iPhone 15 - page 5

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: While it’s no big shock that Apple continues to work on new Macs and iPads, two new products reportedly in the pipeline actually do sound surprising — and surprisingly tempting. What are they? An iMac with a big, beautiful 30-inch-plus screen, and a next-gen Apple Watch Ultra.

Where do we place our preorders?

Also on The CultCast:

• A purported iPhone 15 Pro Max case leak makes us extra worried about that huger-than-huge camera bump. How much is too much?
• Apple bumps up iCloud+ pricing in some places, but refuses to offer bigger storage options. Erfon is not amused.
• The EU keeps writing new regulations designed to rein in tech companies. Ill-advised or efficacious?
• Our giveaway this week is for anyone who craves a clutter-free desk.
• And finally … a new edition of “What We’re Into.” Griffin talks up an impressive new car, while Erfon and I fixate on the same Apple TV+ sci-fi show.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Those eager to get their hands on the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max should check out a short video showing a case supposedly designed for Apple’s next flagship smartphone. This helps confirm a few details that previously leaked out.

Get ready for a USB-C port and other changes.

Qi2 is a new wireless charging standard expected to go into widespread use later in 2023. And, according to an unconfirmed report, the upcoming iPhone 15 will be one of the handsets that supports it, including 15W charging.

That’s not surprising, considering Qi2 is heavily based on the MagSafe system built into current iPhones.

Ahead of Apple’s transition from Lightning ports to USB-C for its devices, the European Commission warned the company not to limit the functionality of charging cables that don’t carry Apple’s MFi certification.

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton reportedly sent a letter to Apple addressing rumors that iPhone charging and data-transfer speeds might be reduced when using non-MFI USB-C cables. Breton reminded Cupertino that such limitations could lead to iPhones being banned from the European market.

Apple will seemingly equip the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro lineup with Thunderbolt 3 capabilities. This opens the door to connecting high-bandwidth storage devices and other accessories to the upcoming iPhone.

Apple already includes a Thunderbolt 3 port as standard across its iPad Air and iPad Pro lineups. This allows the tablets to drive external monitors with up to 6K resolution.

A new rumor claims Apple will offer the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus in a cyan-green color. Additionally, the company apparently plans to use a frosted glass back on these phones.

Up to this point, Apple only used frosted glass on its iPhone Pro lineup. (The iPhone 14 series features a clear glass back.)

Apple may not ship the iPhone 15 Pro series with the rumored unified solid-state capacitive buttons. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple abandoned the plan due to “unresolved technical issues.”

Previously, multiple rumors indicated Apple would replace the physical buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro with capacitive keys. The design also would have added two new Taptic Engines to simulate the feeling of pressing physical buttons.

New detailed renders detail the more extensive changes Apple is planning for the iPhone 15 Pro series. Leaked CADs have already revealed the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro design.

This includes a bigger camera hump, slightly more compact dimensions, curved edges for the titanium chassis and more.

USB-C is finally coming to the iPhone, but there are rumors and speculation that only Apple-approved cables will be able to charge the device. Realistically, though, there’s no way Apple would be allowed to get away with that.

The European Union is forcing Apple to drop the Lightning port, and would surely squash attempts to make USB-C into anything but a universal standard. That’s if Apple is even trying to do that, which is questionable.

Apple will include a new low-power microprocessor to power the iPhone 15 Pro’s capacitive buttons. This will enable the solid-state buttons to function even when the phone is switched off or has a dead battery.

The new microprocessor will also take over other low-power tasks like Apple Pay Express Card and Find My functionality. Apple’s A-series chip currently handles these tasks in super low power mode.

Apple removed the SIM card tray from the iPhone 14 units sold in the US. With the iPhone 15, the company seemingly plans to ditch the SIM slot on the iPhone in even more countries.

A new report indicates the iPhone 15 could launch with only eSIM support in France.

Apple could optimize the fast-charging performance of MFi-certified USB-C power bricks for the iPhone 15. The company is expected to ditch the Lightning connector and transition to USB-C on its 2023 iPhone lineup.

Due to this change, Apple reportedly expects a strong demand boost for its 20W USB-C charger.

The traditional mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max supposedly will be replaced with a static, touch-sensitive button. If true, it’s possible this will be too easy to activate so users don’t get the notifications they expect.

Just-leaked CAD images allegedly show how the buttons on the upcoming iPhones will look. And that they look very easy to press accidentally. It also doesn’t look like the new button would offer a visual cue that an iPhone is set to silent mode.

The largest version of the iPhone 15 reportedly will come with the smallest screen bezels. Like, record-breaking thin.

An Apple tipster says the black area around the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s display will measure a mere 1.55 millimeters.

The iPhone notch is about to disappear. A video allegedly featuring the screen panels for the upcoming iPhone 15 series leaked out showing the cutout that’s been a prominent part of Apple handsets since 2017 will soon be a thing of the past.

The new plan: Dynamic Island for everyone.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max will be slightly shorter and slimmer than its predecessor, with a marginally smaller camera hump, according to the latest renders based on leaked CAD files.

The detailed 3D CAD renders previously revealed some interesting design changes, including a slightly more curved design.

A new report lays out possible new colors coming to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineup this year. Thursday’s leak comes just days after the arrival of detailed CAD renders of the upcoming iPhones, revealing upcoming design changes.

3D CAD renders of the 2023 iPhone 15 have leaked online, revealing all the design changes Apple is planning. This includes bringing the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island to the non-Pro iPhones this year.

Like the iPhone 15 Pro, the non-Pro variants will switch to USB-C for charging and data transfer. Thanks to an EU mandate, the iPhone maker seems set on retiring the Lightning connector this year.

Unconfirmed reports about design changes coming in the iPhone 15 Pro took concrete form as CAD drawings of Apple’s next handset supposedly leaked from a Chinese accessory maker.

These help confirm rumored features like USB-C and the somewhat curvier design.

A leaked internal Apple document confirms the company will adopt Wi-Fi 6E on this year’s iPhones. However, only the iPhone 15 Pro lineup will support the faster Wi-Fi standard.

The internal document shows the antenna architecture of devices codenamed “D8x” (the iPhone 15 Pro) and “D8y” (the regular iPhone 15).

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 could feature faster Wi-Fi 6E support for faster data transmission speeds. The company’s 2023 Mac mini and MacBook Pro feature the latest Wi-Fi standard.

Wi-Fi 6E adoption is still in a nascent stage in the smartphone world, with very few high-end devices supporting it.

The telephoto lens in the iPhone 15 Pro will get a noticeable jump in image quality if a series of leaks about a periscope lens turn out to be accurate.

The change should also shink the thickness of the camera hump.

The iPhone 15 is expected to get a facelift along with other design changes, and a new concept video and images present a very early look at the handset Apple might launch this autumn.

The concept artist started with details that have leaked out already and mixed in some of their own hopes. The result is splendid.

Apple is reportedly phasing out traditional buttons, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro models. The handsets will still seem to have them, but it’ll be a high-tech trick performed with haptic feedback.

The change should make the iOS devices more durable and waterproof.

The iPhone 15 is reportedly in trial production, a fairly early stage in bringing the product to market. Still, it means the final feature set and design are essentially complete and Apple is thinking about assembling the device.

Trial production is going on at a Foxconn plant in China. The iPhone 15 will also be made in India.