We shouldn't have much longer to wait for the iPhone 15 Pro's announcement at Apple's 'Wonderlust' September 12 event, and plenty of upgrades could be in store. Rumor has it the iPhone 15 Pro will be the biggest leap forward since the iPhone X thanks to a ton of new changes, from a new titanium frame with thinner bezels to a top-of-the-line A17 Bionic chip and action button.
Now a new iPhone 15 Pro render from noted leaker Apple Intro gives us our latest peak at what to expect from Apple's next-gen high-end smartphone. "This year will be the biggest for iPhone in some time," they wrote.
iPhone 15 Pro rumored design changes 🦾This year will be the biggest for iPhone in some time. pic.twitter.com/yQJmdDwSs6September 2, 2023
Alongside the render is a list of seven of the biggest rumored design changes coming to the iPhone 15 Pro. The list echoes rumors that have been circulating for a while now, but seeing everything on offer in a rendered version of the final product is interesting in itself. Especially amid all the hype leading up to Apple's big event.
Read on for the seven biggest iPhone 15 Pro leaked features so far.
New titanium body
Let's start off with the form factor itself. Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra as Apple may be calling it) are tipped to ditch stainless steel in favor of titanium for the surrounding frame.
Since it's a stronger and lighter material than aluminum and steel, this switch would make the iPhone 15 Pro easier to carry without sacrificing structural integrity. And it'd mean your phone would be better equipped to withstand bumps and drops more easily.
Thinner bezels
Previous iPhone 15 Pro mock-ups showed off ridiculously thin bezels for Apple's next-gen smartphone. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed in August that the phone’s border will shrink to just 1.5mm, a figure this latest leak echoes.
Apparently, we have Apple’s introduction of LIPO — low-injection pressure over-molding — into its production process to thank for this latest step forward. Apple previously implemented this with the Apple Watch 7, which made a huge difference to the amount that could be displayed on screen.
Larger camera lenses
While the iPhone 15 Pro isn't expected to receive the iPhone 15 Pro Max's rumored new periscope zoom lens with 6x magnification, its camera array could still see an overhaul.
Apple Intro said the iPhone 15 Pro could get larger camera lenses, though they hedge that this is not yet confirmed. In May, another leaker claimed the iPhone 15 Pro series will be getting a new camera arrangement that tweaks the positions of the ultrawide and telephoto lenses. This move is apparently being made to accommodate the new periscope zoom, even though it will likely be a Pro Max exclusive.
More curved design
As we've seen in previous renders, the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to sport "slight curved edges," Apple Intro said. This more curved frame could make the handset more comfortable to hold, shaving off the hard edges we saw on the iPhone 14 series to make a design somewhere between it and the older rounded iPhones like the iPhone 11.
Action Button
Say goodbye to the mute switch and hello to the action button. Rumor has it the iPhone 15 Pro is swapping out the switch for a flexible, programmable solid-state action button. With it, you'll still be able to toggle your phone's ringer on and off, of course, just as you could with the mute switch. But you'll also be able to program the button to do a bunch of other handy functions, such as enabling Do Not Disturb or Low Power Mode and more.
With this change, the iPhone 15 Pro models could mark the end of an era for iPhones. The mute switch has been on every iPhone model since Apple debuted the original back in 2007. But while a physical toggle has its benefits, Apple and other smartphone manufacturers have been steadily stripping away its contemporaries from their handset's designs for years. Who knows, soon the mute switch could go the way of the headphone jack and 30-pin charger.
USB-C port
One of the biggest changes coming to the iPhone 15 series is USB-C charging. Apple has confirmed plans to ditch its proprietary Lightning port for a more universal charging standard to fall in line with a recent European Union mandate that all phones, tablets and cameras must use a USB-C port for charging by 2024. Speedier 35W wired charging capabilities could also be headed for the iPhone 15 Pro.
New color options
Apple Intro corroborated a previous rumor that the iPhone 15 Pro will come in two new color options, blue and gray. The latter, possibly called Titanium Gray or Titan Gray, is a particularly appropriate hue given that Apple's purportedly adding titanium metal side rails to the Pro iPhones this year.
According to a 9to5Mac report last week, this gray option is set to replace the gold option we've seen all Pro iPhones come in since the line's introduction. Space Black and Silver will be sticking around though, the outlet said.
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