It appears that 9to5Mac got an exclusive first look at the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro, and it looks like some significant changes are coming.
These renders are based on a CAD model provided by a reliable case manufacturer and produced by 3D artist Ian Zelbo. We can expect the iPhone 15 lineup, including the iPhone 15 Pro, to arrive sometime later this year.
In the render, you can see that the Lightning port has been replaced with USB-C, which is almost certainly due to EU regulations. However, if you’re expecting to just use all of the USB-C cables you already have lying around the house to charge the iPhone 15, you may need to think again.
Apple may be doing an MFi program like it does today with Lightning cables to make sure USB-C cables are optimized for the best data transfer and charging speeds. This is typical of Apple, and as disappointing as it may be, it’s not at all surprising.
Another change you’ll notice is the curvature of the edges on the glass and metal frame. It appears that the glass has a very slight curve around the edges, which makes for a better transition to the frame and thinner bezels around the display. That could also mean that we’ll still be getting the same 6.1-inch display, but a smaller physical footprint. It’s similar to how Apple went from 5.8 inches on the iPhone XS to 6.1 inches on the iPhone 11. I personally prefer a smaller physical size while retaining a large display, so this change would appeal to me.
Along the sides of the iPhone 15 Pro, it seems that the rumors are true, and Apple is moving away from physical buttons to solid-state buttons instead. The renderings show what appear to be capacitive buttons for the volume buttons on the left side, and a redesigned mute switch, which is smaller and rounder than before, kind of in the same vein as the solid-state volume buttons.
But let’s talk about that camera bump — it’s massive! It appears to add a smaller bump on top of what already exists on the iPhone 14 Pro, so we can expect this to be a chonky boi.
While I’m not a fan of how the camera bump seems to get bigger and bigger each year, this should mean that the iPhone 15 Pro’s camera system is getting new lenses or sensors, which is always a good thing. The layout is like the iPhone 11 Pro through iPhone 14 Pro, with the triple-lens array and a lidar scanner arranged in a square area. Be prepared to never have your iPhone 15 Pro flat on a table unless you use a thick case to make it flush.
Again, these renderings are simply based on an early CAD model — this is not an official leak from Apple. However, these renderings, along with the rumors that have been circulating for months, give us a good idea of what to expect in the fall. Of course, the final design could be different, but probably not by much.
