Apple is set to realize its long-standing ambition of designing an iPhone that is virtually all-screen, thanks to thinner bezels around the display and no sensor cutouts. This dream is expected to come closer to fruition with the anticipated release of the iPhone 15 this fall, according to unnamed sources speaking to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
This ambitious goal had its inception in 2017 with the launch of the iPhone X, which boasted a screen that stretched edge-to-edge at the top and bottom, albeit retaining a notch to house Face ID, the speaker, and the front-facing camera.
Sources note that significant strides were made in 2020 with the iPhone 12’s thinner bezels, followed by the reduction of the notch size in the iPhone 13 Pro in 2021. Last year, the Dynamic Island replaced the notch, further minimizing the area.
Insiders reveal two game-changing developments with the upcoming iPhone 15. The standard models will adopt the Dynamic Island, pushing Apple closer to their vision of an all-screen iPhone. Simultaneously, the Pro and Pro Max variants will incorporate a new technology, low-injection pressure over-moulding, or “LIPO,” leading to even slimmer borders, down to 1.5 millimetres from about 2.2 millimetres on current models.
LIPO, first employed in the Apple Watch Series 7 to reduce border size and maximize display area, is set to be introduced in the iPad range as well at some point, sources confirmed.
Apart from the screen enhancements, the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro lines will see a plethora of new features, marking the most significant update since 5G was introduced three years ago.
According to insiders, the new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will share design elements with the current models but will boast major camera enhancements, the A16 chip from the iPhone 14 Pro line, and a shift from the current Lightning connector to USB-C.
In addition, the Pro models are reportedly getting a new design, including a stronger, lighter, and more premium material—titanium. This design overhaul will also make the phone easier to repair. The Pro phones will also benefit from a 3-nanometer chip that is significantly faster.
Sources disclose that Apple had plans for another unique feature – touch-sensitive buttons with haptic feedback for volume controls, the mute/ring switch, and the power button. However, this enhancement, codenamed “Bongo,” was scrapped due to engineering challenges and cost concerns.
As the dust settles on this development, we may also expect a minor price increase across all models outside the US (Canada?!), and potentially, within the US as well, especially for the Pro models due to the use of titanium and the more advanced camera system on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
In other news, Apple’s watch lineup is expected to include three tiers: the 41 and 45-millimetre Series 9 models, and a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra. While there isn’t a new Apple Watch SE expected this year, all of this year’s models are set to receive a performance boost thanks to the new S9 processor.
