The iPhone 15 Pro rumors have been coming thick and fast of late, with the latest leak seemingly corroborating many of the design changes we’ve been hearing about in 2023.
While a series of unofficial iPhone 15 Pro renders recently gave us our best look yet at Apple’s next flagship handset, an alleged iPhone 15 Pro dummy – posted to Chinese social media platform Douyin (opens in new tab) – has now offered a hands-on peek at the expected successor to the excellent iPhone 14 Pro.
As first spotted by PhoneArena (opens in new tab), the mock-up of the Pro-level iPhone 15 teases a USB-C port, slightly curved edges and a unified rocker-style volume button; three design elements that previous rumors have suggested are coming to the iPhone 15 Pro.
We were all but certain, for instance, that the iPhone 15 Pro will arrive bearing solid-state (i.e. non-physical) buttons, and this new dummy model does indeed appear to feature volume, mute and power buttons that could conceivably be haptic, rather than mechanical.
The presence of a USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro now seems a formality, too. The EU has told Apple that it needs to add USB-C charging ports to iPhones from 2024 onwards, but this dummy model – combined with previous leaked photos showing an iPhone 15 Pro with a USB-C port – suggests the company will be making the switch in 2023.
Since this mock-up is likely intended for iPhone 15 Pro case manufacturers, there are a handful of feature rumors it doesn’t – or rather can’t – corroborate. For example, we’re expecting the iPhone 15 Pro to boast display bezels that are much thinner than those on the iPhone 14 Pro, but the model in question features no distinguishable display markings.
Why do I want you to believe this is true? Because the evidence comes not only from CAD renderings, but also from physical objects: the glass cover of the iPhone, is part of the phone, not a protective film. So its bezel is equal to the bezel of the phone.bezel：15=14P＞15P pic.twitter.com/FRkLi2b4zRApril 8, 2023
As for what other features might be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro (and the much-rumored iPhone 15 Ultra), we’re hearing that a chip upgrade – likely in the form of an A17 Bionic – will be made exclusive to Apple’s most expensive iPhones, with recent leaks hinting that this processor could make the iPhone 15 Pro as fast as an M1 MacBook. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, by contrast, are expected to inherit last year’s A16 Bionic.
A titanium frame and periscope camera have also been touted as arriving with the iPhone 15 Ultra, which looks set to take the place of an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
It’s worth noting that Apple may be preparing to move to eSIM in countries outside the US for the iPhone 15 line, with eSIMs reportedly coming to the next generation of Apple’s best iPhones in France. This is big news for all prospective iPhone 15 buyers outside of the US. Apple typically sells the same iPhone models across most of Europe, meaning SIM card-less iPhone 15s could also be coming to the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and many other countries.
We’re expecting Apple to officially lift the lid on its iPhone 15 line in September, but we’ll be staying abreast of all the latest iPhone 15 news, rumors and leaks in the coming months.
