Next year’s Apple iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are rumoured to feature some different camera updates. This is because Apple will further differentiate between Pro and non-Pro models. A new report today from analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo says one of these rumoured updates won’t materialize. A tweet by Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the iPhone 15 Pro series will not feature the new “8P” lens. The “8P” here refers to the number of elements in the lens. The lens comes with eight plastic lenses. The iPhone 15 Pro has one more optical element relative to the iPhone 14 Pro. There are pros and cons to adding components to a lens. However, when manufacturers take an existing lens design and add components, it usually reduces distortion. This is especially important in wide-angle lenses.
While the iPhone 15 Pro models may not get this new camera upgrade, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will come with an even bigger change. This device will use a new periscope lens. The new periscope lens will reportedly be exclusive to the larger-screen version of the iPhone 15 Pro. There are also reports that the Pro Max model may be called iPhone 15 Ultra.
iPhone 15 Pro Max periscope lens
The periscope lens relies on a prism to reflect light to multiple internal lenses that are 90 degrees from the camera sensor. This allows the lens to be much longer than a telephoto lens, allowing for better optical zoom. The telephoto lens on the iPhone 13 Pro models only offers 3x optical zoom and 15x digital zoom. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra features a periscope lens. This lens enables 10x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. Rumour has it that Apple may opt for 5x optical zoom. More specifics on Apple’s implementation of the periscope lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 15 Ultra, are unclear. But ideally, it will bring the iPhones closer to what Samsung’s flagships already offer.
Phone 15 Ultra will use a more durable titanium shell
There are reports that next year’s iPhone 15 series will use the USB-C port instead. In addition, Apple will also use a titanium alloy middle frame in the iPhone 15/Pro series. A recent speculation claims that the iPhone 15 Ultra will eventually be made of titanium. LeaksApplePro says that Apple will provide the iPhone 15 Ultra with the titanium case that fans have coveted. Apple has previously used stainless steel in iPhones. The advantage of titanium over stainless steel is that the material will provide greater durability and better scratch resistance without adding extra weight. And for devices like the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, weight is increasingly an issue.
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This will not be the first time that Apple will be using a titanium metal material. The Apple Watch Ultra uses a titanium metal casing. Apple is believed to have tested titanium chassis for iPhones in the past, but not on the iPhone 14 Pro. Making an iPhone case out of titanium can be more expensive than stainless steel and aluminium. But it also means the iPhone 15 Pro Max (Ultra) is even more unique. Apple will reportedly differentiate between the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max next year. The latter will feature some exclusive functions and a higher price.
iPhone 15 series will still use a glass rear
But whether or not Apple moves to titanium, its front and rear panels will still be made of glass. Apple still needs the iPhone to support wireless charging, especially with the rise of the new MagSafe magnetic charging. It seems more certain at this stage that all iPhone 15 series models next year will get a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. This has nothing to do with titanium or the price of the phone. Apple had to make this change because the European Union has decided to force electronic device makers to use USB-C ports for charging. The company has no option but to comply with the European Union.
iPhone 15 Ultra will use a dual front-facing camera
After the release of Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 15 Ultra in another year. Borrowing the Apple Watch Ultra and M1 Ultra suffixes, the new model should theoretically offer a better experience than the iPhone 14 Pro. Bloomberg reporter, Mark Gurman said that Apple is preparing to replace its “Pro Max” model with a new iPhone 15 “Ultra” model next year, and move to the use of USB-C ports. In addition, @Majin Bu says Apple’s iPhone 15 Ultra will feature dual front-facing cameras instead of just one.
Majin Bu said, “According to my sources, the iPhone 15 Ultra will have 2 front cameras, a USB-C port, and will start with 256GB of storage. The iPhone 15 Pro will always start with 128GB of storage and will have a USB- C, but only 1 front camera.”
According to the latest news, the Apple iPhone 15 Ultra has two cameras on the front. The existing TrueDepth camera array has multiple components, but only one front-facing camera sensor, so the so-called Ultra upgrade will provide additional front-facing camera sensors. But this is very different from the current iPhone 14 Pro Max Smart Island “pill shape + single punch hole” screen design. It’s unclear what the second front-facing camera will be used for. In theory, it could be used for stereoscopic video capture, or, more simply, different levels of optical zoom. Regarding the above revelations, we still do not know how accurate the report is. It is indeed too early to talk about the specific configuration details of the iPhone 15 Pro / Ultra.
