New Apple Leak Reveals iPhone 15 Price Shock - Forbes

12/11 Update below. This station was primitively published connected December 8

iPhone 15 leaks person already revealed Apple’s ambitious plans for its next-generation smartphones. But present caller accusation says those ambitions travel with a dense price.

Working with Howtoisolve, influential manufacture insider LeaksApplePro has released a truckload of caller iPhone 15 information, including terms increases that volition apt daze US buyers.

Last period the leaker revealed that the measure of materials for the iPhone 15 Ultra, Apple’s caller sanction for its ‘Pro Max’ models, volition increase by up to $100. Now LeaksApplePro states that the iPhone 15 Ultra volition person a starting terms arsenic precocious arsenic $1299 — a $200 summation connected the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the biggest azygous generational leap successful iPhone history.

“It’s going to beryllium a much costly iPhone. Even successful the United States,” the leaker explains. “Apple has been losing margins twelvemonth aft year. Rising accumulation costs and inflation, that makes the wealth the institution has successful the slope worthy less, person yet breached the camel’s back.”

LeaksApplePro states that “we don’t cognize the concern for the different devices successful the line-up.” That said, with a $1299 starting terms perchance seeing the iPhone 15 Ultra emergence arsenic precocious arsenic $1799 for the 1TB model, this is apt to person a knock-on effect connected the remainder of the scope due to the fact that Apple doesn’t similar to person a gulf betwixt products successful the aforesaid lineup.

On the flip side, the iPhone 15 Ultra volition springiness you much for your money. LeaksApplePro states that the iPhone 15 Ultra volition vessel with a minimum of 256GB (double the existent 128GB introduction point), easing immoderate of the terms emergence pain.

In addition, the leaker reiterates that the caller exemplary volition travel with dual front-facing cameras, USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps) volition regenerate the Lightning larboard with its USB 2.0 speeds (480Mbps/0.48Gbps), and “it volition beryllium made of retired titanium” — thing which comes with significant spot and terms increases.

12/10 Update: Speaking to me, LeaksApplePro has provided further accusation astir Apple’s usage of titanium successful the iPhone 15 range. Following a caller leak from fashionable chap manufacture insider ShrimpApplePro that Apple volition bring titanium to each iPhone 15 models, not conscionable the iPhone 15 Ultra, LeaksApplePro says this is categorically incorrect.

“That’s not true,” LeaksApplePro argues, saying it volition beryllium “Ultra lone (maybe the 15 Pro but decidedly not the 15 and 15 Plus).”

Given the outgo of titanium, this makes sense. Because it is 3-4x stronger than the stainless alloy utilized successful the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, immoderate mightiness reason that this reduces the pricing arsenic little volition beryllium needed to marque a chassis that is arsenic strong, if not stronger.

The occupation with that statement is titanium is presently priced astatine $35-50 per kilogram, compared to $1-1.50 per kilogram for stainless steel. It’s a colossal quality and surely puts it retired of scope for modular iPhones.

As such, to my mind, the question becomes much astir whether Apple volition complicate its proviso concatenation with 3 antithetic chassis materials (aluminum for modular models, stainless alloy for the iPhone 15 Pro and titanium for the iPhone 15 Ultra), oregon instrumentality to two. This would apt mean an upgrade to stainless alloy for modular models, due to the fact that downgrading the iPhone 15 Pro is improbable to beryllium an option.

12/11 Update: LeaksApplePro has returned with further accusation today.

First, the insider answered my query astir Apple’s prime of chassis materials. Interestingly, the reply is that currently, Apple plans to usage each three: aluminum for the 2 modular iPhone 15 models, stainless alloy for the iPhone 15 Pro and titanium volition beryllium reserved for the Ultra.

LeaksApplePro does adhd the caveat, “that’s what we cognize for now.” This is fair, fixed however aboriginal the iPhone 15 scope is successful its improvement cycle, but it is absorbing to spot the institution adhd this complexity to its proviso chain.

Second, LeaksApplePro states that the repeatedly leaked dual beforehand cameras are highly apt to beryllium an iPhone 15 Ultra exclusive.

I fishy this is not conscionable from a outgo position but is highly apt to beryllium down to carnal size. The Dynamic Island already takes up important existent property connected the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro display. Adding a 2nd camera would permission astir nary abstraction for immoderate different icons — galore of which (time, cellular / WiFi signal, notifications, etc) users see essential.

In comparison, the 2nd camera would beryllium considered a luxury addition. In contrast, a 6.5-inch iPhone 15 Ultra tin location the camera and inactive clasp the aforesaid fig of icons arsenic an iPhone 15 Pro. Whether Apple would marque the show adjacent bigger to unrecorded up to the Ultra sanction and its supersized Android-rivals, remains to beryllium seen.

And determination is 1 final, fascinating titbit: “Apple is lone considering 1 colour for the iPhone 15 Ultra, and it’s the aforesaid colour arsenic the Apple Watch Ultra [silver]. I don’t cognize if that volition beryllium the lone colour disposable successful September, oregon if determination volition beryllium more, but arsenic of contiguous nary of my sources person seen immoderate colour different than the aforesaid arsenic the Apple Watch Ultra.”

Yes, the iPhone 15 Ultra looks acceptable to thrust iPhone prices higher than ever, but it besides looks similar the astir breathtaking and ambitious smartphone Apple has released successful years.

More connected Forbes

MORE FROM FORBESNew iPhone 15 Leak Urges Caution Over 'Rounded' Design RumorsBy Gordon Kelly