- Apple's fall iPhone event will likely take place on Tuesday, September 12th.
- The iPhone Pro has a new exterior design and some pretty strong internal upgrades.
- Apple will switch iPhones to USB-C this year.
Fall is just around the corner, which means new iPhones are about to hit the stores. That also means iPhone 15 leaks, rumors, and speculation, and that's what we're doing today.
This is shaping up to be a classic year for new iPhones, with almost every part of the iPhone Pro untouched, the regular iPhone getting some great old and new features, and the likelihood of Apple launching a newer generation of iPhones being slim. Expensive iPhones from the Pro series and above. Not even charging cables can escape the coming changes.
First, the iPhone 15 launch event may take place on Tuesday, September 12th. Apple almost always holds events on Tuesdays, unless there's a holiday or other reason to change, and iPhone launches are almost always held during the second full week of September.
Recently, Apple switched to a new product cycle for the iPhone. Now, instead of updating the Pro and regular models with the same new chip every year, a new processor is put into the iPhone Pro while the standard iPhone uses last year's old model. The same is expected to happen this year, with new lower-energy, higher-power three-nanometer chip processes.
When it comes to regular non-Pro iPhones, don't expect too much. It might come with a stunning dynamic island, plus upgraded cameras, but that's probably (almost - see below) all. Honestly, that's probably enough.
Before we discuss the possibilities of iPhone Pro and iPhone Ultra, let's talk about USB. The iPhone 15 will abandon the Lightning interface and instead use USB-C for charging and data transmission. This complies with EU law that requires all new smartphones to charge using USB-C, meaning you'll no longer have to worry about a charging cable.
Apple may also offer new USB-C cases for AirPods and AirPods Pro.
We've already mentioned the powerful new A17 chip, so let's take a deeper look at the new iPhone 15 Pro for a moment and talk about the camera. The big rumor here is that the XL-sized iPhone Pro Max will feature the long-awaited periscope camera, which is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of relying on a larger camera bump to house a larger lens, the periscope design flips the camera to the side so it sits along the length of the phone rather than sticking out, using optics to bend incoming light 90 degrees Spend.
From the outside, there are more changes to come. First, Apple may replace the steel band of the iPhone Pro with titanium, which is lighter, tougher, and potentially more elastic. Titanium can also be anodized like aluminum, so expect some new colors for the Pro model. These are probably still very dull colors as the pro models obviously don't look that cool. Some rumors also suggest that the rear edges of the iPhone will be rounded to make it easier to fit into your pocket.
According to [a last-minute insider report], the titanium band will reduce the weight of pocket-friendly iPhone Pro models by about 10% and switch to a brushed finish, unlike the current smooth steel bands. Leave fingerprints behind. It's about time, too, because so far, the cheaper regular iPhone's aluminum band makes it better than the Pro model in both areas.
The titanium frame may also include a user-programmable action button, like on the Apple Watch Ultra, in place of the current silent switch. I like the silent switch because it's self-explanatory, and my iPhone is on silent 99% of the time, so this switch sounded like a handy addition. For example, I might use it to launch the camera and take a picture.
Then we get to the screen, which gets bigger even though the size remains the same. Of course, we're talking about shrinking those bezels, providing more screen real estate in the same body.
This is going to be a big year for the iPhone Pro, but there's one more thing. Rumors about the iPhone 15 Ultra are rampant. This could be an all-new phone, but it could also be a rebranding of the iPhone Pro Max, which is, frankly, one of Apple's worst product names.
Apple will also review upcoming updates to iOS, watchOS, and iPadOS.
To me, the most interesting parts will be the periscope camera (if it eventually arrives) and the USB-C port on the iPhone. For years, Apple has been pretty happy with its proprietary lighting connector and the licensing fees it can charge hardware manufacturers to use it. It'll be interesting to see what story Apple spins to tell us why USB-C is superior without disparaging its own excellent connector.
Apple has stepped up its secrecy in recent years, so while this may seem like a ton of leaks and rumors, there may still be more surprises to come. See you on September 12th!
Update 09/08/23 : Added new paragraph 10 and changed title to more accurately reflect content.
