The iPhone 15 Pro (Max) will have a titanium frame, thinner 1.5 mm bezels and a $200 higher price tag
Time is running out for Apple’s September presentation, and more details about the upcoming iPhone 15 line are surfacing. A new piece of information from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman provides a better understanding of the iPhone 15 Pro.
Screen (almost) on the entire front panel
Apple designers have been experimenting with bezel-less design since 2017 and the iPhone X. They were among the first to cut the bottom panel of the smartphone and shrink the top panel as much as possible, creating the famous “chop.”
Then the ratio of the screen area to the front panel increased gradually. In the iPhone 12, the bezels became a little thinner, and in the iPhone 13 Pro, the size of the “bangs” decreased until it turned into Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro line.
According to preliminary data, Dynamic Island will be extended to the entire iPhone 15 line. However, in the Pro and Pro Max models, the displays will be made using a new technology: low-pressure injection molding, or LIPO. They are being developed by Samsung and LG, the latter of which may cause a shortage of smartphones at the start of sales due to excessive rejects during production.
The new process should reduce the bezels around the display to 1.5 mm (currently 2.2 mm). LIPO was first used on the Apple Watch Series 7 smartwatch, and in the future, the technology is expected to be extended to the iPad.
Other updates to the iPhone 15 lineup
- Another important feature of the upcoming iPhone Pro and Pro Max is the replacement of the stainless steel frame with a titanium alloy. It’s supposed to make the smartphone lighter and stronger, and it sounds more premium.
- The Pro and Pro Max models will retain the frosted glass on the back, but the edges will be less sharp than in the previous generation.
- The entire iPhone 15 lineup is set to switch to the USB-C connector. This should increase the speed of data transfer via the cable, and at the same time simplify and complicate the life of longtime Apple smartphone users: old Lightning cables will become incompatible, but many other devices use USB-C.
- The iPhone 15 Pro Max should have a camera with a periscopic lens and a Sony IMX803 or IMX903 sensor.
- All these changes should increase the price tag of the iPhone Pro Max – the model is likely to become more expensive by $200.
- At the same time, the removable rear window should make the new lineup more friendly for repairs. According to MacRumors, this should reduce the cost of repairing a cracked back to $169-199, compared to $499-549 for iPhone 14 Pro models.
