Assuming the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max carry over the exclusive Pro features form the iPhone 14 Pro series, the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could look pretty lame by comparison.
I’m not saying the there aren’t any notable upgrades for the iPhone 15 series based on the leaks so far. We’ve heard that the Dynamic Island is coming to all four new iPhone 15 models, which means you’ll be able to get alerts and live updates at the top of your screen. And Apple is reportedly ditching the hated Lightning connector for USB-C across the board.
In other good news, every iPhone 15 is tipped to offer a stacked battery system that should be able to deliver more capacity in about the same size. So the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus should last even longer on a charge than the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in our battery testing. And the iPhone 15 could get a 48MP main camera, the same one in the iPhone 14 Pro lineup. I just wouldn't expect ProRAW support.
But the more iPhone 15 Pro rumors I read, the more I’m convinced that Apple is driving the biggest wedge ever between its regular and Pro iPhones. Let’s start just with the new features tipped for this generation.
A breakthrough A17 Bionic processor
First, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected to feature Apple’s new A17 Bionic chip. As the world’s first 3nm chip, this processor should deliver a sizable boost in performance while also being more efficient. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 series should be the hand-me-down A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 14 Pro. So if you want the fastest iPhone in the world, you gotta go Pro.
The titanium iPhone
Another big upgrade that’s expected to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is a titanium design. Titanium is tougher and lighter than aluminum and stainless steel, so the new iPhone Pros should be more durable than the regular iPhone 15 devices.
Periscope zoom (for Pro Max)
Like having a telephoto zoom? It looks like the iPhone 15 Pro series will once again have this to itself, as the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are tipped once more to feature just main and ultra wide cameras. But there’s a twist here, as the only the iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly get a new periscope lens with 6x optical zoom. The iPhone 15 Pro will presumably sport the same 3x zoom as before.
Action button, thinner bezels
Wait, there’s more. The iPhone 15 Pro series may get a new action button that replaces the ringer/mute switch on previous iPhones. This button will reportedly be customizable, making it easy to perform all sorts of shortcuts. However, the rumor that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will get new capacitive buttons has been shot down.
Last but not least, a recent leak points to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max featuring thinner bezels than the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. So even though they’ll technically have the same screen sizes, the Pros should offer a more immersive viewing experience.
Other iPhone 15 Pro benefits
All of this is on top of the Pro-exclusive benefits that will likely continue from the iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro last year. This includes the 120Hz refresh rate for the iPhone 15 Pro's display, as well as an always-on display mode that makes it easy to see the time, battery and notifications without fully turning on the screen. This feature is also tailor-made for the new StandBy mode feature built for iOS 17.
The catch? The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max have both been tipped for a price hike, so Apple could charge more this year to go Pro. And you know what? Although I hope it's not the case, the iPhone 15 Pro could be worth the premium.
