This year’s upcoming iPhone refresh will bring the Dynamic Island to all four models, including the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
We have seen this pattern before. First, Apple introduces a new hardware feature, like Face ID, exclusively on premium models. After a generation or two, as the economies of scale bring the cost of new technology down, it trickles down to the standard models.
Standard iPhone 15 models getting the Dynamic Island?
In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman writes that the regular iPhone 15 models will trade in the notch for the Dynamic Island.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently predicted that this year’s iPhones will also fit a proximity sensor within the Dynamic Island. Other than that, there’ll be “almost no change to the Dynamic Island area” on the iPhone 15 family, he said.
Other rumored iPhone 15 features
Mark mentioned a few other tidbits about the standard iPhone 15 models.
Better cameras
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will add “major camera improvements.” Two analysts recently revealed what those improvements might entail.
According to Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo with TF International Securities, the standard models will get a 48-megapixel rear shooter like the iPhone 14 Pros. The camera should feature a three-element stacked lens versus the two-stacked lens on the iPhone 14 Pros.
Faster chip
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be reportedly powered by the same chip as last year’s iPhone 14 Pro models, the Apple A16. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will get Apple’s forthcoming chip, the A17.
This chip is expected to bring substantial speed improvements because it will use TSMC’s 3nm process, resulting in fuser performance and lower power consumption.
USB-C
As has been expected, Apple will comply with the European Union rule requiring consumer electronics makers to adopt the ubiquitous USB-C port for data and charging. The entire iPhone 15 family will swap out the Lightning connector for USB-C, resulting in faster data transfer speeds when syncing with a cable.
iPhone 15 Pro price hike may be coming
Gurman corroborated earlier reports suggesting Apple will hike the price of the iPhone 15 Pros due to a number of factors, with changes making the flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max model $200 costlier than this year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max, which starts at $1100. He didn’t say how much the iPhone 15 Pro models might start at.
The Dynamic Island replaces the notch
2022’s iPhone 14 Pros debuted the Dynamic Island. A combination of software and hardware, the Dynamic Island houses Face ID sensors within a cutout at the top of the display and the selfie camera inside a circular cutout next to the notched section.
Compatible apps can provide various controls within the Dynamic Island. For instance, the Music app injects its playback controls into the Dynamic Island and starting a timer in the Clock app adds a little timer countdown to the Dynamic Island. To reveal additional controls, you must touch and hold the Dynamic Area.
Swiping the Dynamic Island shrinks and touching it immediately launches the underlying app. You can also check notifications and get updates from live activities, such as sports scores, from compatible apps in the Dynamic Island.