iPhone 15 Pro Max leaks show super-thin bezels and larger camera bump
Apple’s next flagship iPhone is looking promising
On April 8th, we got a purported look at how the iPhone 15 Pro is shaping up. The camera bump was the big news, as individual lenses appear to have doubled in size from the previous generation. Now, we've got more details.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn’t appear to have anywhere near as big an increase planned. Today, the leaker ShrimpApplePro has shared photos claiming to be of the phone’s CAD, sourced “from a case manufacturer.”
Excited to share photos of the iPhone 15 Pro Max CAD! This one was source from a case manufacturer. I know others have already shared the 3D model, but I wanted to give you my own w/ a closer look. As promised, the most detailed! 🧵 pic.twitter.com/FZGBueAgLlApril 8, 2023
In the Twitter thread above, ShrimpApplePro shares specific measurements of the phone, albeit with a slight caveat. “Note that the measurements of my iPhone 15 Pro Max 3D model may not be exactly the same as others out there but I believe its measurements are accurate and wanted to share them with you,” the leaker writes. “The cad last year I did a recheck and it was super accurate.”
With that healthy warning out of the way, the phone appears to be 159.86 x 77.58 x 8.25mm. For comparison’s sake, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is 160 x 77.6 x 7.9mm — so not dramatically different, but enough to ensure that existing cases won’t fit.
That width dimension, of course, applies to the body of the phone without taking the camera bump into account. With the camera bump included, it’s up to 12.02mm, which the leaker claims is around “5 percent bigger” than the current generation (up from 1.85mm to 2.05mm).
Notably, the leaker highlights that the actual lenses protrude less than last year — down from 2.33mm to 1.73mm. That’s a real contrast to the iPhone 15 Pro, where lens protrusion is said to have doubled, and may give more credence to the rumor that the iPhone’s first periscope camera will be a Pro Max exclusive.
One other interesting note from the leak: ShrimpApplePro describes “weird objects” atop the solid-state volume buttons. The leaker believes this is conductive padding attached to phone cases to ensure that gestures and action sensitivity work even if not in contact with the new-look controls.
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Elsewhere, the leaker IceUniverse has purportedly got his hands on glass covers for both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. While not especially interesting in and of themselves, glass sheets do reveal how thick the bezels are, and it appears that the iPhone 15 Pro handsets will have the thinnest yet.
Why do I want you to believe this is true? Because the evidence comes not only from CAD renderings, but also from physical objects: the glass cover of the iPhone, is part of the phone, not a protective film. So its bezel is equal to the bezel of the phone.bezel:15=14P>15P pic.twitter.com/FRkLi2b4zRApril 8, 2023
Both reportedly measure 1.55mm thick — a solid reduction on the 2.1mm of last year’s Pro models. And IceUniverse is certainly impressed by how it looks on the Pro Max frame:
iPhone 15 Pro Max CAD showed this ultimate bezel,No one will refuse this extreme.Holding it in your hand is like holding a piece of glass. Apple has created the peak design of human mobile phones. pic.twitter.com/uG7a3sCNqmApril 9, 2023
We’re still some way away from the iPhone 15’s September reveal, so expect more leaks in the weeks and months ahead. Apple may share more details about its upcoming flagship iPhones at WWDC 2023 in June. And if the A17 chip provides the serious upgrade that we’re hoping for, the iPhone 15 launch could be Apple’s biggest in years.
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Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.