Apple Leaks Detail All

iPhone 15 Pro Max scale render showing its ultra-thin bezels

08/31 Update below. This post was originally published on August 29

Numerous new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro details have been revealed by leakers just weeks ahead of Apple’s September 12 launch.

Working with multiple Chinese leakers, industry insider Majin Bu has published a post breaking down the range's new design, display, camera, color, and even packaging decisions. Let’s break them down.

Design — Bu states that, “This year the frame is brushed, it's not very noticeable. It is not known what material it is, but is 90% is titanium alloy.” This is expected to make the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models noticeably lighter than their predecessors. Bu also exposes two interesting details about the iPhone 15 Pro’s design process:

It is not yet known which version of the motherboard Apple chose, but it is highly likely to have a sim card slot, given the lack of leaks around a sim-free design.

Render of iPhone 15 Pro Action Button (left) vs iPhone 14 Pro Mute Switch (right)

Displays — Bu reports slight increases to the exact physical dimensions of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max screen sizes of 6.14/6.15 and 6.73/6.74 inches, respectively. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max displays measure 6.12 inches and 6.69-inch inches, respectively. Bu also casts doubt on previously leaked measurements of Apple’s super thin iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max bezels:

It is worth noting that this higher figure would still break the current record held by the Xiaomi 13 (1.81mm), and should be the stand-out design element of the new Pros.

Camera — Bu notes that the periscopic telephoto lens exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max is significantly sharper than the iPhone 15 Pro, and “the whole camera is a bit lighter than before.” Interestingly, Bu states that, unlike rivals, the pericope telephone camera is not square, “It is round, looks very deep, and the opening is very large.”

Colors — Bu agrees with recent leaks regarding iPhone 15 Pro colors and adds further detail, explaining that the silver gray finish has a gray back panel and edge, which “is similar to silver.” In addition, the new black version is lighter than the Space Black finish on the iPhone 14 Pro, and the new dark blue hero color will be darker than Apple's previous blue hues.

Render of the new dark blue hero color on the iPhone 15 Pro Max

Packaging — Lastly, Bu has some packaging information, revealing that the “15 pro series wallpaper displayed [on the box] is very similar to the 14 pro wallpaper, the main body is black with gradient color and then there is an S curve.” This means the default wallpaper will have a black background with more of an S curve than the double ‘U’ wallpaper of its predecessors (concept render here).

Bu didn’t touch on other major talking points around the iPhone 15 series, like the rumored faster charging and Thunderbolt4 speeds for Pro models, a potentially rebranded iPhone 15 Ultra and widely expected price increases. That said, at this stage, it is hard to know what secrets Apple could possibly still have up its sleeve.

08/31 Update: Digitimes has revealed that Apple is betting big on the 3nm chipset technology behind its next-generation A17 chipset, which buyers will find inside the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

According to the site, Apple has bought the entirety of TSMC’s 3nm chip supply for the whole of 2023. This is a boss move from Apple, with rivals now scraping around to find their own source of 3nm chips. TSMC is the leading supplier of consumer-focused 3nm chips, with delays at Intel further constricting the market.

Apple is expected to integrate the new fabrication process into iPhones, Macs and iPads, because it allows chips to run faster, cooler and more efficiently. Along with the A17, 3nm will be at the heart of Apple’s next M3 chip for Macs and iPads, with M3 MacBooks and iMacs tipped to arrive as soon as October, followed by OLED iPad Pro models in early 2024.

Apple already enjoys a significant performance to efficiency lead over its rivals, and by stockpiling TSMC’s 3nm supply, that gap is only likely to grow wider now.

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