This is everything we have heard so far about the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to be announced on September 12, with pre-orders starting on September 15. The standard iPhone 15 models may have a frosted finish and new color options, while the display size is expected to remain similar to the iPhone 14. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could feature a 48-megapixel main camera sensor like the iPhone 14 Pro, but may not have the same camera upgrades as the Pro models.Apple iPhone leaks typically run throughout the entire year. No sooner does the latest iPhone series arrive – sometimes even before – then rumours start about the next models. For 2022, there were four iPhone models: the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
We’ve covered off what the rumours are saying about the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Ultra in a separate feature, but here we are looking at what we can expect for the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
iPhone 15 release dateApple has sent out invitations to an event on 12 September, where we’re expecting to see the launch of the iPhone 15. The iPhone 14 series arrived on 7 September 2022, which was a week earlier than most expected, with Apple now falling back into its usual launch cadence.
That would likely mean the iPhone 15 is available to pre-order on 15 September, and available to buy from 22 September. It’s possible that not all models will go on sale at the same time, as has been the case in the past. iPhone 14 Plus was later than the iPhone 14 for 2022, so the same could happen this year too.
iPhone 15 designThe Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are likely to look the same as each other, aside from their physical size. They will also probably be a little less premium in their material choice than the iPhone 15 Pro models – aluminum instead of stainless steel or titanium for example. So far, details have been thin on the ground in terms of their designs, though there have been a number of suggestions that the iPhone 15 models will be getting the Dynamic Island cutout we saw on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in 2022. It’s also said that the Dynamic Island will include a proximity sensor within it rather than underneath it for the iPhone 15 models, though this shouldn’t change its appearance.
There wasn’t a huge design change between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 14 so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a bigger difference in the iPhone 15 models, though Dynamic Island would sort of do this.
It’s also been claimed the iPhone 15 models could come in cyan and magenta color options and it’s been claimed the finish could be frosted rather than glossy, matching what we currently see on the iPhone 14 Pro models. Elsewhere, it’s also been suggested the iPhone 15 models could see a switch to eSIM only for the UK and Europe, matching what Apple did for the iPhone 14 models in the US.
iPhone 15 displayIt’s claimed the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will feature the same display sizes as their predecessors – or at least very close to the same size. The iPhone 14 has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with 2532 x 1170 pixel resolution. This results in a pixel density of 460ppi. The iPhone 14 Plus meanwhile, has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a 2778 x 1284 pixel resolution, resulting in a 458ppi.
Both devices have a 1200nits peak brightness and both support True Tone, Haptic Touch and HDR. It’s expected the iPhone 15 models will offer the same, though there is some talk of a 6.12-inch or 6.2-inch display for the standard iPhone 15. There was also talk of slimmer bezels around the display, though this appears to be for the Pro models rather than the standard models.
Whether the iPhone 15 models will adopt the Always On Display featured on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max isn’t clear yet, though it would require them to also adopt ProMotion, and rumours are suggesting that won’t be the case.
iPhone 15 hardware and specsThe Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro opted for the same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models rather than running the A16 chip featured on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s possible Apple will do the same for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, moving them onto the A16 chip rather than the A17, which is what is expected to run the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Ultra.
It’s also claimed that Apple will use Qualcomm’s 5G modem for the iPhone 15 models rather than a modem built in-house as it was initially thought for this year. Rumors suggest the first model to run an in-house 5G modem will be the iPhone SE (2024).
In terms of storage, no rumours have appeared detailing any changes to storage as yet. If the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus offer the same as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, then we can expect 128GB, 256GB and 512GB options. There have been suggestions of improved RAM though.
While there might not be huge changes, we’d also expect some battery improvements on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. The iPhone 14 Plus has an excellent battery performance, so we’d expect similar from the iPhone 15 Plus. It’s also been claimed this will be the year Apple will finally make the switch from Lighting to USB-C, though it’s said you will need a certified cable and charging speeds may be restricted depending on the cable. That said, we might see a bump to 35W charging – and there’s also talk of braided cables for some models, or color-matched cables for others.
iPhone 15 camerasWhen it comes to cameras, there have been reports suggesting the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could see an upgrade to the 48-megapixel main sensor, though it may not be the same as the one found in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s also claimed that the standard iPhone 15 models might feature a stacked image sensor that will allow more light to get in, though it’s said a couple of different configurations have been tested. It’s also not clear if the iPhone 15 Pro models will get This upgrade.
If the standard iPhone 15 models do move to a stacked image sensor with a 48-megapixel resolution, we don’t expect to see the iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus offer the telephoto lens offered by the Pro models in order to continue to offer a differentiation between the standard and Pro models.
We would expect to see similar features across the four models though, with perhaps a couple of extras on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.