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When the iPhone 15 handsets arrive, we again expect there will be several differences between the standard two phones and the two more expensive Pro models – and one of those differences could be in Wi-Fi support.
A leaked document posted by tipster Unknownz21 (opens in new tab) on Twitter (via MacRumors (opens in new tab)) refers to the antenna architecture for iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
According to the document, the standard iPhone 15 and Plus model will remain with the same Wi-Fi 6 specs as the current iPhone 14 series. However, the Pro and Pro Max get an upgrade to the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard.
A numbers game
We had heard rumors earlier this week that Wi-Fi 6E would be coming to the iPhone 15 series in 2023, but at the time we thought the upgrade was for all models. Now that appears not to be the case.
The difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E isn’t huge though: it supports an additional 6 GHz frequency band alongside 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, so while the speeds are similar, there’s more capacity for more devices. You’ll also need a Wi-Fi 6E router to take advantage of the improved technology.
While it’s not mentioned in this document leak, we assume that if the iPhone 15 Ultra is genuine, it will also have the Wi-Fi 6E upgrade. It is not yet clear whether the phone will become a separate model or replace the Pro Max version of the iPhone.
Analysis: More reasons to upgrade
In recent years, Apple has clearly been trying to make the Pro model upgrades so worthwhile for people, most recently with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The standard models seem almost neglected in comparison.
For example, we first saw a speed difference between the two pairs of models last year: the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus got the A15 Bionic chipset, while the more expensive pair of phones got the latest A16 Bionic upgrade.
A small upgrade to the Wi-Fi standards may not be the most important spec when it comes to choosing a phone, but it’s one more reason to pick one of the Pro models when they go on sale ( which will be in September, if Apple sticks to its usual schedule).
The danger is that the cheaper iPhones will be ignored by buyers (and rumor has it that the Plus version doesn’t sell well at all) – but with the Pro models selling for more money, it seems like a trade-off Apple is happy to make.