have an adaptive refresh rate at 120 Hz and OLED technology will remain (waiting for the micro-LEDs that would allow Apple to completely disengage from Samsung) and obviously Dynamic Island.
The thin bezels
The main novelty of the iPhone 15 Pro, at least as regards the iPhone 15 Pro Max, would be in the very small frames, the thinnest of any other phone in production.
Currently the record for thinnest smartphone bezels is held in the Android world by Xiaomi 13 with 1.61mm at the top of the screen and 1.81mm at the bottom
iPhone 15 Pro Max will do better with bezels just 1.55mm thick. This value will therefore be lower than the 2.17mm of the iPhone 14 Pro frames, and also compared to the 1.95mm of the Galaxy S22 and S23.
The thinner display with reduced bezels will be made possible by a technology called Lipo, already used for Apple Watch. This screen would be causing some production problems and could force Apple to hold down, at least initially, the production of new models or even delay the launch.
Touch ID, no thanks
In the past there had been rumors that a Touch ID button could return to upcoming iPhone models. In reality, all the most important rumors point in the opposite direction: iPhone 15 Pro will not have Touch ID. All biometric identification technology will then still be based on Face ID as it is today
USB-C instead of Lightning
One of the biggest news of the iPhone 15 Pro would be the cancellation of the historic Lightning port replaced by the standard USB-C.
Despite the compatibility and performance advantages of the USB-C port over the proprietary one, Apple would have done without changing the technology. But as is known, the European Union has given final approval to the common directive on the single or universal USB-C charger and in fact has imposed it on Apple, which, although recalcitrant, will eventually be forced to comply.
Despite Apple’s reluctance, an iPhone with a USB-C port for customers would be an advantage from a technical point of view primarily for the speed of battery recovery.
The latest rumors in this regard point to a considerable charging speed of 35W. What 35W charging might mean in practice isn’t easy to say though.
We can be sure that the charging time of an iPhone with a USB-C port will not be half an hour like that of some Android models. But it is conceivable that an iPhone 15 Pro will do significantly better than an iPhone 14 Pro which still requires two and a half hours to be recharged today.
Another advantage would be the increase in data transfer speed and cable synchronization. A USB-C port would be able to reach 40 Gbps, exceeding the current anachronistic limit of 480 Mbps.
The limitation of the USB-C port
However, Apple as a backlash could decide to limit this port, making it a little less standard. The USB-C port of the future iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, as well as the related charging cables (USB-C to USB-C) integrating an authentication chip, along the lines of what has already been done with the Lightning connector, could open all their potential only to certified devices.
Apple, for example, could allow fast charging only when using specific cables or specific chargers, or limit performance in data transfer speeds. A reissue of accessories certified as Made for iPhone MFi would then be implemented. The reason? Control the ecosystem and profit from licensing the use of chips.
However, Apple will have to watch its back on this move which could backfire. In fact, the European Union with a letter from Thierry Breton – European commissioner for the internal market and commission services – has already warned Apple not to apply it. The letter underlines that limitations in the functionality of USB-C cables are not permitted and would prevent iPhones from being sold in Europe once the law comes into force.
Cameras
Apple’s plans for the iPhone 15 of 2023 provide even more differentiation between base and Pro models, with exclusive top specifications reserved for the flagship models, not only for processor and RAM memory, but also for lenses and cameras.
Periscope zoom
Kuo specifically says that Apple will employ a periscope lens system for the first time. This solution should bring the optical zoom up to 5x or even 6X, with a leap also for digital magnification although the function is destined to be present only on the iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra).
Limiting the zoom to the largest of devices is a forced choice (assumed since last summer), determined by the availability of internal space for the new hardware that is sufficient only in the larger phone. Periscope zoom will also lead to rearrangement of the camera module, shifting the lenses.
The (not) new sensor
A debate arose around the sensor. It is practically certain that Apple will not increase the resolution of the sensor, copying some competitors, and that we will have a new Sony IMX903 which has an optical format of 1/1.14 inches, therefore very close in size to the sensor that Honor uses on its Magic5 Pro, very praised by DxOMark.
The problem, speaking of iPhone 15 Pro, is that this component, superior to Samsung’s HP2, capable of extraordinary performance in terms of ability to capture light and saturation signal in every pixel and a formidable ability to perfectly adjust the light , capable of natively supporting 14-bit RAW shooting, could only be used for iPhone 15.
Apple would be forced into this move by problems on the processor production chain which would have a low yield. Hence the choice not to put the chip on the Pro model.
It must be said that the image quality does not depend exclusively on the type of sensor but on various other factors. For example, it seems that even if the new sensor of the iPhone 15 will be larger and of higher quality than that of the iPhone 14, it will still be smaller than that of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro and a larger sensor captures more light.
In addition to this, lenses and software must be put on the plate as well as the processor. In this regard, as explained, iPhone 15 Pro will have the A17 processor which could have extraordinary qualities, while iPhone 15 could be updated to A16 which is nothing more than a slightly modified A15.
Connection
According to a “leaker” who can boast the correctness of some rumors that have proved to be accurate in the past, Apple will offer Wi-Fi 6E on the iPhone 15 Pro with SoC A17 but not on the iPhone 15.
iPhone 15 Pro prices
iPhone 14 Pro starts at 1339 euros for the 6.1-inch model and 1489 for the Max model. According to the latest rumors on Weibo, the iPhone 15 Pro line should be more expensive in various aspects.
Firstly for inflation which hasn’t stopped yet and then the costs of the components. The 3 nanometer processor and titanium chassis are more expensive than the current ones. It remains to be understood how much this will affect the final price.
But if the increase in the USA seems almost certain, it remains to be understood what will happen in our latitudes. In the US, Apple did not raise the price of its phones last year while it made them more expensive in Europe. This had been due to the dollar exchange regime. Today the dollar is about 10% cheaper than last year, so it should be said that Apple has the room to keep the price unchanged in Europe.
Certainly if there is an Ultra version of the iPhone 15 Pro this could certainly cost significantly more. How difficult it is to say but the horizon of 2500 euros for versions with 2 TB of memory may not be too distant.
One thing is for sure: Apple needs to weigh the moves very carefully on the pricing front. According to some market observers, public interest in smartphones, including the iPhone, as a result of the slowdown in innovations is no longer as high as it used to be. Raising the cost for the second time in two years of a product that is no longer considered at the top of the wish list could be very risky.
iPhone 15 Pro release date
The release date has not yet been announced, but the presentation date should now be set for September 12th. During this event, the date of real availability in stores of the device will also be announced. But if everything happens in the tradition, we can think that the new model will be in stores on September 22nd.