Report: ‘Max’ branding for bigger iPhone 15 Pro confirmed, Apple to remove one more iconic iPhone feature

Following an earlier report by top Apple analyst Mark Gurman that there won’t be an iPhone 15 Pro ‘Max’ this year, it looks like Apple will continue on with the Pro Max branding for the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro series that’s launching on Wednesday at 1am Malaysian time. Besides the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, the Cupertino company is also introducing a refresh for its Apple Watch and AirPods.

According to Gurman, Apple is looking at beating the current smartphone slowdown by encouraging more people to upgrade to the new iPhone 15 lineup which is also the first iPhone series to use USB-C port. Similar to the past few years, Apple will introduce a total of four iPhone models, namely iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. There’s no “iPhone 15 Pro 6.7” or “iPhone 15 Pro Ultra” this year, so don’t expect to see major changes to the iPhone product naming convention.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus won’t be radically different from the current iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus as both models maintain a similar 6.1″ and 6.7″ display respectively. Interestingly, his sources indicated that the Dynamic Island will be added to the iPhone 15 series, which gives it a new look for those upgrading from an older iPhone 13 or older.

While the iPhone 15 Pro series looks more premium thanks to its polished stainless steel frame, Apple is said to be going for a brushed look and possibly using titanium which makes it about 10% lighter. Both Pro models will retain a frosted glass back and it is reported that the edges are now less sharp. Gurman noted that the screens on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will appear slightly bigger and the bezels are said to be one-third thinner.

In terms of processors, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will get the latest A17 chip. Meanwhile, the “cheaper” iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will run on the current A16 chip that’s running the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Besides the processor, the iPhone 15 series is said to be receiving a 48MP camera similar to the current iPhone 14 Pro.

Obviously, the iPhone 15 Pro series will get the latest imaging upgrades and the Pro Max is said to come with a newer telephoto camera system with a rumoured periscope system that’s found on most newer Android flagship devices. The new telephoto and ultra-wide angle cameras are expected to boast higher resolution than the iPhone 14 Pro series and the iPhone 15 Pro Max is said to offer 6x optical zoom.

For 2023, the latest “courageous” move by Apple is the removal of the ring/silent switch on the side of the iPhone. Gurman said Apple is replacing the iconic physical switch with an “Action button” which can be customised to various features including Focus mode, turning on a flashlight, launching the camera or start voice recording. The ring/silent switch is one of the last iconic features of the iPhone since the very first model in 2007.

Looking at past launches, we reckon that pre-orders for the iPhone 15 in Malaysia should begin fairly soon after the global Apple keynote event.

[ SOURCE ]