USB-C, release date, Ultra version… everything we know
In 2023, Apple will (certainly) present its new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Max, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra. Price, release date, technical sheet… We take stock of the first information available about them.
Each year, the program of smartphone releases is set like clockwork, punctuated by market leaders. Among them, Apple and its iPhones which mark the world of tech every year at the end of the summer. 2023 should not escape the rule and we are already expecting to see the arrival of the generation of iPhone 15, 15 Pro and 15 Ultra, which Apple plans to sell like hotcakes. Release date, design, technical data sheet, price… we take stock of the rumours, leaks and assumptions about the next smartphones from Apple.
The iPhone 15 Ultra instead of the iPhone 15 Pro Max?
In 2022, Apple changed its lineup, removing its variant “ minito offer an iPhone 14 Plus. While we thought this nomenclature was thought to last, it would actually seem that 2023 is also amazing on iPhone names. This time, it’s the iPhone 15 Pro Max that should transform and change its name.
The famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thus evokes that iPhone 15 Pro Max could actually be called iPhone 15 Ultra. By doing this, Apple would mark a clear difference in range by offering an ultra-premium modellike the Apple Watch Ultra.
Although the name would be a first for the iPhone, the strategy itself would not be new. We saw with the generation of the iPhone 13 a differentiation between the Pro and the Pro Max. The latter had a better photo module than its smaller version (telephoto lens with greater magnification, stabilization on the wide-angle sensor and optical stabilization of the ultra wide-angle). This material improvement would therefore be more marked this year, justifying a possibly higher price.
But since March, the name Ultra has been less and less present in the leaks. Remember that no leak had provided the name of the Apple Vision Pro. One element comes back all the time: Apple would have decided to create a real upgrade between the iPhone Pro and the Pro Max.
For the moment, there is nothing to suggest, however, that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus would be technically different apart from their screen diagonal and their battery.
Goodbye Lightning, hello USB-C
Europe now imposes universal connectivity to limit the renewal of accessories when changing devices, and in particular smartphones. Thus, Apple will have to comply with this decision on the Old Continent and abandon Lightning to adopt USB-C. And the brand’s first iPhone to make this transition would obviously be the iPhone 15. Apple has already confirmed it (expressing its dissatisfaction in passing), the iPhone 15 will have a USB-C port.
Even if it means switching to USB-C, Apple would not do things by halves. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus should not see a real evolution since it would be USB 2.0, but the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Ultra would offer a speed that could equal that of USB 3.2 (20 Gb / s ), or even those of Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gb/s).
Be careful though, the USB-C on iPhone would have something to cringe because of a small subtlety of which Apple has the secret.
And as the marketing of the Lightning was a substantial godsend for Apple, it seems quite logical that this is only one step. Apple has already planned to get out of the standard by offering a 100% wireless smartphone in the future. It would then recharge wirelessly using both induction charging and Apple’s MagSafe technology.
On a related topic, also know that reverse wireless charging could even make its appearance.
A change of button
To move towards a design without the slightest roughness, Apple will have to not only remove the ports, but also the buttons. This work has already started with the removal of Touch ID (which shouldn’t be coming back anytime soon) and the iPhone 15s could have gone even further by removing the buttons.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (still him) said for a time that the iPhone 15 (or at least ONE iPhone 15) would be devoid of physical buttons. He then explained that it would be replaced by tactile zones coupled with haptic feedback. Finally, Apple would have encountered too many difficulties on this technical solution and would have decided to postpone the switch to buttonless to the iPhone 16. Relic of this research all the same, the mute button would have disappeared in favor of an action button configurable.
Another possible novelty: Apple could integrate titanium into its iPhone 15 Ultra, information confirmed by Bloomberg . What justify a little more its higher price and the move upmarket. The iPhone 15 Pro for its part would rely on stainless steel while the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus would opt for good old aluminum.
Note that CAD plans already allow you to glimpse the design of the iPhone 15. Same story with 3D renderings of the iPhone 15 Pro.
Done the notch, Dynamic Island on the iPhone 15
The iPhone 14 Pro introduced a new design. The notch present since the iPhone X has given way to Dynamic Island, a “ pill“grouping the front camera and the sensors necessary for Face ID. Apple has nevertheless made this constraint a real asset by intelligently adding a software layer. Reserved for the “Pro” range this year, this novelty should also trickle down to the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus in 2023. iOS 17 should of course be included, the interface having already entered beta since WWDC 2023.
Older rumors also suggest that the sensors needed for Face ID could be hiding under the screen in 2023. This is still rather unclear at the moment, but it would be a nice addition to justify the qualification of “Ultraon one of these four smartphones.
iPhone 15, 15 Pro and 15 Ultra spec sheet
For the moment, we do not know in detail the technical sheet of the iPhone 15, but some points have however been put forward by certain sources.Nikkei Asiaaffirms for example that Apple will resume the split visible at the level of the SoC of the iPhone 14.
Thus, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Ultra would benefit from a new A17 Bionic chip engraved in 3 nm according to TSMC’s second-generation process, while the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus would run thanks to the A16. The A17 Bionic would potentially allow Apple to greatly improve the autonomy of its phones, since the switch to 3 nm would be a real step forward. According to a first rumor, we can expect a performance gain of around 20%, which would be significant.
Perhaps even more striking, the A17 chip would integrate the U2 chip, the new chip dedicated to connectivity. It would integrate Wi-Fi 7. Similarly, the RAM would go up to 8 GB on the two most expensive models, against only 6 GB for the other two.
Improved photo zoom
In addition, the Ultra (or Pro Max) model could well inherit an additional telephoto lens. A periscope zoom bringing the best-equipped iPhone 15 to four photo modules.
A better night shot
The iPhone 15 (we don’t yet know which model is concerned) should also mark an evolution in night photography. The device should integrate a new Sony sensor “doubling the saturation signal level for each pixel», compared to a traditional sensor. Clearly, this should greatly improve the management of HDR and also the capture of light in low light, an area in which the iPhone suffers a little from the blow.
Prices of the iPhone 15, 15 Pro and 15 Ultra
No information regarding iPhone 15 pricing has been released so far. However, we can easily make some predictions based on Apple’s habits.
We can already say that the iPhone 15 will not cost less than the iPhone 14 and that the first price will therefore be at least 1019 euros for the iPhone 15 and 1329 euros for the iPhone 15 Pro. Moreover, given the economic situation, it would not be surprising if prices continued to increase with the next generation of iPhone. Some rumors evoke an Ultra model which would start at 1679 euros. Others argue that internationally, and therefore in France, all Pro models would see their prices inflate. The iPhone 15 plus for its part could see its price slightly reduced given the oven that the previous model had to undergo.
The differences in ranges could also be even more marked in terms of prices. The arrival of a modelUltracould encourage Apple to add a few tens or even a few hundred euros to the price of the device.
What is the release date of the iPhone 15, 15 Pro and 15 Ultra?
Apple’s schedule is set like clockwork. When no incident comes to disturb this rhythm, the iPhone is therefore always presented in September, generally on a Tuesday. According toIT HomeApple would have taken the lead to avoid the supply problems encountered by the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro.
We can therefore expect an announcement of the iPhone 15 on September 12 or 19, or at least around those days. However, logistical constraints can make things happen until the last moment.
Three Apple Watch would be announced, the Apple Watch Series 9 in two sizes as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 2nd edition.
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