Frankly, there has never been a better time to buy an iPhone – but that won’t stop Apple from working on the next generation of iPhone behind closed doors at Apple Park. The question is, what should you expect from Apple’s next-generation iPhone 15? While it’s early days, here’s all there is to know so far, from release date and pricing speculation to early rumours about what to expect from the next-gen iPhone. Learn more about the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro separately if you’re more interested in the current iPhone line-up.
When will the iPhone 15 be released?
With the iPhone 14 released so recently, it should come as no surprise that the release of the iPhone 15 is still quite some time away. Apple tends to update its iPhone range on a yearly basis, which means we should expect the iPhone 15 to appear sometime in 2023. However, we can get a little more accurate as, unlike most companies, Apple tends to announce iPhones at the same time every year. Barring the delayed release of the iPhone 12 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Apple has favoured September reveals for its flagship iPhone range since the release of the iPhone 5 back in 2012. There are reports from mid-January 2023 that the iPhone 15 is already in trial production at Foxconn in China, giving manufacturers and Apple plenty of time to iron out any manufacturing issues before release later this year. It’s worth noting that this is around two weeks earlier than usual, giving Apple a few extra weeks to iron out issues and secure plenty of stock in time for launch. With that in mind, it’s safe to assume we’ll see the iPhone 15 range revealed sometime in September 2023 – though we’ll update this section if we hear differently in the meantime. If you can’t wait that long, take a look at where to buy the iPhone 14 range.
How much will the iPhone 15 cost?
While the iPhone 14 range matched the pricing of the iPhone 13 range in the US, the same can’t be said in regions like the UK where the standard iPhone 14 is £70 more expensive, and the iPhone 14 Pro comes in at an extra £150 compared to last year. The question is, should we expect the same with the iPhone 15? Of course, it’s far too early to say for sure, but Apple tends to keep the pricing at the same rough level – though currency fluctuations could see price increases like those in the UK this year. In fact, that’s what rumours suggest – though the price hike could be exclusive to the rebranded iPhone 15 Ultra. Leaker LeaksApplePro claims that the iPhone 15 Ultra could start at an increased $1,299 in the US. Pricing for other regions wasn’t provided, but given the fact that the 512GB iPhone 14 Pro retails for the same price, which translates to £1,429 in the UK, it seems logical that those prices would apply here too. That could mean a potential increase of $200/£230, an especially hard pill for UK fans to swallow following a price hike with the iPhone 14 collection. However, the leaker says that it isn’t set in stone just yet and Apple could also be considering a $1,199 price tag (around £1,309), though that still represents a price hike compared to the current top-end model. The leaker claims that factors including an upgraded titanium frame, a dual-lens selfie camera and 256GB of storage at a minimum – along with inflation and a rise in manufacturing costs – are to blame for the price hike, but this is all unconfirmed for now. For context, here’s how much the iPhone 14 range costs:
iPhone 14: From $799/£849iPhone 14 Plus: From $899/£949iPhone 14 Pro: From $999/£1,099iPhone 14 Pro Max: From $1,099/£1,199
Of course, it’s early days and Apple’s pricing plans could change between now and the smartphone’s eventual reveal, so we’ll update this section as soon as hear anything else.
What to expect from the iPhone 15
While we’re still quite some time away from seeing the next generation iPhone, that hasn’t stopped the ol’ rumour mill from churning. In fact, if early rumours are to be believed, there could be some big changes in store for the entire iPhone 15 line-up.
A refreshed design
The iPhone 14 range certainly looks premium, but the same could be said of the near-identical iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, which is to say that it has been a few years since Apple updated the design of its smartphone range – but that could change with the iPhone 15. The rumour originated via leaker ShrimpApplePro, who took to Twitter to claim that the iPhone 15 will have titanium sides, a serious upgrade even compared to the stainless steel finish of the iPhone 14 Pro range. Though Shrimp’s wording led some to believe it’ll be available on all models, other leakers suggest that it may be exclusive to the Pro models, so don’t get too excited just yet. That’s not the biggest design change rumoured for the iPhone 15 though; ShrimpApplePro also suggests that the back edge of the sides of the phone 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”. The leaker said that it’s still early days and that we should “take it as it is”, which essentially means with a big heap of salt, and later comments from LeaksApplePro – another leaker – suggests it’s far from set in stone. Talking to Forbes, the leaker claims that while the move to curved edges is under “strong consideration” from the team at Apple, the change is yet to be finalised. Forbes notes that the uncertainty of the design is odd at this point in the development of the smartphone, which would’ve usually been finalised by now, though that could be fuelled by the current uncertainties in Apple’s supply chain that could make it harder to pull off than usual. So, while Apple might want the iPhone 15 to sport curved edges, it looks like it’ll all come down to the supply chain.
The switch to USB-C
Apple has fought off switching to USB-C on its iPhone range for years despite doing so across its iPad range, though with mounting pressure from the EU with a new law that’ll force smartphone makers to switch to USB-C by 27 December 2024, it seems Apple is finally giving in – though it’s not particularly happy about it. Discussing the new law in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in October 2022, Greg Joswiak, senior VP of worldwide marketing at Apple, conceded defeat. “Governments get to do what they’re going to do and obviously we’ll have to comply, we have no choice,” he said when asked about the new ruling. Though Joswiak declined to comment on exactly when the iPhone would make the switch, analyst firm TrendForce believes that it could make an appearance in next year’s range well ahead of the 2024 mandate. There is speculation that Apple could only ship USB-C-enabled models to countries in the EU – it sells an e-SIM-specific variant of the iPhone 14 in the US, so it’s not an alien concept – but it’s likely that it’ll simply make the switch worldwide to stop charging confusion among different models.
Dynamic Island for all
The Dynamic Island – that is, the redesigned Face ID cut-out – of the iPhone 14 Pro is easily one of its stand-out features, but it might not be a Pro exclusive for long. According to display industry insider and Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) boss Ross Young, Apple intends to bring the redesigned Dynamic Island system to the entire iPhone 15 range next year. Replying to a tweet on the subject in September 2022, Young states that “Dynamic Island expected on standard models on the 15” though those hoping for a jump to 120Hz may be disappointed, as he claimed that the “supply chain can’t support it”. Instead, Young expects the 120Hz LTPO display tech to make an appearance on the standard models in 2024, presumably with the iPhone 16. While not confirmed, Young has provided an impressive number of display-related leaks over the past few years – he was among the first to tease three sizes of Apple Watch, and was on the money with Apple’s Dynamic Island – so he’s certainly a source worth paying attention to. It’s also worth noting that Apple leaker Mark Gurman agrees with Young’s prediction, noting in a January 2023 edition of his Power Up! newsletter that both standard models of iPhone 15 are set to get the Dynamic Island upgrade later this year.
Improved camera setup
While the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max saw significant gains in the camera department with the introduction of a new 48Mp sensor, the vanilla iPhone 14 shipped with the same 12Mp snapper as the iPhone 13. That’s all set to change with the iPhone 15 if rumours are to be believed. According to analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong Intl Tech Research, Apple is planning to introduce the same main 48Mp sensor as the iPhone 14 Pro range to the standard iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Considering the new main lens also brought with it quad-pixel tech, second-gen sensor-shift OIS and impressive gains in low-light photography, it’s a welcome addition to the standard iPhone 15. While it still won’t be able to compete with the iPhone 15 Pro camera range, still lacking a dedicated telephoto lens, the main 48Mp snapper should be able to provide a 2x digital zoom without any notable drop in quality, giving users more flexibility in their photography.
The iPhone 15 Ultra
While the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max sport the same feature set, that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, up until the release of the iPhone 13 Pro range, there were minor differences in Apple’s Pro smartphone collection.
Much in the same way that the 12.9in iPad Pro boasts slightly more premium features than the 11in model, the Pro Max model of iPhone has traditionally offered slightly better specs, usually in the camera department.
If rumours are to be believed, that’ll again be the case with the iPhone 15 Pro models – and Apple could go a step further by completely rebranding the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The idea of more differentiation between the Pro models came first from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Discussing the next-gen iPhone range on Twitter, the analyst claims that Apple will “start creating differentiation between iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro” in order to boost orders for Apple’s Pro smartphones.
While Kuo didn’t go as far as to mention what those key differences could be, predictions from analysts at TrendForce give us a good idea.
In an October 2022 press release, the analyst firm claims that the iPhone 15 Pro Max (and only the Pro Max) will feature a new periscope lens that allows for up to 10x zoom – a huge jump from the 3x zoom currently found on the iPhone 14 Pro range. It’s certainly not new tech – periscope lenses have been a thing on the Android side of things for the past few years – but it’ll be a first on an Apple product.
This was later backed up by The Elec in January 2023, suggesting that Apple is sourcing OIS actuators for the periscope lens from LG Innotek and Jahwa Electronics, with the latter also said to be supplying components for Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S23 series.
Trendforce also believes that both Pro models will feature a bump in RAM, 8GB from the current 6GB, and that like this year, only the Pro models will get Apple’s new chipset – presumably the A17 Bionic.
LeaksApplePro believes that the iPhone 15 Ultra could also feature a dual front-facing camera, start at an increased 256GB of storage, and sport a Thunderbolt 4-powered USB-C port for extremely fast data transfer. The leaker also, rather oddly, claims that Apple is only considering a single colour for the top-end iPhone – the same as that of the Apple Watch Ultra – with the leaker’s confidential source yet to see any other colour option within Apple Park.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that Apple could rebrand the Pro Max as the iPhone 15 Ultra in a bid to further separate it from the rest of the iPhone range, much in the same way that the Apple Watch Ultra is above and beyond what’s offered from the standard Apple Watch Series 8.
We’ll continue to update this article as new rumours appear online, so check back frequently for all the latest details on Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15. Heard anything interesting? Let us know on Twitter.
Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
