Likely to be launched in September 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro models will have high-end features which
would not be available in the more affordable iPhone 15 devices. We have listed down information and
rumours available about iPhone Pro models so far.
Screen Size
It is expected that there will be no major changes as far as size is concerned. ShrimpApplePro, an Apple
enthusiast confirmed via a tweet that iPhone 15 Pro is expected to measure 6.1 inches.
Reliable industry insider Ice Universe has tweeted that iPhone 15 Pro Max size will be 159.86 × 76.73 × 8.25 mm. With the camera bump, the total thickness will be 11.84 mm.
iPhone 15 Pro Design
As per a tweet from Ice Universe iPhone 15 Pro models will have almost impossibly thin bezels. As per
the leaked front glass panels designed for the iPhone 15 Pro models the iPhone 15 Pro would have
1.55mm thick bezels, compared to 2.1mm for the iPhone 14 Pro.
It is also confirmed that iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to feature thinner, curved bezels compared to the iPhone 14 Pro models.
iPhone 15 Pro Max ( or Ultra ) CAD render via ICE Universe.
– USB Type-C port
– Narrow bezels
– Titanium alloy frame
– Solid state buttons#iPhone #iphone15promax #iphone15ultra pic.twitter.com/ZfAHOop0A2— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) February 26, 2023
Rounded Back Panel
ShrimpApplePro has claimed that iPhone 15 could feature a rounded back panel rather than a square one as the iPhone 14, iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 series phones have had.
Titanium Body
It is rumoured that iPhone 15 pro models will be made with titanium, rather than aluminium and steel like current non-Pro and Pro iPhones respectively.
Titanium is already used in the Apple Watch lineup. Titanium is lighter, stronger and with a matte finish, so it is likely that the 15 Pro and Pro Max will be lighter than their iPhone 14 Pro predecessors. Though important to note titanium is expensive.
Volume Button
Rumours initially suggested the iPhone 15 Pro models would have a unified volume button design, but this is no longer the case. The updated design was linked to solid-state button technology. Apple had previously planned to use haptic feedback to mimic the feel of a button press, giving the sensation of pressing when there is no actual button to press. For months during the rumour cycle, Apple was said to be using this technology, but in April, the company abandoned plans for solid-state button technology.
This was claimed by Analysts Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo. According to Pu, Apple needs more
time to develop the haptic engines required to power these new buttons. Whereas Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned that Apple ran into “unresolved technical issues and hence, the decision was taken to simplify the development and testing process. Kuo says that Apple will instead “revert to the traditional physical button design,” which includes a transition back to the dual-button setup used for the iPhone 14 Pro models rather than the rumored single button.”
Two iPhone 15 Pro models’ removal of solid-state button design negatively affects Cirrus Logic and AAC / 兩款iPhone 15 Pro取消固態按鍵設計不利Cirrus Logic與瑞聲科技https://t.co/Ot81sCQzgk
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 12, 2023
However, Twitter leaker @analyst94z believes that Apple is still sticking by its original plan to introduce solid-state (or capacitive) buttons on this year’s premium iPhones.
Considering the track records of Pu and Kuo, it is expected that the design has been delayed till 2024.
Mute Button
Apple is expected to change the mute switch for a mute button (same as the volume buttons). A source from MacRumors forums has suggested that Apple might turn this mute button into an “Action” button similar to the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra.The “Action” button will could be used for things like activating Do Not Disturb, turning on Low Power Mode, activating the Camera app, and more.
USB C
ShrimpApplePro has confirmed that Apple will use USB-C port on all iPhone 15 models and Foxconn has already begun mass production of MFI-licensed accessories, including EarPods and cables.
All iPhone 15 models will get USB-C but iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to support higher-speed data transfers as per a Tweet from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo mentioned that transfer speeds will likely “improve markedly” on the iPhone 15 Pro models, with support for “at least” USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3.
USB 2.0 transfer speeds are limited to 480Mb/s, while USB 3.2 supports speeds up to
20Gb/s. Thunderbolt 3 supports data transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s. Hence, wired transfers of
photos, backups, and other information would be much quicker with faster data speeds,
ShrimpApplePro has also mentioned that iPhone 15 models will only officially support USB-C
accessories certified by the Apple Made for iPhone (MFi) program. The MFi USB-C certification could be used to limit features like fast charging and high-speed data transfers to Apple-approved accessories.
ShrimpApplePro says that cables with no MFi certification will be limited in data and charging speed.
MFi-certified Lightning ports and connectors contain a small integrated circuit that confirms the authenticity of the parts involved in the connection. This chip is not present in non-MFi-certified third-party charging cables and hence, leads to “This accessory is not supported”warnings on connected Apple devices.
This encourages customers to buy genuine iPhone accessories and protect the device from counterfeit and potentially dangerous charging cables and adapters.
Camera
Apple Pro models will include telephoto lens technology as part of their three-camera array, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max will have a periscope lens.
according to Kuo. Those who prefer smaller phones will have to wait until 2024 to get their hands on an iPhone with a periscope lens, as Kuo notes that both iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have this technology.
Periscope lens
A periscope lens system generally uses a primary lens to capture a photo, with an angled mirror or prism reflecting the light 90 degrees toward a second lens that then sends it to the image sensor. The image sensor and secondary lens are positioned sideways inside the smartphone to extend focal length, and that takes up valuable surface area.
Periscope lenses rely on a prism that reflects light to multiple internal lenses at 90 degrees to the camera sensor. This allows the length of the lens to be much longer than a telephoto lens, which results in a much better optical zoom.
Telephoto lens
The directional shift of the light and the use of a prism or mirror allows for a “folded” telephoto lens system that fits in the chassis of a smartphone while still increasing optical zoom.
Because of the way light is reflected at an angle in this system, the actual telephoto lens will likely need to be square-shaped, a departure from the circular telephoto lens used for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Note that the camera cutout can still be circular, but the actual lens inside will be square.
Apple competitor Samsung has been using periscope lens technology for a few years, and Samsung’s lenses support up to 10x optical zoom. Paired with digital zoom, Samsung offers up to 100x digital zoom. Samsung calls this technology “Space Zoom.”
But expect improvements to be made on the sensor and software side; Apple has been tipped to use a new Sony “state-of-the-art” sensor for the iPhone 15 after all. This sensor could be a new model that’s almost an inch across, which should make for brighter and more colourful photos. However, this rumour has been refuted, with another tech tipster noting that we’ll have to wait for the iPhone 16 Pro to see a larger main camera sensor.
That lens array could even be capable of variable zoom, according to a more recent leak. That would give the iPhone 15 Pro Max the ability to switch magnification levels without needing to rely on digital zoom, or requiring an extra dedicated camera for the higher/lower zoom level.
Upgraded LiDAR sensor
As per Ming-Chi Kuo, Sony will replace Lumentum and WIN Semi as the exclusive supplier of LiDAR Scanner components for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
Upgraded LiDAR would mean better performance and lower power consumption. This will not only
significantly improve iPhone battery life, but it could benefit camera features, like Night mode and autofocus with improved depth sensing, as well as boosted augmented reality apps, which can benefit from better room scanning sensors.
A17 Chip and RAM
Like many Pro iPhones before it, the iPhone 15 Pro Max would introduce a new A-series chip, likely in the form of a 3-nanometer A17 Bionic which would offer more power and power efficiency than existing 4nm chips.
The A17 Bionic should be more efficient than the A16 Bionic, and would also likely result in improved battery life. According to Chinese outlet DCInside, the A17 Bionic will boast a 20% more powerful CPU than its predecessor, the A16 Bionic, meaning the iPhone 15 Pro should enjoy sizeable speed gains over the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
A bump in memory is also being rumoured, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max tipped to get 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM. TrendForce previously said iPhone 15 Pro models would likely be
equipped with 8GB of RAM, compared to 6GB for iPhone 14 Pro models. The report claims that
Apple will “bump up the capacity and specifications” of RAM for iPhone 15 models.
More RAM means more efficient performance for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
This means apps will load faster from memory than their predecessors.
Increased RAM combined with the A17 Bionic chipset could make it an excellent device