Time does not stop for anyone, and so we are already looking towards the iPhone 15, despite the fact that the iPhone 14 has just been unveiled.
The iPhone 15 will likely be in late 2023, unless Apple pulls a wildcard using the name “14S” or something similar. This seems unlikely, as we’ve already heard leaks and rumors using the iPhone 15 name.
Yes, that’s right – pre-release information about the upcoming iPhone is already out there, and that’s up front. This isn’t a complete surprise, as sometimes Apple leaks happen years before a product is launched.
To give you a (very early) idea of what the upcoming phone will look like — as well as its family of siblings — we’ve rounded up all the news, rumors, and predictions here. We expect you to see this article many Updates between late 2022 and September 2023.
cut to the chase
- What is this? The 2023 generation of smartphones from Apple
- When is the exit? Likely September 2023
- How much will it cost? Possible price increase on iPhone 14
iPhone 15 release date
We haven’t heard any iPhone 15 release date or launch date rumors yet, but that’s to be expected — they rarely happen more than a month before the launch event itself.
For the iPhone 14, that event occurred on September 7, with three of the four phones going on sale a week later, on September 16 (and the iPhone 14 Plus on October 7). Apple generally chooses the first or second week of September for its launch, and it usually picks a Tuesday, though it occasionally goes to an event on a Wednesday.
In 2023, that means it’s very likely to be September 5th or 12th (both Tuesdays), though the 6th and 13th are also possible.
iPhone 15 price
Regarding the price, again we did not hear many leaks or rumors, but the iPhone 14 range provided a slight increase in prices compared to similar ones from the iPhone 13. This could be repeated in 2023 for the iPhone 15.
For context, while there are four members of the iPhone 14 family, here are the prices of the cheapest and most expensive options:
- iPhone 14 128 GB: $799 / £849 / AU$1,399
- iPhone 14 Pro Max 1 TB: $1,599 / £1,749 / AU$2,769
That’s the whole range of current pricing range, though there are clearly many hardware and storage options in between those points.
For the iPhone 15 line, a price rumor points to the iPhone 15 Ultra – a new phone that could replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max – starting at $1,199 (likely around £1,309 / AU$2,099 based on typical Apple prices) at best.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099 / £1,199 / AU$1,899, so if the next model is accurate, it’ll be at least $100 less.
However, the iPhone 15 Plus may be cheaper than the iPhone 14 Plus according to the leak. This change may be because the iPhone 14 Plus is not selling brilliantly. For reference, the iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899 / £949 / AU$1,579.
iPhone 15 news, rumors and leaks
We’ve heard quite a few iPhone 15 rumors, though they’ve been around for a very long time, so it’s not entirely clear which ones are still accurate and which ones are old news.
Some of these seem obvious — one report says that Apple is working on a 3nm A17 Bionic chip for the iPhone 15. Since the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max use the A16 Bionic, and the number 17 is higher than 16, we can take a guess at that anyway.
One report goes into more detail, saying that the A17 Bionic should be more efficient than the A16 Bionic, which could potentially lead to better battery life.
However, the iPhone 14 used the older A15 Bionic chip, which was also seen in the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, and another report suggests that this new trend — for non-Pro phones using older chips — may continue. This is a claim we’ve heard many times, so in other words, the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus may use the A16 Bionic.
Sticking with the chipset, it seems likely that Qualcomm will once again supply a 5G modem. It looks like the Snapdragon X70 is a sure bet, as it offers improved performance from the Snapdragon X65 in the iPhone 14.
As for other specs, we’ve heard predictions that the Pro models will move to 8GB of RAM with the iPhone 15, and will also come with periscope cameras that should improve telephoto zoom capabilities.
This is not the only possible camera upgrade, as another source says a new Sony sensor will be used, which is state of the art, captures more light than existing sensors, and avoids overexposing or underexposing shots.
Additionally, all four models may have a 48MP main sensor according to analyst Jeff Pu (via 9to5Mac). (Opens in a new tab)), which would be an upgrade to the cheaper two.
We may also see a USB-C port on every iPhone 15 model. The EU has told Apple that it has to add USB-C charging ports to iPhones starting in 2024, but many fans think Apple will adopt the charging standard earlier, in 2023, instead — and at least one leak points in that direction.
Recently, we heard another reputable source say that the entire iPhone 15 line will get USB-C, but they added that only the Pro models will offer upgraded data transfer speeds.
These two phones appear to have data transfer speeds of either 20Gbps or 40Gbps, while the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Max are said to be stuck at the same 480Mbps speeds as the current models.
In saying that, some fans are hoping Apple won’t ditch its Lightning port anytime soon, even suggesting that the company could unveil a completely portless iPhone first.
This seems unlikely though, as Apple has now confirmed it will switch to USB-C — at least in Europe, though the company hasn’t said if it will make the change globally. It also didn’t say which model would be the first iPhone to get USB-C, so it might not be the iPhone 15.
A big feature of the iPhone 14 Pro is that Dynamic Island is a fancy marketing name for the front-facing camera Apple is using, and a leak suggests that non-Pro iPhone 15 models could get this as well.
We recently heard from elsewhere that every iPhone 15 model will get Dynamic Island — but the standard phone and iPhone 15 Plus will still be stuck with a 60Hz screen.
The Dynamic Island claim contradicts some belief that the iPhone 15 series could use under-display cameras, which are located below the phone’s screen to ensure that no display space is taken up. However, at TechRadar, we’re not so sure about this.
For the past few generations of the iPhone, Apple has divided the line into the “Standard” and “Pro” ranges, the latter bringing more features over the former; Within each band, the only major difference is screen size. But with the iPhone 15, the Pro models could be even more broke, as the Pro Max seems to be a step ahead.
A major leak suggests that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will actually be called the iPhone 15 Ultra — after Apple adopted this suffix elsewhere — and that it will bring additional features over the iPhone 15 Pro.
A prime example is listed in the camera section, where while the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to retain the telephoto zoom lens of the 14 Pro, the iPhone 15 Ultra is rumored to be getting a periscope lens for more zoom, likely around 5x. We’ve actually heard this a few times now, from various sources, which makes it sound very likely.
We’ve also heard from the leaker leaks (Opens in a new tab)that the iPhone 15 Ultra may have a titanium body, which should be lighter and stronger than the stainless steel used in current Pro models.
A similar claim was made by another source, although they were less specific about which models might use titanium. And they added that the sides may curve towards the back of the phone on the iPhone 15 line, instead of being a right angle as is the case with the iPhone 14.
Apple still decided on these curved sides though according to another source, so there’s a chance that won’t happen.
Another rumor suggests that all four iPhone 15 models will have slightly curved edges – so we might go back to the iPhone 11 look – while the Pro and Pro Max (or Ultra) phones will also have thinner bezels.
Also on the design front, the iPhone 15 Pro — and likely the Ultra as well — could get solid power and volume buttons that don’t physically move.