Everything we already know about Apple’s future star

A few months before its release, the iPhone 15 is already the subject of countless rumors and fantasies. In particular, Apple, as usual, does not say anything about its plans. What is possible – or not! – in the upcoming flagship smartphone of 2023.

After the official announcement of the iPhone 14, enough water has passed under the bridge to start talking about its successor, the iPhone 15. design and functions, where its predecessor was satisfied with a number of more or less important developments – it is also difficult to convince. So much so that the standard iPhone 14, i.e. the “non-Pro” is hardly finding its audience: many reports actually show that its sales are disappointing. Finally, it should be said that it differs little from the iPhone 13, with which it shares almost the same design, the flat sides of the iPhone 12 and the same A15 processor. Only the iPhone 14 Pro managed to mark its distinction with a Speaker Island – a perforation that replaces the notch on the screen – a 48-megapixel (MP) photo sensor and an A16 processor. But here too, it has the same design as the iPhone 13 Pro and, unfortunately, a much higher price.

But with the iPhone 15, almost everything should change. It’s time to review all kinds of rumors and speculations, trying to answer the big questions of the fans of this smartphone like no other.

Which design for iPhone 15?

There are no major changes, but it should be easier to distinguish the iPhone 15 from the iPhone 14 at a glance, which is almost impossible to do between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. In any case, we should easily recognize the iPhone 15 from the iPhone 15. on the back, as expected, the photo sensor unit is expected to sit more smoothly with a slightly curved bottom edge. The photo block will still remain massive, so let’s not expect a miracle from that side.

We expect a more radical change on the side of the buttons. According to analyst Kuo Ming-Chi, Apple may indeed replace all of the iPhone Pro and/or Ultra’s physical buttons (see below) with touch buttons that work similarly to the existing iPhone SE’s home button and touchpad. MacBooks. The peculiarity of these buttons is that they always remain motionless, but despite this, thanks to the haptic engine built into the device, in other words, an ultra-precise vibrator, we get the impression of pressing them. The technology is perfectly mastered and will allow Apple to further reduce the number of moving parts and, above all, the number of potential areas for moisture to enter. To achieve its goals, Apple will integrate two additional haptic engines, one on the left for the volume control buttons and the other on the right for the On / Off / Standby button. We’re curious to see how we can force a reboot of a “planted” iPhone with such real/fake keys. The entry-level iPhone 15s will retain the classic physical buttons.

Which connector for iPhone 15?

Everyone agrees that iPhone 15 – finally! – Mark the “conversion” of Apple’s flagship smartphone to USB-C. The familiar connector of almost all Android smartphones, as well as several iPad models – and, of course, MacBooks for several years – should replace the outdated Lightning port that appeared in 2012 with the iPhone 5. you will need to change the charger or at least the cable to be able to charge the battery of your precious voice. We can regret it, but we have to admit that the prospect of using only one and the same type of cable with all their devices is something to celebrate. Who hasn’t already traveled with a small set of cables and adapters, only to be understood a little later? In addition to universal charging, USB-C also offers higher transfer speeds than USB 2’s Lightning port, which is limited to 480 Mbps. What speeds up, for example, the transfer of 48 Mpx photos to a computer will definitely be. to be able to take at least an iPhone 15 Pro or Ultra (see below for different models and photo video capacities of the next iPhones).

Interchangeability will help us on a daily basis and should help reduce e-waste, and this is indeed one of the goals of the European Union, which has decided to make the use of a USB port mandatory from the end of 2024. -C as a charging port on all new models of mobile phones, tablets, game consoles, digital cameras, portable speakers, e-readers, wireless headphones, keyboards, mice and GPS. As for laptops, they are entitled to an additional 40 months of grace.

The naysayers will say that Apple is only acting under duress. If so, the switch to USB-C can wait, so the iPhone 16, which will be announced in September 2024, just before the European commitment. This track should not be overlooked, because it is important to remember that iPhones are the most from the release date. made at least two years ago. In 2021, the date of the European commitment to switch to USB-C was not yet known.

Which screen for iPhone 15?

According to Mark Gurman, all iPhone 15 models, Pro or not, will benefit from that perforation at the top of the display introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro. Recall that the latter replaces notches, which are also called in English notch, which already includes some of the iPhone’s sensors – front camera, light sensor, Face ID – that Apple still can’t hide under the screen. With the iPhone 14 Pro, the fixed notch has become a dynamic hole, so the area can expand to show certain thumbnail information, such as the remaining time on the timer or a thumbnail of the current music album. Therefore, it will not be able to prevent the iPhone screen from being punctured unnecessarily this year.

What models are available for the iPhone 15?

According to Mark Gurman, the iPhone 15 range will be based on the same two screen sizes: 6.1 inches (15.5 cm) diagonally for the “small” models and 6.7 inches (17 cm) for the larger models. In other words, despite the commercial underperformance of the iPhone 14 Plus, we shouldn’t expect the mini model with a 5.4-inch (13.7 cm) screen to return. The latter replaced the Phone 13 mini, which didn’t wow the crowds like the 12 mini before it. So we’ll see if the big standard iPhone 15 model can fix things for Apple.

Despite similar screen sizes, the Pro models can still be distinguished by using a titanium chassis rather than steel. This will make the iPhone 15 Pro slightly lighter, lighter than titanium steel, but more durable. But its production is also very expensive.

Therefore, we can assume that titanium will be reserved for the top of the line, namely the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which may change its name for the event and become the iPhone 15 Ultra. Apple will take back the name opened by the Apple Watch Ultra, one of the features of which is to adopt titanium for its casing.

What photo features are available for the iPhone 15?

For many years, iPhones were satisfied with one, then several 12 Mpxl photo sensors. This has changed with the iPhone 14 Pro, whose main lens is now based on a 48 Mpxl sensor, which greatly improves the level of detail. On the other hand, while the photo unit on the back is still slightly thicker than the iPhone 13 Pro, it’s still not enough to really increase the optical zoom capabilities of the iPhone 14 Pro, which is still limited to 3x. Naturally, here we reach physical limits: to achieve higher levels of optical zoom, the only way to preserve the quality of the photo, unlike digital zoom, is to move away from the sensor, as we do with a lens. magnifying glass for enlarging small print on paper.

The iPhone 15 should solve this problem by being the first to integrate a periscope perpendicular to its chassis. The principle is simple: instead of making the photo unit thicker or, worse, adding a motorized zoom, a lens system is added inside the iPhone, behind a 45° oriented prism. As a result, it is possible to move the lens away from the sensor by the width or length of the iPhone, thereby achieving a higher zoom factor. There is talk of a 6x, maybe even 10x zoom for the iPhone 15.

Which chip for iPhone 15?

This happened like lightning when the iPhone 14s was announced: for the first time, the 14 Pro series had a more powerful processor (A16) than the one equipped with the standard iPhone 14s, and this processor was happy to reuse the same chip as the iPhone. of the previous year (A15). Even if no one complains about the iPhone’s lack of power, regardless of the model, the news turns out to be an equally bad match. There’s no telling yet whether Apple will follow suit and reserve the next A17 chip for the iPhone Pro and Pro Max (or Ultra, see above).

Whether intended for the high-end iPhone 15s or not, the A17 processor can mark new significant improvements in terms of both computing power and energy efficiency thanks to the adoption of the 3-burn process. up to 5 nm for current chips). However, we know that TSMC has lagged behind in the development of chip manufacturing using this fine-carving method, particularly due to component shortages and pressures on supply chains at the most critical time. . The bottom line is that assuming the A17 is ready at 3nm, it may only be available in small quantities, which could prompt Apple to reserve it for the very high end.

How much does the iPhone 15 cost?

In the US market, the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro remained the same price as their predecessors, the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. But this was not the case in almost all other markets around the world, especially in France, where the iPhone 14 increased by 10-15%, depending on the model. Assuming the price of the standard iPhone 15 won’t rise again, the potential adoption of titanium instead of steel for at least one of the Pro models (see above) could make the high-end iPhone 15 even more stratospheric.

What is the iPhone 15 release date?

New iPhones are traditionally announced in early September every year. For the iPhone 14 series, it was Wednesday, September 7. There is no reason for the iPhone 15 to escape the rule, the whole question is trying to guess the exact date. Last year, Apple chose Wednesday, which surprised many, knowing that the brand prefers Tuesdays the most. So bets are open between 3 dates: Wednesday 6th September, Tuesday 12th September or 13th September 2023. Have you made your choice?