Is THIS the iPhone 15? Leaked images reveal the designs for all four models rumoured to be in the upcoming range of phones from Apple
- Dummy units of all four new iPhone 15 models revealed in a YouTube video
- They have curvier edges, matte glass and USB-C charging instead of Lightning
- Rumours suggest top-end version could be Apple’s most expensive phone yet
Apple fans still have four months left to wait before the iPhone 15 is expected to arrive, but a new leak gives the most detailed view yet of the firm’s new flagship.
‘Very accurate’ dummy units in a new video from MacRumors show all four of the new iPhone 15 models – including the standard model and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Like previous leaks, the units show the iPhone 15 has a USB-C charging port instead of a Lightning port, due to legislation passed in 2022 by the European Union.
All four models also have ‘frosted back glass’, curvier edges, and come with Dynamic Island, the pill-shaped notch at the top of the screen.
It follows rumours that the high-end version of the new iPhone 15 will be Apple’s most expensive smartphone yet.
Dummy units of all four iPhone 15 models have been revealed in the new video posted to YouTube by MacRumors
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Dz_8n9EcslU%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US
MacRumors revealed the four iPhone 15 dummy units in a video posted to YouTube, presented by content creator Dan Barbera.
Dummy smartphones are sent out by phone makers to third-party case manufacturers in the run-up to a device’s release.
Rumoured iPhone 15 models
- iPhone 15 (standard model)
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max (also being referred to as ‘iPhone 15 Ultra’)
Although the objects look exactly like the real thing, they tend to be made largely of plastic and don’t contain the required circuitry to actually function.
Even so, MacRumors claims the dummy units provide ‘early impressions of what the iPhone 15 line-up is going to look and feel like’ when it’s released in September.
‘All of the rumours that have been circulating about the upcoming iPhone 15 seem to be corroborated and confirmed with these dummy units,’ said Barbera.
‘The dummy units are very accurate and show us a glimpse of what case manufacturers are using and expecting when it comes to the new iPhones.’
He said that at first glance the four iPhone 15 models ‘don’t look very different’ to last year’s iPhone 14, although there are ‘a few things’ that become noticeable on closer inspection.
Firstly, the Lightning charging port of previous iPhones has gone, replaced by USB-C, the charging technology already used by Android phones.
Apple has had to switch from Lightning, discernible by its eight pins, to USB-C due to new European legislation that is aiming to reduce electronic waste.
Barbera, who tried out the new port with a USB-C charger, seems certain that the charging technology is all but confirmed for the next iPhone.
This view of the bottom of the dummy units shows USB-C charging ports, not Lightning charging ports
Barbera, who tried out the new port with a USB-C charger, seems certain that the charging technology is all but confirmed for the next iPhone
Left, a USB-C charger (already used by Android phones) and right, Apple’s Lightning charger. The new iPhone will have USB-C, leaks and dummy units have shown
‘We’ve had basically confirmation from Apple themselves that this is going to happen – and that’s been the rumour for a while,’ he said.
READ MORE: iPhone 15 Pro could be Apple’s priciest phone ever
Pictured is last year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max
‘It’s nice just to be able to stick a USB-C cord into the bottom and actually see that it’s a perfect fit.’
‘You get that sense of relief that we’re finally going to be able to carry one cable for almost all modern-day electronics.’
The edges of the iPhone 15 are much curvier compared with the iPhone 14 models, which makes it more comfortable in the hand, according to Barbera.
‘Those sharp corners, those sharp edges are a lot more rounded off now, they’re no longer squared, it’s kind of like a square-circle combination,’ he said.
iPhone 15’s edges also have a more ‘dull, brushed’ look than the shiny metal edges on the iPhone 14 models, thanks to the use of titanium instead of stainless steel, while the back is a matte glass rather than polished glass.
The switch control on the side of the iPhone 15 models is no longer a switch that users can toggle on and off, but a press-down button.
Meanwhile, Dynamic Island – a feature introduced last year with just the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max – will feature on all iPhone 15 models, Barbera said.
Dummy smartphones are sent out by phone makers to third-party case manufacturers in the run-up to a device’s release
Dynamic Island is a pill-shaped black notch that conceals the front-facing camera but also changes size to show important alerts, notifications and activities
Dynamic Island is a pill-shaped notch at the top of the screen that hides the front-facing camera but also changes size to show important alerts, notifications and activities, blurring the boundary between hardware and software.
iPhone 15: Rumoured key features
– Curvier edges
– Matt glass back cover
– Thinner bezel
– A17 Bionic chip
– USB-C port instead of Lightning
Previous rumours suggested the new phone’s volume-up and volume-down buttons on the side of the iPhone 15 will be incorporated into one long seesaw-style button.
However, Barbera said this ‘is probably not going to happen this year’, suggesting Apple could introduce the single button for the iPhone 16 in 2024 instead.
The new video from MacRumors isn’t the first to claim to show dummy units of the iPhone 15.
Earlier this month, a video posted to YouTube by Unbox Therapy showed the dummy for the most expensive iPhone 15, which is variously referred to as ‘iPhone 15 Ultra’ and ‘iPhone 15 Pro Max’.
This particular dummy also revealed a USB-C charging port, thinner bezels, ‘brushed aluminum edges’ and a press-down button instead of a switch on the top left edge.
Overall, the Unbox Therapy presenter called the new device ‘incredible’ and ‘one of the best-looking models I’ve ever handled or looked at’.
A YouTube video claims to show a dummy unit of iPhone 15 ‘Ultra’ – the most expensive of the upcoming iPhone 15 range that is expected to be released this September
As the video host compares the iPhone 15 dummy with iPhone 14 Pro Max, initially the two don’t seem that different – they have a similar camera set-up and the same dimensions – but on further inspection there are notable differences
Various sources are divided as to whether prices for the iPhone 15 family of smartphones will be higher than the iPhone 14.
One report from Taiwan’s United Daily News says the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be RMB 20,000, equivalent to $2,900 or £2,300.
However, Patently Apple calls this price rumour ‘a propaganda campaign’ started by Apple’s rivals in an attempt to direct them towards Chinese-made smartphones.
Apple is gearing up to release another huge product next month – its first ever mixed reality headset, which is expected to work closely with the next iPhone.
Why is Apple releasing a mixed reality headset?
Apple has long been rumoured to be developing an AR wearable; the tech giant filed a patent in 2019 that gives a glimpse into what it may be developing behind closed doors.
But work on the headset – supposedly called Reality Pro – has been going on for the best part of a decade.
According to leaker Mark Gurman, Reality Pro could be the next major platform beyond the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, which was first released to much hype back in 2015.
Expected to be called ‘Reality Pro’, the headset will transport notifications, messages, directions and more from your iPhone to in front of your eyes
Gurman has called the June 5 launch ‘one of the most critical events in the company’s history’ and an opportunity ‘to herald a post-iPhone era’.
With Reality Pro, Apple is ‘preparing for a future beyond the iPhone and iPad’ – but execs are ‘clear-eyed about Apple’s challenges pushing into this new market’.
While Gurman thinks the first version will be a ‘dud’ in terms of sales compared with the company’s existing hardware, future versions will likely do better as the product finds its place.
For now, Apple will have to explain to consumers why they’d want to own such a device and how it’s an improvement over the likes of iPhone and iPad.
Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight, said the device will appeal to loyal fans and those who want ‘an immersive experience in areas such as games and live events’.
But among the general public, adoption and awareness of AR and VR technologies ‘remains lackluster’ and could hamper sales of the headset.
Apple has long been rumoured to be developing an AR wearable. The tech giant filed a patent in 2019 (pictured) that gives a glimpse into what it may be developing behind closed doors
‘The device will provide a much needed boost and reignite interest in the virtual and augmented reality market,’ Pescatore told MailOnline.
‘Ultimately this is still at early stage and has some way to go before its mass market and widely accepted.
‘People are not rushing out of their seats to buy a VR headset or even watch 360 degree videos.’
Pescatore also said Apple ‘cannot solely rely on the iPhone forever’ given intense competition from rival firms in new product categories such as foldable devices.
‘The company has placed strong focus on the iPhone as a gateway to the Apple universe,’ he said.
‘This might suggest it is behind the curve on new hardware.’
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