01/31 Update below. This post was originally published on January 28.
Apple shocked iPhone fans last year with the extent of the differences between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models. Now a new leak has revealed that the gap between them will get even wider with the iPhone 15 lineup.
Working with Apple Laker Unknown 21, MacRumors has revealed several specifications and design differences between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models, including information obtained from internal Apple documents. Unknownz21 has a remarkable track record, once sourcing an early version of iOS 14 months before release.
An early iPhone 15 Ultra concept shows flat rather than curved edges.
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The latest leak is unlikely to go down well with iPhone buyers on a budget. MacRumors says the documents it obtained “confirm” that Apple’s new 3nm A17 chipset will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models, as will the redesigned solid-state power and volume buttons. Gia will be the chassis. Even the phones’ connectivity will be different, with Wi-Fi reserved for professionals with the 6E – something previous leaks lacked.
For this latter point, given its unprecedented nature (for example, all iPhone 14 models use Wi-Fi 6), Unknownz21 has publicly released the documentation. He also called it the “tip of the iceberg” ahead of the range’s EVT (Engineering Validation Test) phase starting in March, with additional leaks including full images.
Considering that multiple leaks have already told us that the iPhone 15 Pro models will once again have superior cameras and special promotional displays, it’s almost impossible to say that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will have theirs. Will be on par with its expensive siblings.
01/30 Update: More news has broken about Apple’s 2023 iPhone plans, or rather what won’t happen now. Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revised his prediction that the foldable iPhone will arrive in 2023. to describe That Apple has shifted its focus to prioritize the folding iPad instead.
Kuo says Apple is building a foldable iPad with a carbon fiber kickstand, which makes it lighter and more durable. He even reveals that Apple has a supplier for the part, Inge Technology. Kuo explains that a 2024 release is more likely, but he is “positive” about that timeframe and the device’s ability to “boost shipments and improve product mix.”
Bloomberg’s Mark Gorman first Reported That Apple is working on a clamshell iPad design in which the bottom of the folding iPad acts as a keyboard while typing. Grumman predicts the release won’t happen until 2026, putting two of the industry’s heavyweights at odds. Apple fans will hope that Cove is right.
01/31 Update: Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed more information about Apple’s future iPhone plans. Leading analyst States That the iPhone 15 Pro Max (possibly ‘Ultra’) will be the only iPhone 15 model to feature a periscope camera, functionality that enables high levels of optical zoom.
This backs up his previous leaks, but the headline news is that Kuo claims it won’t be part of a wider migration of periscope cameras to the iPhone range – at least for several years:
“As previously predicted, the 2H23 new iPhone 15 model (15 Pro Max or 15 Ultra) will adopt a periscope camera. The market expected the addition of periscope cameras in more iPhone models. Demand for lens upgrades will increase in 2023-2024. But my latest survey suggests that only one/highest new iPhone 16 model will have a periscope camera in 2H24, not the two models the market expects.
Given the widespread adoption of periscope cameras in rival flagship smartphones, this will come as a shock to iPhone fans. Moreover, it suggests that Apple is trying to increase the feature gap in the iPhone Pro models as well.
Yes, longer battery life has always been an advantage of the iPhone Pro Max, but it came down to physical size rather than Apple’s desire to make the iPhone Pro inferior. However, periscope cameras don’t need a Pro Max-sized chassis. Creating deliberate feature differentiation (that isn’t a result of physical size) isn’t a line Apple has previously crossed with the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro ranges.
In fact, Apple last tried a dual vs. single rear camera setup with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in 2017. In this incarnation of the iPhone though, the Plus was on par with the Pro models today.
Apple has traditionally been the master of product distribution, but this is a risk. Especially with global price hikes, the company is expected to introduce the iPhone 15 lineup later this year.
The Apple iPhone 15 Ultra concept is based on early leaks.
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Apple is taking a big risk here. Sales of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have been weak, with buyers opting to spread the higher price of the Pro models over carrier contracts to take advantage of their obvious advantages. Widening that gap is unlikely to boost sales of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
According to Leak, Apple’s solution is a classic carrot-and-stick strategy. The carrot is Apple will reportedly bring the Dynamic Island design to standard models. The stick iPhone 15 Pro is priced higher. Whether the gamble pays off, only time will tell.
More at Forbes
