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iPhone 15: release date news, price, features and spec leaks

iPhone 15 isn’t due out until late 2023, but excitement is starting to build. Apple hasn’t officially confirmed the existence of its next flagship phone, but there are plenty of credible iPhone 15 rumours for us to get our teeth into.

Let’s start with the basics. We are expecting four devices: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra (cue oohs and aahs). Top display analyst Ross Young believes all four will get a Dynamic Island cutout (via MacRumours).

The 2022 iPhone 14 brought some nice upgrades, but we are expecting even bigger things from the 2023 iPhone 15. Nothing is official, of course, but here’s everything we know so far about Apple’s next-gen iPhone…

iPhone 15 rumours at a glance

  • Two iPhone 15 models and two 15 Pro models
  • Pro Max renamed Ultra
  • Dynamic Islands on all models
  • Lightning connector dropped for USB-C
  • New periscope zoom
  • Predicted starting price: $799 / £849 / AU$1399

iPhone 15 release date rumours 

Apple is yet to breathe a word about the iPhone 15, let alone the iPhone 15 release date. But since Cupertino typically unveils new iPhones at the same time each year, it’s highly likely we will see the iPhone 15 arrive in September 2023.

The iPhone 13 broke cover on Tuesday 14th September 2021 while the iPhone 14 showed its face on Wednesday 7th September 2022. If Apple is once again drawn to a Tuesday or Wednesday in early September, the iPhone 15 could launch on 5th, 6th, 12th or 13th of September 2023.

However, some Apple watchers believe that the 12th September would be too close to 9/11, which is a day of remembrance in America. That would leave the 5th, 6th and 13th of September. Of course, this is all speculation – it’s unlikely that Apple has finalised the iPhone 15, let alone fixed a launch date.

As for the time, Apple’s events are usually held at the company’s Apple Park headquarters in California, so they tend to start at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 4am AEST.

iPhone 15 price leaks

There is no official news on the iPhone 15 price just yet. But since the entry-level iPhone 14 starts at £849 / $799 / AU$1399, we would expect the iPhone 15 to command a similar price, only – as is the way with such things – slightly more expensive.

Here’s a peek at the latest iPhone 15 price rumours:

  • iPhone 15: $799
  • iPhone 15 Plus: $999
  • iPhone 15 Pro: $1099
  • iPhone 15 Ultra: $1299

In the UK and Australia, the iPhone 14 made its debut at £150 / AU$200 more than the iPhone 13. That pattern was repeated across the board, with the 14 Plus retailing for what the 13 Pro used to retail at (£949 / $899 / AU$1579). 

It is likely, then, that we will see further price rises in 2023. Indeed, there is already talk of the iPhone 15 costing up to $899 in the US – $100 more than the iPhone 14.

iPhone 15 design

The iPhone 15 is tipped to look similar to the current iPhone 14. But we can expect a few tweaks…

Respected display analyst Ross Young tips Apple to expand the ‘pill-shaped’ Dynamic Island to all four iPhone models (via MacRumours) in 2023. In a tweet, Young says that the Dynamic Island is expected on “standard models on the 15”.

He adds that he is “still not expecting 120Hz/LTPO on standard models as they supply chain can’t support it.” In other words, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are unlikely to get Apple’s always-on display with ProMotion support. Boo!

Elsewhere, top Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman have both suggested that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be renamed the iPhone 15 Ultra. Apparently, the idea is to create a new ‘top-of-the-range’ moniker to match the Apple Watch Ultra.

Here’s how the iPhone 15 family could look:

iPhone 15 – 6.1-inch display

iPhone 15 Plus – 6.7-inch display

iPhone 15 Pro – 6.1-inch (120Hz display)

iPhone 15 Ultra – 6.7-inch (120Hz display)

The iPhone 15 could also herald the end of Lightning’s reign, which is expected to be replaced by USB-C in 2023. This would allow Apple to comply with upcoming European regulations designed to cut down on electronic waste.

Elsewhere, there is talk of Apple adding an under-display Face ID system to the iPhone 15. But Ross Young, who is typically on the money when it comes to iPhone screen tips, says that new tech will make its debut on the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024. 

Apple predictor-in-chief Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted a similar sentiment back in April 2022. He seems to feel that the Pro models will adopt both an under-display front camera and an under-display Face ID in 2024. 

Then there’s the rumoured iPhone Fold (yes, again). Apple is said to have tested a prototype and even to have trialled folding e-ink displays. Will we see an iPhone 15 Fold to rival the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 in 2023? Don’t hold your breath.

iPhone 15 specs

The iPhone 14 was introduced as “the most powerful iPhone ever”, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the iPhone 15 will have some extra pep in its step…

Nikkei Asia reports that next year’s Pro models could be the first to feature an A-series chip. The A17 is rumoured to be Apple’s first-ever 3nm (nanometer) chip, meaning it could combine a 15 per cent performance boost with a 30 per cent reduction in power consumption. The vanilla iPhone 15 models are tipped to get the chip from the current iPhone 14 Pro. 

Elsewhere, there is a lot of talk of Apple developing its own 5G modem chip to replace the model it currently buys from Qualcomm. This would give Apple total control over the iPhone 15 user experience; but it seems there’s a snag…

Top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Apple’s attempts to build a 5G modem have “failed” (per MacRumours), meaning that Apple won’t have the chip ready in time for the 2023 iPhone. It’s rare to hear such a brutal assessment of Apple’s engineering efforts, but Kuo seems pretty firm on this.    

The iPhone 15 Ultra (the handset formerly known as the iPhone 15 Pro Max) is expected to offer the best of everything, including support for 8K video recording, a new 2TB storage option and an exclusive periscope camera with a 6x or 5x optical zoom. Despite the power-hungry specification, the Ultra’s battery is said to last 3-4 hours longer than its predecessor’s did. 

There is some disagreement as to whether the fancy new periscope lens will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Ultra or not. Some analysts believe it could appear on both the Pro and the Ultra. Either way, it will be a major upgrade on the iPhone 14 Pro’s lens, which rocks a distinctly average 3x zoom. 

Apple phones seem to have fallen behind when it comes to camera zoom specification. The 2022 Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, for example, already boasts a 10x optical zoom and 100x digital ‘Space Zoom’. A 6x zoom would be welcome but it won’t catapult Apple to the head of the pack.

iPhone 15: name

Apple introduces new iPhone monikers – X, XS, Xr, Pro, Pro Max, Plus etc – as and when the technology demands it. It looks as though 2023 could be the year of the iPhone ‘Ultra’, but that is yet to be seen. Here’s the story so far…

2007 – iPhone

2008 – iPhone 3G

2009 – iPhone 3GS

2010 – iPhone 4

2011 – iPhone 4s

2012 – iPhone 5

2013 – iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c

2014 – iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

2015 – iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

2016 – iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

2017 – iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X

2018 – iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max

2019 – iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max

2020 – iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max

2021 – iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max

2022 – iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max 2023 – iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Ultra (TBC)

2024 – iPhone 16 (TBC)

iPhone 15: initial thoughts

Obviously, there’s no official information on the iPhone 15, but looking at the rumours and leaks and going by previous iPhone launches, you’d expect the iPhone 15 to be faster and smarter than the iPhone 14. But it looks as though you might have to splash out on the (potentially) pricey new iPhone 15 Ultra to get the rumoured periscope zoom and state-of-the-art A17 chip. Of course, there’s plenty of time for more rumours and leaks to hit the internet which we’ll be adding to this page as and when they arrive.

Don’t want to wait months and months for a new phone? We will be publishing our full and frank review of the iPhone 14 (not to mention the new AirPods Pro 2) shortly. 

Until then, roll on September 2023…

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