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Although it is still about nine months until Apple unveils the iPhone 15 series, rumors already suggest that next year's higher-end Pro models will have even more exclusive features than the standard models.
In September this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that strong sales of the iPhone 14 Pro models will likely prompt Apple to increase differentiation between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, although many hardware changes are likely planned several years in advance. There are currently at least five features that are rumored to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models. Here's an overview:
- A17 chip: The iPhone 15 Pro models will feature an A17 Bionic chip, manufactured using TSMC's second-generation 3nm process, offering improved performance and efficiency, according to Japanese publication Nikkei Asia. The report claims that 2023 could be the second year in a row that only the Pro models of the new iPhone lineup will feature Apple's latest chip.
- Faster USB-C port: According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 Pro models will come with a USB-C port that supports at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, which would mean that the devices will have significantly faster data transfer speeds with a cable than previous iPhones with Lightning. According to Kuo, the USB-C port on the standard iPhone 15 models will continue to be limited to USB 2.0 speeds like Lightning.
Solid-state keys, more memory and increased optical zoom
- Increased RAM: According to Taiwanese market research firm TrendForce, the iPhone 15 Pro models will come with an increased RAM of 8GB while the standard models will likely continue to have 6GB of RAM as they currently have. Additional RAM can allow apps like Safari to keep more content active in the background, preventing the app from reloading content when it is reopened.
- Solid-state buttons: According to Kuo, the iPhone 15 Pro models will feature solid-state buttons for the volume and power buttons. The analyst said the devices will come with two additional Taptic Engines that provide haptic feedback to simulate the feel of button presses without the buttons physically moving, similar to the home button on the current iPhone SE or the trackpad on newer MacBooks. The change would also significantly increase the water resistance of the devices.
- Increased optical zoom for the iPhone 15 Pro Max: According to Kuo, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will come with a periscope telephoto lens. This could result in the device having at least 10x optical zoom, compared to 3x on the iPhone 14 Pro models.
iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 15 Ultra?
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has already said that the iPhone 15 Pro Max may be renamed the iPhone 15 Ultra due to greater differentiation. If customers are pushed to the Pro models, Apple could increase the average selling price of the iPhone. The trend started earlier this year, when only the iPhone 14 Pro models were available with Apples latest A16 Bionic chip while the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models were still equipped with the A15 Bionic chip from last year. Apple will probably announce the iPhone 15 lineup in September as usual. With many months left until the launch, it is likely that more features will be revealed. So the information we have at the moment is just a small taste of what we can actually expect. (Image: Apple)
