It’s only been a couple of months since Apple launched the iPhone 14 family (opens in new tab) but the rumor mill is hard at work bringing us alleged iPhone 15 details already. Here are the most believable on the circuit…
Snapdragon X70 chip rather than Apple’s own
Via MacRumors (opens in new tab), we have intel shared by Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu, in a research note from October, which says he expects iPhone models released in 2024 to use Qualcomm's as-yet-unannounced Snapdragon X75 modem. This chip, like the Snapdragon X70, is expected to be manufactured based on TSMC's 4nm process, contributing to power efficiency improvements.
This new intel (opens in new tab) matches up with the information shared by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo back in the summer, saying that “Apple's own iPhone 5G modem chip development may have failed” and that consequently, Qualcomm would remain the exclusive supplier of 5G modems for new iPhone models in 2023. What Kuo didn’t provide was a timeframe for Apple would use their own chip in iPhones, but now thanks to Pu we know we could be looking at 2025.
It’s currently expected that all of the iPhone 15 family will be powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X70 modem, which was announced in February. The X70 supports up to 10 Gbps download speeds (as does the Snapdragon X65 modem in iPhone 14 models (opens in new tab) but boasts added artificial intelligence capabilities for faster average speeds, improved coverage, lower latency, better signal quality, and importantly up to 60% better power efficiency.
USB-C switch and varying data speeds
Although Apple has resisted so far, a new EU law (opens in new tab) that says all new smartphones must have a USB-C Type-C charging port from the end of 2024 means that the company will be converting to USB-C for future iPhones.
The law doesn’t force Apple to convert to USB-C for the iPhone 15 launch (2024 will be iPhone 16 territory) but now a leaker with a good track record has said it will be the first iPhone (opens in new tab) to see the switch to USB-C and that it will result in higher data transfer speeds for some of the models (opens in new tab).
(2/7)我最新調查指出，所有2H23新款iPhone均捨棄Lighting並改為USB-C，但，僅兩款高階iPhone 15 (15 Pro & 15 Pro Max) 配備有線高速傳輸規格，兩款標準版iPhone 15 (15 & 15 Plus) 有線傳輸速度規格仍與Lightning相同 (USB 2.0)。November 17, 2022
The leak comes from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (opens in new tab) (via TechRadar (opens in new tab)), who has a decent track record for Apple information, who alleges that all models in the upcoming iPhone 15 (opens in new tab) family will have a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port.
In his series of tweets (opens in new tab), Kuo goes on to claim that iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max only will benefit from the extra speed potential of USB-C. The two higher end models will supposedly support either USB-C 3.2 data transfer speeds -which can reach 20Gbps - or Thunderbolt 3 speeds - which can achieve up to 40Gbps. This means that the vanilla iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Max, will feature USB 2.0 speeds of 480Mbps – as per current Apple Lightning speeds.
Dynamic Island for all models
A huge iPhone 15 leak shared by the usually reliable @LeaksApplePro (opens in new tab) says that the Dynamic Island could stop being a Pro exclusive and feature in all models, which really would be great. For those that haven’t used it, the Dynamic Island is a feature capable of displaying multiple functions at once – when being used it splits the screen into a larger pill-shaped area and a smaller circular area so you benefit from seeing two things at once.
Here’s what I shared with my subscribers about iPhone 15 three days ago:-All four models will come with usb-c and the Dynamic Island-The iPhone 15 will come with the A16, while the 15 Pro will come with the A17. I’ll gather info about this chip and share it with you soon.September 19, 2022
New naming scheme
@LeaksApplePro has also alleged that Apple will use a new naming scheme for the iPhone15 and that the Pro Max label could be dropped. This would mean we would get iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Ultra, and would certainly simplify things. Additionally, the leak says that the 6.7-inch Ultra model (which would replace the Pro Max as we know the range now) could have exclusive features in addition to the larger display.
8K video
Further intel from @LeaksApplePro says that Apple may be working on 8K video recording support and also that it is looking to improve battery life for the new series. It’s rumored that on the iPhone Ultra model, Apple is aiming for the battery to last 3-4 hours longer.
New-look curved titanium frame
Leaker ShrimpApplePro, @VNchocoTaco (opens in new tab), (via Phone Arena (opens in new tab)) has alleged that the iPhone 15 will feature a new design and be made from titanium (opens in new tab).
The well-known leaker alleges that the iPhone 15 could feature a side frame that is curved towards the back, rather than being flat as per the iPhone 12 (opens in new tab), iPhone 13 (opens in new tab) and new iPhone 14 families (opens in new tab). They also add that the upcoming phone will be made from titanium but finish the leak with “Still very early to take it as it is,” which we take to mean they aren’t 100% sure but we can never assume leaks to be correct anyway.
If the leak is correct, it would mean the upcoming iPhone 15 series would benefit from the sleek look of the current flat design and the better ergonomics of the slightly curved back design, although this is obviously subjective. However, when it comes to the premium aluminum body, we think this, if true, will be most likely reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models only.
If you're wondering which iPhone 14 model you should buy, check out our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro (opens in new tab) comparison guide to all four new models. You might also like the best iPhone for photography (opens in new tab).
