Toni Hobrecht
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected to be unveiled in September as usual. It is already known that the upcoming iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models will adopt the Smart Island function of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. With each new version, however, Apple makes the difference between the Pro and non-Pro models clearer.
Rumors are already pointing to the Pros getting at least six exclusive features that won’t be available on the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. This will also include high-end features for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (or iPhone 15 Ultra) to stand out from the Android competition. These six exclusive features are considered likely:
Apple A17 Bionic chipset
According to Nikkei Asia, the upcoming Pro models will feature the A17 Bionic chipset, which is based on a second-generation 3nm process from TSMC. This will increase performance and decrease power consumption at the same time. Last year only the Pro models of the iPhone 14 series got the latest Apple processor.
Titanium frame
As with the Apple Watch Ultra, the frames of the iPhone 15 Pro models will be titanium instead of stainless steel. Information provided by tipster Jeff Pu.
Fast USB-C port
According to trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 Pro models will also feature USB-C ports that support at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3. This makes significantly faster data transfer speeds possible. The USB-C port on the standard iPhone 15 models, on the other hand, will remain at USB 2.0 speeds.
More memory
According to market research firm TrendForce, the iPhone 15 Pro models will have 8GB of RAM under the hood. The basic versions still have 6 GB of RAM. The additional RAM capacity allows apps like Safari to keep more content active in the background. Even real multitasking would be conceivable. The code base for this has existed since the current Apple iPad Pro models got the feature via the Stage Manager.
Solid State Keys
Kuo also anticipates that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max/Ultra will have solid-state volume and power buttons. The haptic feedback is provided by two additional taptic engines to simulate the feeling of actually pressing a key. Solid-state buttons share some similarities with the home button on the current iPhone SE or the touch bar on the new MacBook.
Optical zoom
At least the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max / Ultra should get a significant upgrade in camera performance with a periscope telephoto lens. Optical zoom should at least increase to a factor of 5, compared to 3x optical zoom and conventional lenses on the iPhone 14 Pro models.
