12/11 update below. This post was originally published on December 8th.
iPhone 15 leaks have already revealed Apple’s grand plans for its next-generation smartphones. But now, new information suggests that those wishes come at a high price.
Working with Autosolve, an influential industry insider LeaksApplePro A truckload of new iPhone 15 information has been released, including price hikes that could shock US buyers.
Flat iPhone 15 Ultra concept based on liquid
Last month, Apple revealed that the bill of materials for the iPhone 15 Ultra, the new name for its Pro Max models, will increase by up to $100. Now LeaksApplePro claims that the starting price of the iPhone 15 Ultra will go up to $1,299 — a $200 increase over the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the biggest one-generation jump in iPhone history.
“It will be a more expensive iPhone. Even in the United States,” Hint explains. “Apple has been losing profits year after year. Rising product costs and inflation that have reduced the company’s cash in the bank has finally broken the camel’s back.”
“We don’t know the status of the other devices in the line,” says LeaksApplePro. With that starting price of $1299, the iPhone 15 Ultra goes up to $1799 for the 1TB model, which could affect the rest of the range because Apple doesn’t like to live in the Gulf. Between products in the same lineup.
Apple iPhone 15 Ultra based on the recent rumors of curved edges
On the flip side, the iPhone 15 Ultra gives you more bang for your buck. LeaksApplePro has revealed that the iPhone 15 Ultra will ship with a minimum of 256GB (double the current 128GB entry point), which will alleviate some of the pain of inflation.
In addition, the leaker reiterated that the new model will come with two front-facing cameras, USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps) will replace the Lightning port with USB 2.0 speeds (480Mbps/0.48Gbps) and “it will be made of titanium” – something that comes with a significant increase in strength and price.
12/10 Update: Speaking to me, LeaksApplePro provided additional information about Apple’s use of titanium in the iPhone 15 range. Following a recent leak from well-known industry insider ShrimpApplePro, Apple brings Titanium for all iPhone 15 modelsNot only the iPhone 15 Ultra, LeaksApplePro this is exactly wrong.
LeaksApplePro argues that this is not true, saying that only Ultra (probably 15 Pro but definitely not 15 and 15 Plus).
Given the price of titanium, this is reasonable. As it is 3-4x stronger than the stainless steel used in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, some may argue that this lowers the price as it is required to make a stronger, if not stronger, chassis.
The problem with that argument is the price of titanium right now. 35-50 dollars per kilogramCompared to $1-1.50 per kg for stainless steel. This is a huge difference and makes it unattainable for standard iPhones.
As such, in my opinion, the question becomes more about whether Apple will stick to three different chassis materials (aluminum for the standard models, stainless steel for the iPhone 15 Pro and titanium for the iPhone 15 Ultra) or two. . This will likely mean an upgrade to stainless steel for standard models, as downgrading the iPhone 15 Pro isn’t an option.
12/11 Update: LeaksApplePro is back today with more information.
First, the insider answered my question about Apple’s choice of chassis materials. The surprising answer is that Apple currently plans to use all three: aluminum for the two standard iPhone 15 models, stainless steel for the iPhone 15 Pro, and titanium for the Ultra.
LeaksApplePro added the caveat, “That’s all we know for now. That’s fair enough, given how early the iPhone 15 range is in the development cycle, but it’s nice to see the company adding this complexity to its supply chain.
Second, LeaksApplePro states that the dual front-facing cameras that have been leaked are more likely to be the iPhone 15 Ultra exclusive.
I suspect that this is highly likely to come down not only in terms of price, but also in terms of physical size. The Dynamic Island occupies significant real estate on the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro display. Adding a second camera doesn’t leave any room for any other icons – which most users (time, cellular/wifi signal, notifications, etc.) consider important.
In comparison, the second camera is considered a luxury addition. In contrast, the 6.5-inch iPhone 15 Ultra retains the camera and still has the same icons as the iPhone 15 Pro. It remains to be seen whether Apple will further enhance the display to live up to the Ultra name and its Android rivals.
And there’s one final, fascinating titbit: “Apple is considering only one color for the iPhone 15 Ultra, and it’s the same color as the Apple Watch Ultra.” [silver]. I don’t know if it will be the only color in September or if there will be more, but to date none of my sources have seen the same color as the Apple Watch Ultra.
Yes, the iPhone 15 Ultra looks like it’s set to push iPhone prices higher than ever, but it looks to be the most exciting and ambitious smartphone Apple has released in years.
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