Apple’s ‘Wanderlust’ September 12 event is almost here, and it’s no secret that it’ll bring the new iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. In fact, very little is a secret anymore when it comes to smartphones, iPhone or otherwise, so we already have a good idea of what Apple has in store.
Four New iPhones
Expect four new iPhones – the vanilla iPhone 15 and 15 Plus (here’s what to expect of them), and the two Pros – the smaller iPhone 15 Pro.
Pros vs. Vanilla
The Pros are usually equally capable but different in size. This year, however, the Pro Max is undoubtedly a more advanced phone thanks to its periscope zoom lens.
USB-C Integration
You can thank the European Union, but Apple is finally getting with the times and will put the universal USB-C port on the iPhone.
Faster USB Speeds
It makes sense – most devices are now using USB-C ports, even Apple’s own MacBooks and iPad Pros. At this point, even iPhone owners likely have more USB-C cables lying around than they do Lightning ones. Rumor has it that the 15 Pro and Pro Max could get USB 3.2 speeds and possibly even Thunderbolt support.
New Titanium Frames
The Pro iPhones will use a new titanium alloy for their chassis, instead of the stainless steel they’ve used so far. Titanium has a few benefits over stainless steel – it’s much stronger and crucially, it’s much lighter. However, steel is harder to scratch.
Fresh Colorways
Expect a new dark blue colorway, as well as a lighter silver-grey, a space black, and a natural titanium. It’s possible that we’re not getting a Gold model this year.
Thinner Bezels
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will retain their respective 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, but the screen could be brighter, have more efficient LTPO controllers, and thinner bezels.
Sleek Design
Rumor has it the bezels will shrink from 2.17mm to 1.55mm, which would make the iPhone 15 Pros the phones with the thinnest bezels.
A17 Chip and 8GB of RAM
While the vanilla iPhone 15 models will get last year’s A16 SoC, the Pros will move to the revolutionary A17. It’s the first chipset to be built on a 3nm process and will supply a 10% to 15% bump in processing performance and up to 30% better efficiency.
Enhanced Performance
The A17 will have a 6-core processor and a 6-core GPU, 1 more core than the graphics in the A16 chip. Apple will likely pair the new chip with 8GB of RAM – up from the 14 Pro’s 6GB.
New Ultrawide Camera
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are expected to keep the 48MP IMX803 main camera but get a new 13.4MP f/2.2 ultrawide with a superior 7p lens.
Improved Photography
The iPhone 15 Pro is expected to keep the 12.7MP f/2.8 3x zoom from last year but bump the image quality through software tweaks.
Periscope Zoom for the Pro Max
The key difference between the two phones will be the new periscope zoom, exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The biggest iPhone is the only one that can accommodate the larger periscope chamber.
Enhanced Zoom Capability
It will be a 5x or 6x zoom camera, and Apple could go beyond that through digital zoom, similar to Samsung and others. Some reports suggest the sensor could measure 1/2.9″ and the lens will be relatively bright at f/2.8.
Price Hike, but 256GB Base Option
Reports suggest that Apple might increase the prices of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max to combat the sales decline. Expect a price increase of around $100 per model and certainly more than that in markets outside the US.
Storage Upgrade
On the upside, the Pro models could ditch the stingy 128GB base option for 256GB, which would actually mean equivalent prices at equal storage, at least in the US.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Launch Date
Apple will announce the iPhone 15 series on September 12, then the models will go on pre-order on September 15 and then launch in the first wave of countries on September 22.
Possible Delay
However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max could be delayed until October due to supply issues.
That’s it. We’ll cover Apple’s announcements live tomorrow, so tune in!
FAQs
The iPhone 15 series is set to be announced on September 12.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to have a periscope zoom lens, a new titanium frame, and enhanced camera capabilities.
Yes, Apple is rumored to include USB-C ports both models.
Reports suggest there might be a price increase of around $100 for these models.
The base storage option for the iPhone 15 Pro models could be upgraded to 256GB.
