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Apple fans may have gotten their best view yet of the company’s next smartphone, the iPhone 15, four months before its release.
A new video claims to show a dummy unit of iPhone 15 Ultra – the most expensive of the upcoming iPhone 15 range that is expected to be released in September.
The dummy shows that the new phone will have a USB-C charging port instead of a Lightning port, due to legislation passed by the European Union in 2022.
The iPhone 15 Ultra dummy also has a ‘matte’ back rather than a smooth, glossy surface, and what feels like ‘brushed aluminum edges’.
Previous leaks have already suggested that the iPhone 15 family will have a thinner bezel, thicker camera bumps and more curved edges, as well as the USB-C port.
A new video claims to show a dummy unit of iPhone 15 Ultra – the most expensive of the upcoming iPhone 15 range expected to be released in September
Meanwhile, a TikTok video from earlier this year also claimed to show an iPhone 15 dummy, but the new video, Posted to YouTube on May 6 by Unbox Therapyreveals much more details about the device.
“I was told it’s going to look like this,” said Unbox Therapy host Lewis Hilsenteger, who is seen playing the dummy unit with last year’s equivalent iPhone 14 Pro Max.
“It’s supported by a number of rumors and leaks you’ve probably seen floating around.”
The YouTuber called the new device “incredible” and “one of the best looking models I’ve ever handed over or looked at.”
However, it is unclear where the dummy came from or who sent it Technical Radar speculates that it was compiled from all known leaks that have already occurred about the iPhone 15.
MailOnline has reached out to Apple for comment, though the tech giant is notoriously secretive about upcoming products.
As Hilsenteger compares the dummy to iPhone 14 Pro Max, the two don’t seem all that different at first – they have a similar camera setup and the same dimensions – but on closer inspection there are notable differences.
For example, the switch control on the side of the device is no longer a switch that users can turn on and off, but a push button.
In the new video, the Youtuber compares the iPhone 15 Ultra dummy (left) with iPhone 14 Pro Max (right)
The iPhone 14 Pro Max (top) has the Lightning charging port (Apple’s proprietary charging technology), while the dummy (bottom) has USB-C used by Android devices
Last September, Apple launched four iPhone 14 models: the standard iPhone 14 model, the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max (pictured). The new iPhone 15 Ultra is expected to be related to the Pro Max, but with a new name
The edge of the device – the border between the screen and the frame – is also ‘extremely’ thin, while there is a USB-C charging port instead of the Lightning port.
However, Dynamic Island – a feature introduced last year with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max – has also been carried over from last year.
Dynamic Island is a pill-shaped notch at the top of the screen that hides the front-facing camera, but also resizes to show important alerts, notifications, and activities.
A previous iPhone 15 leak already suggests it will be the first iPhone without physical buttons on the side, used to power off the device, control volume, take screenshots, activate Siri, and more.
Instead of physical buttons that move, the iPhone 15 models will have haptic buttons — which provide tactile sensations, such as vibrations when users apply pressure with their finger, the leak suggested.
However, the new Unbox Therapy video shows that the physical buttons are still on the dummy – implying that haptic buttons aren’t arriving after all.
Meanwhile, the volume up and volume down buttons on the side of the new phone will no longer be separate, but will be incorporated into one long rocker-like button, which Hilsenteger refers to as a “rocker.”
One of the biggest changes already expected with the iPhone 15 is the lack of a Lightning port in favor of a USB-C port.
Apple was legally required to equip all iPhones sold in the EU with USB-C ports, following legislation signed last October that aims to reduce e-waste.
Apple releases a new iPhone every year to much fanfare. The iPhone 15 models are likely to be released in September 2023
iPhones currently use Apple’s proprietary “Lightning” power connector technology (top right). But Apple will have to comply with a new EU law that makes USB-C (bottom right) an EU standard. This means iPhones sold in EU countries must come with USB-C instead of Lightning
The law makes USB-C connectors – currently used by Android devices – the standard charging technology in the EU.
That means Apple has to replace its own Lightning charging technology, recognizable by the eight pins, with USB-C in EU countries.
Technically, Apple still has the option of selling iPhones with Lightning ports in non-EU countries, such as the UK and US.
But if it decided to do so, it would have to make two different iPhone designs: one with a USB-C port for EU countries and one with Lightning for non-EU countries.
Ultimately, the rumors and leaks suggest that Apple has decided not to – possibly due to cost – and has reluctantly had to fully embrace USB-C.
Apple is expected to release high-end versions of the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra, along with the standard iPhone 15 model.
While the new video only shows a dummy of the iPhone 15 Ultra, the cheaper iPhone 15 models are expected to have the same basic design features.
Last September, Apple launched four iPhone 14 models: the standard iPhone 14 model, the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The standard model costs £849 and comes with a 6.1-inch screen, while the Plus costs £949 and has a 6.7-inch screen.
iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen (same as the standard model) and costs £1,099, while Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen (same as the Plus) and costs a whopping £1,199.
Different sources are divided on whether iPhone 15 prices will be higher, though some reports are calling the iPhone 15 Ultra “the most expensive iPhone ever” with a price tag of $2,900 (equivalent to £2,300).