Time doesn’t stop for anyone, so we’re already looking towards the iPhone 15, even though the iPhone 14 has only just been unveiled.
The iPhone 15 is likely to arrive in late 2023, unless Apple uses a wildcard by using the name “14S” or something similar. However, this seems unlikely as we’ve already heard leaks and rumors calling for an iPhone 15.
Yes, that’s right – pre-release information about the upcoming iPhone is here, so far in advance. This is not a total surprise as Apple leaks sometimes take place years before a product is launched.
To give you a (very early) idea of what the upcoming phone – as well as its sibling family – will look like, we’ve rounded up all the news, rumors and predictions here. Expect to see this article many updates between late 2022 and September 2023
To the point
- What is this? Apple smartphone generation 2023
- when is it coming out? Probably September 2023
- How much does it cost? Possible price increase over the iPhone 14
iPhone 15 release date
We haven’t heard any rumors about an iPhone 15 release date or release date yet, but that’s to be expected – they rarely go more than a month before the launch itself.
For the iPhone 14, the event was on September 7, with three of the four phones going on sale more than a week later on September 16 (and the iPhone 14 Plus on October 7). Apple typically picks the first or second week of September for its launches, and usually picks Tuesday, though it does occasionally pick a Wednesday event.
In 2023, this means that September 5 or 12 are quite likely (both are Tuesdays), although 6 and 13 are also possible.
iPhone 15 price
As for the price, again, we haven’t heard many leaks or rumors, but the iPhone 14 series has shown a slight price increase over its iPhone 13 counterparts. This could happen again in 2023 for the iPhone 15.
For context, while the iPhone 14 family consists of four members, here are the prices of the cheapest and most expensive options:
- iPhone 14 128GB: $799 / £849 / AU$1,399
- iPhone 14 Pro Max 1TB: $1599 / £1749 / AU$2769
This is the full price range of the current range, although of course there are plenty of devices and storage options in between these points.
As for the iPhone 15 lineup, one price rumor points to the iPhone 15 Ultra – a new phone that could land in place of the iPhone 15 Pro Max – starting at $1,199 (probably around £1,309 / AU$2,099 based on typical prices Apple) to Best.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1099 / £1199 / AU$1899, so if accurate, the next model would be at least $100 more expensive.
However, according to a leak, the iPhone 15 Plus may be cheaper than the iPhone 14 Plus. This change would be because the iPhone 14 Plus isn’t selling great. By comparison, the iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899 / £949 / AU$1,579.
iPhone 15 news, rumors and leaks
We’ve heard quite a few rumors about the iPhone 15, though they’ve been around for a very long time, so it’s not entirely clear which are still relevant and which are old.
Some of it seems obvious – one report says Apple is working on a 3nm A17 Bionic chip for the iPhone 15. Given that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max use A16 Bionic, the 17 is one higher than 16, we might have guessed it anyway.
One report goes into more detail, however, saying that the A17 Bionic should be more powerful than the A16 Bionic, which would likely lead to improved battery life.
However, the iPhone 14 used the older A15 Bionic chip, also seen in the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, and another report suggests this new trend – of non-Pro phones using older chipsets – could continue. It’s a claim we’ve heard many times, so in other words, the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus can use the A16 Bionic.
Sticking to the chipsets, it seems likely that Qualcomm will ship a 5G modem again. It looks like the Snapdragon X70 will be chosen, offering better performance than the Snapdragon X65 in the iPhone 14.
As for other specs, we’ve heard predictions that the Pro models will jump to 8GB of RAM with the iPhone 15, and they’ll also feature periscope cameras, which should improve telephoto capabilities.
However, this is not the only possible upgrade for the camera, as another source says that a new Sony sensor will be used, which is state-of-the-art, captures more light than current sensors and avoids overexposed or underexposed shots.
Also, according to analyst Jeff Pu, all four models could have a 48MP main sensor (via 9to5Mac (opens in a new tab)), which would be an improvement on the cheapest two.
We may also see a USB-C port on every iPhone 15 model. The EU has told Apple it needs to add USB-C charging ports to iPhones from 2024, but many fans believe Apple will adopt the charging standard sooner, in 2023 – and at least one leak points in that direction.
We recently heard another reputable source say the entire iPhone 15 lineup will get USB-C, but added that only the Pro models will offer improved data transfer speeds.
The two phones may apparently have data transfer speeds of 20Gbps or 40Gbps, while the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Max are reportedly stuck at the same 480Mbps speeds as current models.
That being said, some fans are hoping Apple won’t ditch its own Lightning port any time soon, even suggesting the company might unveil a completely portless iPhone first.
That looks unlikely, though, as Apple has now confirmed it will switch to USB-C – at least in Europe, although the company hasn’t said whether it will make the switch globally. It also didn’t specify which model will be the first iPhone with USB-C, so it may not be the iPhone 15.
The big feature of the iPhone 14 Pro is “Dynamic Island,” a fancy marketing name for the “punch hole” front camera Apple uses, and a leak suggests non-Pro iPhone 15 models could get it as well.
We’ve also recently heard from other sources that every iPhone 15 model will get a Dynamic Island – but the standard phone and iPhone 15 Plus will still have a 60Hz screen.
However, contradicting Dynamic Island’s claim is the belief of some that the iPhone 15 series may use under-display cameras that sit beneath the phone’s screen to ensure it doesn’t take up display space. However, at TechRadar, we’re not too sure about that.
Over the last few generations of the iPhone, Apple has divided the line into “standard” and “Pro” series, with the latter offering more features than the former; in each range, the only significant difference is the screen size. But with the iPhone 15, the Pro models could be even more broken, as it sounds like “Pro Max” is in development.
A major leak suggests that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will actually be called the iPhone 15 Ultra – after Apple adopts that suffix elsewhere – and will bring additional features over the iPhone 15 Pro.
A key example is the camera department, because while the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to retain the 14 Pro’s telephoto zoom, the iPhone 15 Ultra is rumored to get a periscope lens for even more magnification, possibly around 5x. We’ve heard this a few times already, from various sources, which makes it sound very plausible.
We also heard from Leaker LeaksApplePro (opens in a new tab)that the iPhone 15 Ultra could feature a titanium construction that should be both lighter and stronger than the stainless steel used in the current Pro models.
A similar claim was made by another source, though less specific about which models might use titanium. However, they added that the sides could curve towards the back of the phone on the iPhone 15 lineup, instead of being at right angles like on the iPhone 14.
Apple is still deciding on those curved sides, though according to another source, so there’s a chance they won’t occur.
Another rumor suggests that all four iPhone 15 models will have slightly curved edges – so we can go back to the look of the iPhone 11 – while the Pro and Pro Max (or Ultra) phones will also have thinner bezels.
Also on the design front, the iPhone 15 Pro – and possibly the Ultra as well – could get solid-state volume and power buttons that don’t physically move.