While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular.
Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:
- A17 chip: iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be equipped with Apple's next-generation A17 Bionic chip, manufactured based on TSMC's 3nm process for continued performance and efficiency improvements. The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to have an A16 Bionic chip.
- Titanium frame: Like the Apple Watch Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a titanium frame instead of stainless steel.
- Ultra-thin curved bezels: Similar to recent Apple Watch models, the iPhone 15 Pro will have ultra-thin curved bezels around the display.
- Faster USB-C port: iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a USB-C port with support for at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which would result in the devices having significantly faster data transfer speeds with a cable compared to existing iPhones with Lightning. Kuo said the USB-C port on standard iPhone 15 models will remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds like Lightning.
- Wi-Fi 6E: Like the latest Macs and iPad Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro will support Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless speeds, according to a leaked schematic.
- Increased RAM: iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with an increased 8GB of RAM, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, while the standard models will likely continue to have 6GB of RAM as they do currently. Additional RAM can allow apps like Safari to keep more content active in the background, preventing the app from reloading content when reopened.
- Solid-state buttons: iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to feature solid-state buttons. Instead of physically moving, the buttons will provide haptic feedback from two additional Taptic Engines inside the iPhone to simulate the feeling of movement, similar to the Home button on the iPhone 7 or the Force Touch trackpad on modern MacBooks.
- Mute button: iPhone 15 Pro models are rumored to be equipped with a mute button for turning the ringer on and off. All existing iPhones have a mute switch.
- Increased optical zoom for iPhone 15 Pro Max: The iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a periscope telephoto lens, according to Kuo. This could result in the device having at least 6x optical zoom, compared to 3x on iPhone 14 Pro models.
- Improved LiDAR Scanner: iPhone 15 Pro models will have a more power-efficient LiDAR Scanner supplied by Sony, which could improve 3D depth scanning performance for AR apps and Night mode photos, according to Kuo.
As the iPhone 15 series inches closer to launching, additional features will likely be rumored.