When will the new iPhone 15 be released? Launch date, price and everything we know so far about Apple’s latest smartphone
- Apple’s iPhone 15 is expected to be revealed in September, barring any setbacks
- Here’s what we know about the device’s design based on leaks and predictions
- READ MORE: Apple may be working on a rollable iPhone, new patent suggests
The most exciting time of the year for Apple fans – the announcement of a new iPhone – is now just a month away.
The tech giant is expecting to pull back the curtain on the iPhone 15 in the first two weeks of September from its Cupertino headquarters.
iPhone 15 could pack some of the biggest design changes for an Apple smartphone in recent years, including a new charging port.
It will come hot on the heels of the company’s first ever augmented reality headset, which is expected to be released in the US in the first few months of 2024.
Here’s everything we know about the iPhone 15, including what it will look like, when it will be released and how much it will cost.
Here’s what we know about the iPhone 15’s design based on leaks and predictions from industry experts
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’)
HOW MANY iPHONE 15 MODELS WILL APPLE REVEAL?
Apple is expected to unveil four variations of the iPhone 15 – the standard model, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
According to some reports, Apple has decided to change the name of the iPhone Pro Max – the top end version – to ‘iPhone Ultra’.
Whatever its name, it’s still considered one of its two ‘Pro’ models (meaning it’ll have more power and greater capabilities, as well as a higher price-tag).
A few features will be exclusive to the higher-end versions, but the biggest design tweaks will come to the entire iPhone 15 family.
HOW WILL iPHONE 15 BE DIFFERENT FROM iPHONE 14?
Newly-unveiled iPhones can be a disappointment because they’re not much different from the prior year’s version – but iPhone 15 is shaping up to be an exception.
According to leaked information and dummy units – accurate models given to third parties – there are some substantial design changes coming with the new flagship.
Firstly, iPhone 15 will have a completely different charging port, although Apple has been effectively forced to make this design change.
Unlike predecessors, iPhone 15 has a USB-C charging port – commonly used by Android phones – instead of a Lightning port, which is an Apple design.
iPhones currently use Apple’s proprietary power connector technology ‘Lightning’ (top right). But Apple will have to comply with a new EU law that makes USB-C (bottom right) the EU standard. This means iPhones sold in EU countries will have to come with USB-C instead of Lightning
Pictured, dummy units of all four iPhone 15 models as revealed in a video posted to YouTube by MacRumors
YouTuber Dan 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
READ MORE: Apple DOES NOT seem happy about the USB-C law
Apple exec Greg Joswiak (right) said the tech giant will ‘have to comply’ with a new law passed by the EU
Apple has had to switch from Lightning, discernible by its eight pins, to USB-C due to new European legislation that is aiming to make a single charging design the common standard – and ultimately reduce electronic waste.
YouTuber Dan Barbera had access to a iPhone 15 dummy unit that clearly showed a port with a USB-C charger.
In fact, the dummy was so accurate that he was able to plug his USB-C charging cable into its charging port.
‘You get that sense of relief that we’re finally going to basically be able to carry one cable for almost all modern day electronics,’ the YouTuber said.
In terms of the flagship’s shape, all four iPhone 15 models have curvier edges compared with the iPhone 14 models, which makes it more comfortable in the hand, according to Barbera.
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.
While Apple is not expecting to increase the size of the iPhone’s screen this year, it will shrink the border that goes around the edge – known as the ‘bezel’.
A US leaker and Apple expert called Mark Gurman claims the border size around the display will be 1.5 millimeters, down from about 2.2 millimeters on current iPhones.
Long term, Apple wants to release an iPhone that is ‘truly all-screen’ with no borders around the display and no cutouts for cameras or sensors, he says – and iPhone 15 is a step towards that goal.
Meanwhile, Dynamic Island – a feature introduced last year with just the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max – is rumored to feature on all four iPhone 15 models.
Dynamic Island – seen at the top of these iPhone 14 Pro models – is a built-in notch that gets bigger to display notifications
READ MORE: Apple unveils its augmented reality headset
Apple’s Vision Pro headset on display at the Worldwide Developers Conference, June 5
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.
Meanwhile, the camera bump on the back will be thicker, possibly to house more powerful image sensors, according to a report from 9to5mac, while the lenses are ‘protruding’ more, likely for greater zoom capabilities.
Previous reports have suggested Apple was introducing touch-sensitive buttons for the iPhone 15, but these have been shelved, according to Gurman.
‘The buttons wouldn’t physically press in, allowing new software tricks and reducing the number of breakable components on the device,’ he said.
‘The enhancement, codenamed Bongo, was cancelled after a slew of engineering problems.
‘There also were concerns about the cost increase compared with regular buttons.’
A top-of-the-range chip called A17 Bionic for the iPhone 15 Pro and Max models will also improve performance, including AI capabilities and battery life.
Apple releases a new iPhone every year to much fanfare. The iPhone 15 models will likely be released in September 2023 – although one analyst claimed this will be delayed by a month
HOW MUCH WILL iPHONE 15 COST?
According to Apple analyst Jeff Pu based in Hong Kong, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be more expensive than previous Pro models.
Apple has raised the prices for the two Pro models this year due to big hardware updates, including the titanium frame and the A17 Bionic chip, he claims.
iPHONE 14 PRICES
iPhone 14: £799/$849
iPhone 14 Plus: £949/$899
iPhone 14 Pro: £1,099/$999
iPhone 14 Pro Max: £1,199/$1,099
Although Pu didn’t reveal exact price-tags, it’s worth noting that last year’s iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max started at £1,099/$999 and £1,199/$1,099, respectively.
Tim Long, an analyst at Barclays, also expects price hikes for the two more expensive iPhone 15 models, while the standard and Plus models will be about the same as last year.
iPhone 14’s standard model was £799/$849, while the iPhone 14 Plus was £949/$899.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has already fueled speculation that this year’s models will be pricier than any iPhone predecessors.
During an investor call in February, he suggested that a price increase would be justified.
‘The iPhone has become so integral into people’s lives,’ the CEO said.
‘I think people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in that category.’
iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are seen at an Apple store in New York, September 16, 2022. iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max started at £1,099/$999 and £1,199/$1,099, respectively
WHEN WILL iPHONE 15 BE RELEASED?
Apple usually announces a new flagship iPhone during a live event in the first two weeks of September, and 2023 is set to be no different.
Last year, the iPhone 14 was unveiled on a Wednesday (September 7), while the year before that the iPhone 13 arrived on a Tuesday (September 14).
That suggests iPhone 15 will be launched on one of four days in September 2023 – Tuesday 5, Wednesday 6, Tuesday 12 or Wednesday 13.
Apple has been quiet so far about any unveiling event for this autumn, although teaser promos and invites will likely drop this month.
Fans will be hoping Apple won’t have to delay the unveiling until October due to manufacturing issues, as claimed by one US analyst.
Apple already had to postpone the iPhone 12’s debut in 2020 due to supply chain disruption brought on by the Covid pandemic.
Future iPhones could be ROLLABLE, according to new Apple’s latest patent shows a smartphone that opens and closes like a fruit roll-up
Apple has yet to launch a foldable smartphone like its rivals Samsung and Motorola, but the tech giant could be working on a rollable iPhone that would be the first-ever.
A new patent describes a device that looks like a fruit roll-up with a thin screen that bends around an axis when stored away.
The roll-up iPhone would have a protective layer of glass over the display to protect it from scratches and other damages as it rolled and unrolled.
The document also suggested adding coatings to the outer layer, such as anti-smudge, anti-fog, antireflection, and anti-static layers.
Apple is set to launch its iPhone 15 in September, so if the company does release a rollable smartphone, it will not be until 2024 – at the earliest.
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