iPhone 15 Pro: 5 things to know about Apple’s 2023 flagship smartphone (2024)

iPhone 15 Pro ‘Ultra’ could replace the Pro Max model

Several rumours are predicting that Apple’s upcoming Pro Max model will be called the “iPhone 15 Ultra” name. More specifically, Bloomberg’s Ming-Chi Kuo claims the reason for the change in the marketing name could be due to the launch of the Apple Watch Ultra. The “Ultra” suffix not only sounds cool but also gives the iPhone Pro Max a boost to its appeal among premium consumers. For example, the Apple Watch Ultra is an expensive smartwatch and the “ultra” name elevates its “premium” image among potential consumers. Apple clearly wants the iPhone 15 Pro to be a distinctive product from the entry-level iPhone 15 and changing the name from the “Pro Max” to “Ultra” makes perfect sense.

Still have a back glass btw
Personally i think this design will create a really beautiful edge transition from the back to the camera bump https://t.co/VcXQaI4MDx

— ShrimpApplePro 🍤 (@VNchocoTaco) November 21, 2022

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Get ready for a new Titanium design with rounded edges

Since the Apple Watch Ultra has a titanium case, the newer iPhone 15 Pro may also get a durable, Titanium body. That being said, the back panel will still have glass. The iPhone 15 Pro could feature a rounded back panel rather than a flat one as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 series phones have had. Think about the design language introduced by Apple when it launched the iPhone 5c. Although the iPhone 5C was a budget phone, it featured curved edges on the back of the phone. Given the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be a big phone, curved, round back edges will let users hold their phones more comfortably.

‘USB-C’ to offer faster data transfer

The iPhone 15 Pro could very well have a USB-C port. With new regulations in the EU will require Apple to produce an iPhone model with USB-C from 2024 onwards, Apple has no choice but to bring USB-C charging port to the iPhone. Noted Apple analyst recently tweeted that all 2023 iPhone 15 models will adopt the USB-C connection standard. However, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will also adopt at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3. This allows the iPhone 15 Pro to be the only iPhone in the iPhone 15 series that will get a significant boost in wired transfer speeds.

[Analysis] Apple’s camera supply chain will enter a two-year high-speed growth cycle thanks to iPhone 15’s adoption of a high-ASP periscope design / Apple相機供應鏈將因iPhone 15採用高單價潛望鏡設計而進入連續兩年高速成長週期 @mingchikuo https://t.co/CfUiUe7JQH

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) July 14, 2022

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Periscope lens technology

There’s also speculation that the iPhone 15 Pro may have a periscope lens. A periscope camera essentially uses a combination of mirrors or a prism to bend light. Smartphone makers such as Samsung and Huawei have used the same concept to create periscope modules for cameras to improve their zooming range. Apple has been rumoured to be working on a periscope lens for its iPhone line for years but is yet to bring the technology to any iPhone. If this rumour turns out to be true then, Apple will be able to have an optical zoom that is lossless and does not affect image quality while zooming. Just think about 10x optical zoom on the next high-end iPhone.

More ‘expensive’ than the iPhone 14 Pro Max

With the iPhone 14 Pro range costing more in many parts of the world including India, this trend may continue next year as well. In a new tweet, popular anonymous industry insider LeaksApplePro has revealed that the iPhone 15 Ultra, “will cost substantially more to manufacture than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.” We still don’t know how much the new Pro model will cost, but it’s evident that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely be an expensive device.