iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro specs: What's coming to Apple's next iPhones?

As September draws ever nearer there are some big releases to come including the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. But the biggest of all is the arrival of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max within the first couple of weeks of September and then release them a week or so later, but what can we expect from those new phones?

As ever there are plenty of rumors to take into consideration and some of them make for very interesting reading for those who might be ready to pick up a new iPhone this fall. And no matter which of the four you’re considering, there is going to be something worth upgrading for.

Here, we’re going to take a look at all of the rumored specs for all four iPhones that we expect to see announced in September including some big design changes for Apple’s best iPhones.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to get some noteworthy upgrades in some aspects, including borrowing some features and tech from the iPhone 14 Pro models of 2023.

The highlight of the new specifications is arguably the arrival of the Dynamic Island across the range, adding support for things like improved Live Activities while the iPhone is in use. That addition of a new display feature doesn’t mean that it will get all of the display specs of the current Pro models, however. That means buyers should expect a 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus, both with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Battery sizes aren’t expected to change all that much, with last year’s models likely to be reused this time around — that means a 3,279mAh battery in the iPhone 15 and a 4,323mAh part in the iPhone 15 Plus.

In terms of processing power, an A16 Bionic is likely to be used in both models, while 6GB of Ram will probably round out the main specifications.

Camera-wise, expect both models to gain a new 48-megapixel camera similar to that of the one in the iPhone 14 Pro, although with some manufacturing changes here and there. A 12-megapixel. ultrawide camera is likely to round out the rear-facing cameras while the same 12-megapixel FaceTime camera should be expected.

Like the rest of the new iPhone lineup, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are also expected to move away from Lightning and use a USB-C charging and data port for the first time.

Storage? Well, both models are expected to come in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB offerings.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 14 Pro Max on a grey background

(Image credit: Alex Walker-Todd / Future)

When it comes to Apple’s best iPhones there will be plenty going on if the rumors are true.

Both models are set to get the same 6.1 and 6.7-inch displays of yesteryear’s models, including ProMotion support including a variable 120Hz refresh rate. An upgrade to a new A17 Bionic chip, based on TSMC’s 3nm manufacturing process, is almost a given at this point. That should ensure faster app load times and better gaming performance while also unlocking potential new photography features.

That A17 chip is expected to be joined by 8GB of RAM. In terms of batteries, the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to have a similar-sized battery to last time but the iPhone 15 Pro Max is thought to be getting a larger one than last time out — although how much larger, nobody seems to know just yet.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max cameras are another area where things are expected to improve. The 48-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel ultrawide cameras are what we’re used to of course, but the 12-megapixel telephoto is likely to be all-new thanks to the addition of a periscope lens for the first time. Zoom levels of up to 6x have been touted to date. The iPhone 15 Pro won’t benefit from the same new lens, however.

Again, USB-C will be the order of the day, possibly with Thunderbolt data speeds.

Those data speeds will help get files off the new iPhones more quickly, but there will still be the same storage limit of 1TB at the high end. 256GB and 512GB options are also expected.

Worthy upgrades

All of this means that no matter which iPhone you choose this year you can expect to enjoy some worthy upgrades over your previous handset. The arrival of the Dynamic Island on the non-Pro models is a huge deal, as could be the new zoom capabilities of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple is expected to announce the new iPhones during an event in the middle of September, possibly on September 13 if recent rumors are to be believed. The same event is also likely to see the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra debut, too.