Apple iPhone 15 rumour round-up: What to expect from the next iPhone launch event

Note: This feature was first published on 23 August 2023.

Apple iPhone 15 rumour round-up

Apple’s annual September-ish keynote heralds anticipation around the company’s popular mobile handset offering — the iPhone.

This year’s iPhone 15 series lineup has seen its fair share of rumours — ranging from realistic to ridiculous — so we’re here to make sense of all that’s likely coming to the iOS smartphones in due course. 

We’ve rounded up the Apple iPhone 15 rumours below, based on what we think iPhone and non-iPhone users would be most excited about in these new devices. 

Design, Handling, everything you can see or touch

First, you’ll likely see four iPhone 15 models, just like previous years' iPhone 14 and 13 series. There’s a standard variant, along with a large Plus model, and two Pro series models (Pro and Pro Max).

All iPhone 15 models may now feature the Dynamic Island cut-out where the front camera sits. Previously, this was exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models. This Dynamic Island rumour was persistent, having popped up in renders by other Apple fans in its community. 

The new iPhones will also have slightly slimmer curved bezels for more display real estate. It’s not going to change its physical dimensions by much, but that bezel difference brought forth rumours that claim iPhone 15 base model has a mildly larger 6.2-inch panel as the result of this tweak.

The iPhone 15 series (regular and Plus) will likely feature frosted glass finishes, with a new cyan-green colour option in the mix. Pro models get even more exciting colour variants, with a rumoured dark red and dark blue spoken for. 

The iPhone 15 Pro series is said to feature titanium frames and solid-state volume/power buttons with haptic feedback. Rumours have also indicated that these new haptic-based buttons are compatible with gloves and cases that cover them. Even the mute button might see a design shift. Functionally, they are identical to regular buttons but earn cool points if Apple implements them well.

The switch to USB-C ports and cables

Since 2022, the iPhone 15 series has been rumoured to switch from its long-running Lightning ports to USB-C ports because of European legislation requiring devices from different manufacturers to standardise their usage of ports. 

Before celebrating, know that Apple may still insist on MFi certification for its iPhone’s USB-C ports and cables. It’s not a far-fetched rumour since MFi (made for iPhones/iPad) certification was a thing during the iPhones’ run with Lightning ports, and this possibility was substantial enough for the commissioner of the European Union to issue a warning letter about limiting iPhone charging and data speeds on non-MFi USB-C cables.

Not all things USB-C is acrimonious for iPhone and its users. Rumours have also stated how Apple has already begun producing USB-C EarPods (the wired in-ear headphones that come with each iPhone purchase), and that USB-C cables for iPhones will come in colours that match the phones’ colourways.

iPhone 15 series’ imaging and camera changes

Sony will continue to supply its imaging sensors to Apple’s iPhones, granting the iOS devices its long-standing reputation around its photography and videography capabilities. That said, there will be some marked improvements, should the rumours come true.

The new stacked imaging sensors for iPhone 15 series can supposedly deliver double the saturation signal level per pixel, which helps capture more light, and minimises over- and underexposure in some conditions.

Among many imaging rumours, some notable ones are 5x optical zoom support on upcoming Pro models, a periscope zoom lens exclusively for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and 48MP cameras available to all new iPhone models. That rumour depends on Sony's ability to keep up with Apple’s massive orders, though.

New A17 Bionic processor and low-energy chipset

Following last year’s traditions, Apple will likely introduce a new A17 Bionic chipset built on a 3nm manufacturing process. Still, it would only be available on the Pro and Pro Max models. The A17 Bionic is said to carry one more GPU core than its predecessor and higher clock speeds for the CPU.

More to the power consumption efficiency of Apple’s upcoming mobiles is a new ultra-low energy chipset that stretches the uptime of low-power services on iPhones. Features, like Find My and Apple Pay’s Express Mode, would likely benefit from the change, along with operating its new solid-state buttons.

Bigger batteries, faster charging

More is always better, and the rumours about iPhone 15’s battery-related changes are very positive. The 2023 Apple handsets are said to have anywhere from a 10.9% to 18% increase in battery capacities. Pro models may even feature 35W wired charging (which is higher than its current peak 27W fast-charging), on top of additional Qi2 wireless charging compatibility, which gives it 15W MagSafe-like charging speeds from non-MagSafe charging accessories. Battery and charging rumours are hardly sexy, but no less important if you want an iPhone that lets you do what you love longer.

Other Apple devices and accessories

Other Apple devices or services typically accompany Apple iPhone launches, even if they aren’t always the main focus of its September keynotes.

As far as the rumours go, Apple Watch Series 9 is coming, but it won’t likely see significant changes beyond a newly upgraded chipset with better efficiency in processing and power.

There are also rumours of a new iPad mini, but it likely won’t be readily available after the September keynote.

Possible price hikes

Not all rumours are good; we sincerely hope this isn’t true. 

The iPhone 15 lineup is expected to see a price hike across the board, partly due to the changes we’ve seen in the earlier rumours mentioned in this article (titanium frame, new sensors, haptic “buttons”, etc.). Oddly, the price hike only applies to iPhones sold outside of the U.S.

Some analysts estimate a hike of anywhere between US$100 to US$200 more for an iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you’ve been following iPhones and their launches, you’d already know that Pro Max variants cost north of S$2,000, so an additional 15% to its sticker price will likely cause considerable damage to wallets everywhere.

Hopefully, this remains a rumour and nothing more. 

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