Excluding foldables, the smartphone archetype is a rectangle of metal and glass, with as much space as possible for the display. Apple, like other manufacturers, has moved steadily in this direction over the years: the two most significant changes have been the abolition of the Home button, with the iPhone X, and the introduction of the Dynamic Island, last year. With the iPhone 15, arriving in September, the notch should also disappear on the standard version, while the screens of the Pro and Pro Max will be made with a new technology, called low-injection pressure over-molding (LIPO), already used on the Apple Watch. It should thus be possible to reduce the size of the display border from the current approx. 2.2 mm to 1.5 mm. In all likelihood the profile of the device will also be slightly revised: the overall design, at least on the two Pros, will not differ much from the current models, even if a new material, titanium, could arrive. The iPhone 15 could therefore mark the exit from the scene of steel, which is beautiful while new, but stains and scratches easily. Titanium, on the other hand, is more resistant, light and valuable; Apple currently adopts it on the Apple Watch Ultra.
Other changes in the Pro models could concern the interior, redesigned to ensure greater repairability, as happened last year with the iPhone 14.
Finally, for colors, there is much talk of a return of pink on the iPhone 15 and 15 Max, perhaps in the wake of the success of Barbie, and new shades of blue.
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Same but different
In fact, according to Bloomberg, this should be the biggest update to the iPhone since 5G was introduced three years ago. The most evident change, in daily use, will be the transition on all models from the current Lightning connector to the USB-C one, in advance of the recently approved regulations by the European Union which foresee it as a standard on consumer electronic devices. For the iPhone, this will translate into a new cable (same as the one supplied with the iPad today), but also into a higher data transfer speed, especially useful for those who need to transfer very large files to their computer, for example video.
Then there are important updates to the rear camera, including new lenses that should allow for a greater optical zoom, at least on the Pro Max model. As for the chip, the A16 should arrive on the cheaper models today only mounted on the iPhone 14 Pro, while the new Pro will switch to a processor with 3 nanometer technology, faster but also more economical, which should still increase autonomy.
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However, there will be another important feature that has been much discussed in recent months, namely the touch buttons for volume, mute and power controls. Thought a bit like the Mac trackpad, they would have returned the sensation of touch thanks to vibrations, but apparently Apple canceled the novelty at the last moment. However, the function of the mute switch could change, which perhaps will become customizable via software, as on the Apple Watch Ultra.
The numbers
Apple plans to produce 85 million iPhone 15s this year, a figure in line with the previous model. But the price of all models, and in particular of the two Pros, seems destined to rise, pushing up the company’s revenues. on the other hand, during the last quarter of Apple, the CEO Tim Cook had said: “I think our customers are willing to spend to have the best they can afford in each category”. We will see in September.