iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera Specifications Leak Again, iPhone 15 Lineup Production Cost Tipped to Increase

iPhone 15 Pro Max — Apple's purported top-of-the-line flagship smartphone for 2023 — isn't expected to make its debut for a few more months. There have been several leaks related to the successor to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, including the inclusion of solid-state buttons and a new sensor for the primary rear camera. However, days after a prominent tipster claimed that the iPhone 15 Pro lineup would be equipped with a next-generation Sony camera sensor, a new leak has surfaced online, contradicting that claim.

According to details shared by tipster Revegnus (Twitter: @Tech_Reve), the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max will be equipped with the same primary camera sensor as the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The company will equip its iPhone 16 Pro lineup with the Sony IMX903 sensor, Revegnus claims.

These details directly contradict information recently leaked by another reputed tipster, Ice Universe (Twitter: @UniverseIce), who claimed that the Cupertino company would introduce the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max with the new 48-megapixel Sony IMX903 sensor.

While the previously leaked details of the iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera sensor suggested that the high-end iPhone would be equipped with a larger sensor, enabling it to capture pictures with more light and details, Apple does not typically include a major camera upgrade in successive iPhone generations.

Details of other iPhone 15 Pro Max camera specifications have also been leaked, and a recent report suggests that the handset could be equipped with a periscope lens with support for 5x or 6x optical zoom. The inclusion of a periscope lens would allow users to click photos without loss of image quality or distortion.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that the iPhone is tipped to feature a periscope lens. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed last year that the iPhone maker was working on building the technology into its telephoto lens. In February, Kuo claimed that a periscope lens would feature on only one iPhone model in the company's iPhone 16 series — as part of the company's efforts to push customers to purchase the top-of-the-line iPhone model.

Meanwhile, Revegnus has leaked additional information that suggests that the iPhone 15 series of smartphones, expected to comprise four models, could be more expensive than last year's lineup. While the tipster has not made any claims related to retail pricing, they state that the production cost of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models have increased by 12 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

The tipster says these ``purported increases in the cost of producing the iPhone 15 series of smartphones could be due to the price hikes by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a major Apple supplier. However, as the iPhone 15 lineup is several months away from its expected debut and Apple is yet to make any official announcement regarding is flagship phones for 2023, it is better to take these claims with a pinch of salt.