iPhone 15 Pro to Feature Titanium Edges, Apple's New 3nm Chip, and Repair-Friendly Internals: Mark Gurman

Alongside the iPhone 15 series, the company will reportedly launch the Apple Watch Series 9 and second-generation Watch Ultra smartwatches.

Written by David Delima, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 31 July 2023 14:17 IST

iPhone 15 Pro to Feature Titanium Edges, Apple's New 3nm Chip, and Repair-Friendly Internals: Mark Gurman

Photo Credit: Apple

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are said to feature the Dynamic Island from the iPhone 14 Pro

Highlights

iPhone 15 series is expected to make its debut later this year
The upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models may feature a more durable chassis
The iPhone 15 Pro Max may feature support for improved zoom performance

iPhone 15 series — comprising the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max — are expected to make their debut this year. Apple's next generation of iPhone models are likely to bring several hardware upgrades, according to details that have recently surfaced online. The iPhone 15 models are said to feature a USB Type-C port and upgraded rear cameras, while the Pro models might feature a new 3nm chip, titanium edges, improved zoom performance, and easily repairable internals, just like the iPhone 14 that was launched last year.

In the latest edition of his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman states that Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 Pro will drop its easily identifiable stainless steel edges, replacing it with a sturdier material — titanium. This suggests the company's next Pro models will be more durable than their predecessors. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature reworked internals just like last year's iPhone 14, to make it easier to repair, he adds.

On the inside, the iPhone 15 Pro will be powered by a new 3nm chip that will bring performance improvements over last year's Pro models, according to Gurman, who says the new processor is "noticeably snappier". However, customers who pick up the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will reportedly get the 4nm A16 Bionic chip found on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

iPhone 15 Pro Could Support These 9 Features With the New Action Button

This year, Apple will reduce the size of the bezels around its iPhone 15 Pro series of smartphones to 1.5mm, down from 2.2mm on the 14 Pro models, using a process called "low-injection pressure over-moulding", according to Gurman. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will drop the notch in favour of the Dynamic Island that featured on last year's Pro models.

Previous reports suggest that the upcoming iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will feature an upgraded 48-megapixel primary camera instead of the 12-megapixel one on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and Gurman states that the largest model — the iPhone 15 Pro Max — will offer improved optical zoom. Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro Max is tipped to feature a periscope camera, a hardware feature that is present on high-end Android smartphones.

Gurman also reiterates his previous claim that the iPhone 15 series will drop the now-outdated — and slower — Lightning connector, in favour of a USB Type-C port. Apple is expected to bring this hardware change in order to comply with EU rules that go into effect in December 2024.

iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max Might Debut With These Hiked Price Tags

Meanwhile, Apple's plans to improve the durability of the handset with the inclusion of solid-state buttons for the volume buttons, the power button, and the mute switch — codenamed Project Bongo — has been cancelled, according to Gurman, who says that only the mute switch will be replaced by an Action button.

Unlike last year, Apple is not expected to launch a new Apple Watch SE model this year, but the upcoming Watch Series 9 models and the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will be equipped with a new — and powerful — S9 chip, according to Gurman. Apple is expected to announce plans to launch new smartphones and smartwatch models later this year.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company's new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Apple iPhone 15

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Big upgrades over the 14
Excellent ergonomics, build quality
Very good all-round performance
Apple ecosystem benefits

Bad
Relatively slow charging
Expensive
Still a 60Hz display

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Plus

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent display
USB Type-C
AAA gaming
Excellent all-round performance
Good primary and telephoto camera
Customisable Action Button

Bad
Gets hot quickly when stressed
Slow wired charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 15 series, iPhone 15 specifications, iPhone 15 Pro specifications, iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More