11/26 Update below. This article was originally published on November 24
Early iPhone 15 leaks already promise a combination of eye-catching and controversial design changes. And the excitement will only grow more now that a new exclusive has revealed another stunning design decision.
iPhone 15 Ultra concept based on leaks
In a move that would see Apple turn back time, a new leak from an anonymous insider ShrimpApplePro claims that “all edges will be rounded” on iPhone 15 models similar to the 2013 iPhone 5C.
The iPhone 5C was one of Apple’s most comfortable iPhones, but the design was not liked because the chassis was plastic. However, this error will not be repeated, with ShrimpApplePro stating that the chassis of the iPhone 15 models will be made of titanium.
This hardware change had previously leaked, but was considered exclusive to the new iPhone 15 Ultra flagship model due to its cost. Titanium is priced at $35-50 per kilogram, compared to $1-1.50 per kilogram for stainless steel, making it around 30 times more expensive – although that may drop to just $3.50 for the chassis by about 100 g, and even less when purchased on a large scale.
Titanium has the same strength as stain stainless at only 40% of its weight and 3-4 times stronger at the same weight, making it a popular material for aircraft parts. Additionally, while the combination of a comfortable iPhone with extreme durability makes a lot of sense, it would also represent a stunning shift in direction from Apple after years of making their iPhones heavier and more angular.
Update 11/26: Additional iPhone 15 information has been released courtesy of one of Apple’s manufacturing partners (via MacRumors). In a thinly veiled message to its shareholders, Apple vendor Cirrus Logic strongly hinted that Apple would remove physical buttons from its next-generation iPhones.
In a letter to shareholders (PDF link), the company confirmed working “with a strategic customer [to] will bring a new HPMS component to the smartphone market next year.”
HPMS includes haptic drivers provided by Cirrus Logic for the Taptic Engine of iPhones. Cirrus Logic CEO John Forsyth added details during a company earnings call this month (via Looking for Alpha), claiming that the component will hit the market in the “second half of next year”. A period when, historically, the only major partner of Cirrus Logic to release a new smartphone is Apple.
Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O’Malley were even more specific. The duo explained to investors that the new Cirrus Logic HPMS component is intended for the iPhone 15, and “The biggest change in the new iPhone models next year is the removal of the buttons, which would require [HPMS] drivers for the haptic engine.
This rumor first appeared in October, with many dismissing it as nonsense. Not anymore.
Two front cameras have also been planned for the iPhone 15 Ultra
So how excited should you be? ShrimpApplePro notes that the information is “still very early, so take it as it is,” but the leaker’s sources are well respected after the insider revealed the notchless redesign of the iPhone 14 in September 2021the same month, Apple launched the iPhone 13.
For me, the doubt is less whether Apple will make these changes and more whether they will apply to the whole range, the iPhone 15 Pro or only the Ultra. With Apple determined to increase differentiation between models, the idea of it extending to the entire iPhone 15 line seems too good to be true.
That said, with disappointing iPhone 14 / iPhone 14 Plus sales and skyrocketing manufacturing costs, maybe, just maybe, Apple is ready to go all out with its iPhone 15 lineup. After all , it’s a big year of change for the iPhone, whether Apple likes it or not.
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