iPhone 15: Release date rumors, news, and everything you need to know

Apple's iPhone 15 is allegedly appearing within 30 days, so it's about time to get ready for the annual keynote and watch Tim Cook announce the latest iPhone in a pre-recorded video.

While iPhone 14 was seen as a disappointment to some because it was a minor update, the iPhone 14 Pro's offering of new features almost certainly overshadowed it. But if the rumors are true, iPhone 15 looks to be the upgrade many were hoping for last year.

Apple may be adopting a bunch of iPhone 14 Pro's features into this model - from Dynamic Island to adopting the 48MP camera, and much more. And let's not forget the constant rumor of the whole line switching from lightning to a USB-C port.

While it won't have the high-end features of the thinner bezel and improved camera of iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, or Ultra, the entire line looks to be one worth upgrading to.

With this in mind, here's everything we know so far about iPhone 15.

iPhone 15: The headlines

• What is it? Apple's next mainstream iPhone. 
• When will it be announced? September 12/13, 2023
• Pre-orders: Probably September 15
• Release date: Likely September 22
• Price? Price increase expected: Starting at $849-$899
• Headline rumors: USB-C, 48MP camera, A17 chip, Dynamic Island, thinner bezels

iPhone Expert

iPhone Expert

Stephen Warwick

Stephen Warwick is iMore's News Editor and has six years of industry experience covering Apple, as well as a lifetime tracking developments in mobile technology. He is also a former Apple employee and one of the web's foremost authorities on iPhone rumors and news. 

iPhone 15 models

Here's what we expect from the iPhone 15 lineup based on all the rumors out there, including specs and new features.

iPhone 15: Release date

According to the latest report, Apple's iPhone 15 event is currently scheduled for Tuesday, September 12. That would imply iPhone 15 pre-orders will begin on Friday, September 18, with an in-store release the following Friday.

This was given some more credence with Gurman further tweeting about this, saying that September 12 was likely to be the event where we'd see the entire iPhone 15 line. It also looks to be pre-recorded once again, similar to the iPhone 14 event back in September 2022.

Apple announced the iPhone 14 lineup on September 6 and made the phones available for pre-order on September 9. They then went on sale on September 16, so this rumored date makes sense for iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15 has started showing up in databases, notably, India's Bureau of Indian Standards certification, and mass production is also reportedly underway, again in India.

iPhone 15: Specs

We've heard a few rumors about some of the iPhone 15 specs we might get to see with the new release this year. Below, we've lined up the iPhone 14's specs and rumored changes coming to give you a comparison idea, check it out!

Just remember, some of these might not change year-to-year, and some rumored changes may not come to pass.

iPhone 15: A16 Processor

If Apple follows the same path it set out on with iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro we can expect the iPhone 15 to use the same A16 Bionic as the iPhone 14 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro, however, is likely to benefit from an all-new A17 chip, continuing the differentiation between Pro and non-Pro models.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has revealed that "the regular iPhone 15 models [are] getting last year’s A16 processor"

Those A17 chips are expected to use new 3nm chips from long-time chip supplier TSMC, likely improving power consumption and reducing the amount of heat they generate during use. The 3nm process offers chips with speed boosts of up to 15% using the same amount of power, or power savings of 30% at the same speed as 5nm.

Alongside A17, reports have indicated the iPhone 15 Pro line could get a major upgrade with 8GB of RAM.

iPhone 15: Display & sizes

Rumors as of September 2022 have Apple bringing the Dynamic Island to all iPhone 15 models, not just the Pro as was the case with iPhone 14. That's according to DSCC analyst Ross Young, who has actually predicted previous details about the iPhone 13, iPhone 12, and other products including the Mac.

On July 30, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also confirmed that "the standard iPhone 15 models will trade in the notch for the Dynamic Island" this year.

That doesn't mean that the base iPhone 15 models will get a 120Hz refresh rate or an Always-On Display, though. For that, you're going to want iPhone 15 Pro.

If Apple follows the precedent set with the iPhone 14 lineup, we can expect a 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro to be joined by a 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Unless leaked CAD renders in February 2023 have anything to say about it! According to those renders, it appears that Apple might actually shrink the bezel on the iPhone 15 models, giving users even more screen real estate. New leaks also show these bezels in action, and if they're real, then we're in for a real treat!

Those bezels were leaked again in July, with an image showing a series of thinner bezels across the entire iPhone 15 lineup. Thinner bezels mean a more vibrant and nicer display with less clutter and distraction as you're viewing. 

The iPhone 15's OLED display could also feature a new display driver that could make the display more power efficient. The report also notes that moving from the old 40nm process to what is expected to be a 28nm process will also "improve performance," but it wouldn't say exactly what that will look like.

According to The Elec, Apple will use an upgraded M12 OLED process for all of its iPhones this year. 

iPhone 15: Design

The iPhone 15 is expected to look very similar to the iPhone 14 in terms of size and shape. That means we can expect the same bezels and squared edges, as well as rounded corners. The only major design change touted for iPhone 15 is the new Dynamic Island, which Apple introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro last year. 

Previous rumors of the return of Touch ID seem to be unfounded, at least in terms of iPhone 15. It might return in the future, but Face ID is expected to be the only biometric authentication system offered in 2023.

Another major change coming to iPhone was the end of physical buttons. A report claims that Apple will do away with buttons in favor of Taptic Engines like those on its current iPhone SE Home Button for both volume and power. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in late July, has revealed that this feature has been pushed back.

Apple is also expected to move the proximity sensor from the iPhone into the Dynamic Island with iPhone 15.

With iPhone 14, Apple removed the SIM card tray in the U.S., making eSIM the only connectivity option on the iPhone. With iPhone 15 Apple may roll this change out to more territories, with one report suggesting that at least France (and likely other countries in Europe) could get the same design. CAD renders and leaks of the device do include a SIM tray, however, suggesting some countries will retain it.

A recent rumor claims the iPhone 15's rear glass will feature the same frosted premium finish as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, upgrading from this year's glossy back.

iPhone 15: Will it have USB-C?

In a huge development, Apple has confirmed it will have to comply with EU laws mandating USB-C chargers on its iPhone.

Both Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have suggested a switch is on the way, with the EU and potentially even Brazil set to mandate a common connector for all phones and similar accessories, including AirPods.

"Apple Inc. is testing future iPhone models that replace the current Lightning charging port with the more prevalent USB-C connector, according to people with knowledge of the situation, a move that could help the company conform with looming European regulations," Gurman says. He further repeated this in late July stating "the iPhone 15 is moving to USB-C," enabling "faster data transfer speeds for those who still sync with a cable."

While USB-C will make charging easier, better data transfer speeds may be reserved for the Pro models. Ming-Chi Kuo reports that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will get USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3 for high-speed wired transfers. However, the iPhone 15 is expected to retain the same USB 2.0 speeds as the old models, despite the USB-C port. That rumor was echoed by leaked images in February 2023 that also show the iPhone 15 with a USB-C port.

In mid-August, another report suggested USB-C could support transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps through Thunderbolt.

Another rumored restriction of the iPhone 15's USB-C port will be Made for iPhone compatibility. We expect that you'll have to buy official MFi cables from Apple or third-party retailers in order to enjoy full compatibility, the best speeds, and the fastest charging.

Apple is reportedly preparing to sell some 70 million new chargers in 2023 when iPhone 15 drops as folks make the switch to USB-C. Apple will reportedly offer faster through its 20W charger, however, the company has not included chargers in its iPhone boxes for some time.

iPhone 15: 5G modem and Wi-Fi chip

We've been hearing for years that Apple would switch to 5G modems designed in-house around 2023, but that now seems unlikely to happen in time for iPhone 15. A new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple's 5G modem "may have failed," meaning it will stick with Qualcomm in 2023. Further reports by analyst Jeff Pu back that up, with Qualcomm parts now expected to be used for iPhone 15 and iPhone 16.

Kuo goes on to say that Apple will continue to work on getting its own 5G modem ready with the aim of replacing Qualcomm eventually.

The iPhone 15 is also expected to upgrade from the Wi-Fi 6 chip that comes in the iPhone 14 lineup for Wi-Fi 6E. The latest generation of Wi-Fi, due to its ability to take advantage of the 6GHz band, is faster, more reliable, and able to cover greater distances than its predecessors. One recent report claims Apple will limit Wi-Fi 6E to just the iPhone 15 Pro models, keeping Wi-Fi 6 for the iPhone 14. 

iPhone 15: Cameras

We don't yet know everything there is to know about the iPhone 15 cameras, but we're being told to expect Apple's first periscope camera in at least the Pro models — possibly just the iPhone 15 Pro Max. That comes via analyst Jeff Pu who claims that the switch would allow 5x optical zoom. It's possible that the technology could allow for even 10x zoom, however.

Companies like Samsung already use periscope cameras in their flagship phones to offer increased zoom capabilities. Periscope cameras work by increasing the distance between the camera's lens and sensor working in much the same way as a periscope in a submarine. Having the two components at such a distance in a traditional configuration would require the iPhone 15 to be significantly thicker, something Apple doesn't want, and a periscope design negates.

At least one sensor in the new iPhone 15 is expected to be a new state-of-the-art sensor from Sony that will double the saturation signal in each pixel, capturing more light and reducing underexposure and overexposure in certain settings. This will be particularly important for improved portrait photos and headshots. 

iPhone 15: Battery

According to a major leak in July, Apple is going to massively increase the capacity of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus battery. The iPhone 15 will have a capacity of 3877 mAh, and the iPhone 15 Plus will have an enormous 4912 mAh battery. That's up from 3279 and 4325 mAh respectively, making for a 20% increase. 

Apple is also expected to leverage battery stacking technology, the kind used in electric vehicles, to create much denser batteries that could be the key to these increased sized. 

That stacked technology and USB-C could also power some pretty excellent new charging speeds. There's one rumor out there suggesting Apple is working on 40W wired charging for iPhone, along with 20W support for MagSafe. That would be a significant speed boost for both methods and could mean even better fast-charging on iPhone. 

iPhone 15: Colors

According to the most recent iPhone 15 color leak, Apple will offer the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus in Starlight, Midnight, Green, Yellow, Pink, and Product (RED). That means a return of the pink color that was replaced by purple last year, and no blue as has previously been rumored.

Apple will also likely debut a new color midway through the iPhone 15's life cycle. In March 2023 Apple unveiled its banana-yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. That color is expected to be retained in the lineup from September.

iPhone 15: Storage

Apple's storage plans will likely depend on various things, not least the cost of parts by the time we get closer to a release.

The real question is whether the lower-end option will change. Expect that to largely be controlled by any data-hungry camera features that are added to the new models. Recently, a report indicated that the iPhone 15 Pro might come with a whopping 2TB of storage, but we haven't heard anything concrete about the regular iPhone lineup. 

iPhone 15: Price

• iPhone 15 and 15 Pro price info: cost hikes, trade-in values, and more | iMore

We've heard recently that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max could be more expensive than last year's model, and now rumors indicate that a price hike might actually apply across the board.

In his Power on Newsletter on July 30, seen by iMore, Mark Gurman writes "I would look out for at least minor price increases across all four models outside of the US. I also wouldn’t rule out a price increase in the US — at least for some of the pro models — given the move to titanium and the costlier camera system on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. For context: Apple charges $100 more for titanium watches than their stainless-steel counterparts."

While a Pro price increase would be less of a shock, upping the cost of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could be a big blow to some consumers.

iPhone 15: Will there be a Flip?

We know Apple is working on a folding iPhone, and we know that the company seems to have settled on a clamshell design, as pictured above. According to Patently Apple, a patent was granted to Apple back in April 2022 for foldable iPhone displays that could feature transparent panels at the point where the display bends, giving the illusion that there are no hinges around this part of the display.

But don't expect a folding iPhone this year, whether you call it an iPhone Air or the iPhone Flip. Word on the street is that the foldable iPhone flip is still a few years away. A patent granted in Feb. 2023 suggests that a release date of September 2025 could be likely.

iOS 17

Apple unveiled iOS 17 at WWDC 2023 in June, teasing some of the software updates coming to iPhone 15 and the rest of Apple's lineup later this year. iOS 17 is bringing some cool updates to the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps, as well as AirDrop, and autocorrect. There's a great new mode called StandBy for landscape charging, a new Journal app to help your mental health, and changes to Safari. 

iPhone 15: Questions and answers