Due to production issues at Apple supplier factories in China, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are backordered and basically out of stock at every store. If you were planning to gift or receive an iPhone 14 Pro model for the holidays and didn't already get one, you're basically out of luck because they're gone until late December.
In fact, with the iPhone 14 Pro delays and rumors of some very enticing features for the high-end iPhone 15 models, you may just want to wait until September 2023 to upgrade. We've outlined some of the features that you can expect, which may just be new additions you want to hold out for.
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra
Part of the reason that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are so in demand this year is that Apple packed them full of features the standard iPhone 14 models just didn't get. Faster processors, better cameras, and the Dynamic Island make the iPhone 14 Pro far more appealing than the iPhone 13-like iPhone 14 models, and the same trend will continue for the iPhone 15 Pro.
In fact, Apple may ramp things up even further by giving the iPhone 15 Pro Max a better feature set than the iPhone 15 Pro, and rumors suggest that it could even get a name to reflect the change - iPhone 15 Ultra. If you like the latest and greatest, it might be worth waiting for Apple's highest-end iPhone to date.
USB-C
The entire iPhone 15 lineup is expected to transition to USB-C instead of Lightning in 2023, so if you're a fan of using a single charger for your Mac, iPhone, and iPad, the iPhone 15 models will be appealing.
Apple is making this change to comply with a European law that requires smartphones and electronics to use a common charger, but it wouldn't make sense for the company to create a USB-C iPhone just for one region, so customers worldwide will benefit.
All iPhone 15 models will get USB-C, but rumors right now suggest that the iPhone 15 Pro models will support higher-speed data transfers. If, for example, Apple integrates Thunderbolt 3 support into the iPhone 15 Pro models, transfer speeds could hit 40Gb/s. With just USB 3.2, we can expect 20Gb/s speeds.
Faster A17 Processor
The A16 was limited to the iPhone 14 Pro models, and the A17 is expected to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models. The A17 could be the first chip built on TSMC's next-generation 3-nanometer node, which would allow for increased performance and reduced power consumption.
Periscope Camera Lens
Apple is working on improved optical zoom enabled through periscope lens technology, which could be limited to the iPhone 15 Ultra. Periscope lenses are expensive and take up space, which is why Apple might use it as motivation to get people to spring for the highest-end iPhone.
With periscope lens technology, Apple could offer as much as 10x optical zoom, up from 3x in the current iPhone 14 Pro models. Other manufacturers like Samsung have implemented these longer-range telephoto lenses, pairing it with digital zoom for impressive 100x zoom capabilities.
Solid State Buttons
The iPhone 15 Pro models could get additional Taptic Engines that would facilitate solid-state volume and power buttons that feel like buttons, but actually aren't. This is the technology that Apple uses for the MacBook Pro's touchpad, so it feels like you're pressing down on a button, but there's no physical button press mechanism.
This is a feature rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro models and it could allow for additional features when pressing certain buttons and it could improve water resistance, though just how the solid state buttons will be taken advantage of remains to be seen.
Other Rumors
There are other rumors about the iPhone 15 Pro models, some of which are more reliable than others. Here's what we've heard:
- More durable titanium chassis.
- Curved rear edges that replace the existing squared off design.
- Qualcomm 5G modem chip.
- No Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
- No under-display Face ID.
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Want to keep up with everything that's expected for the iPhone 15? Follow our iPhone 15 roundup, which we update regularly as new rumors come out.
