Connect with us

Technologies

iPhone 15 Rumors: What We Know So Far About Apple’s 2023 Phones

The iPhone 15’s design and a few new features are being reported in the rumors we’ve seen so far.

Apple’s rumored iPhone 15 lineup — expected to arrive in fall of 2023 — already has an active rumor mill touting a variety of new features. Those rumors, plus the recent EU ruling mandating USB-C charging on phones sold within Europe, might mean a number of departures from Apple’s traditional design. Will the iPhone 15 have a USB-C port? Will Apple increase iPhone prices in 2023? Will it even be called the «iPhone 15»? No one outside of Apple knows for sure, but these reports will certainly feed our curiosity until Apple throws the next iPhone event. Here are some of the biggest and most credible rumors we’ve seen so far, to paint a picture of what we may see from the iPhone 15. 

iPhone 15 design: Hello USB-C, goodbye Lightning

This one has been in the rumor mill for years now, but in 2023 the switch from a Lightning Port to a USB-C port could finally happen. That’s possibly due to pressure from the European Union, which has been pushing for a common charging standard for years. In 2022, the bloc managed to pass legislation requiring Apple to equip its iPhones with USB-C ports by 2024 if it wants to sell them in the EU. 

The question is whether Apple will switch all iPhone models to USB-C or just those sold in the EU. Apple already modifies iPhone models regionally, as it has done with the iPhone 14: The US version has an electronic SIM, while other variants retain the SIM slot. However, there are good reasons to move all iPhones to USB-C moving forward, according to Avi Greengart, analyst at Techsponential.

«…There are larger ecosystem, security, and accessory considerations with the power/data connector, so I think it is more likely that Apple moves all iPhones [globally] to USB-C in the iPhone 16 timeframe to comply with European regulations,» he told CNET in an email. 

Read more: Your Next iPhone Will Probably Need a Different Charging Cable

iPhone 15 design: Dynamic Island expands to all models

Apple is likely to continue selling four iPhone models with the iPhone 15 lineup. Rumors point to a generally similar design across the board, except that the iPhone 14 Pro’s shape-shifting cutout, known as Dynamic Island, is set to make its way across all models. 

That rumor comes from display analyst Ross Young, who also said in a September tweet that he’s not expecting base iPhone 15 models to have a higher refresh rate like Apple’s Pro iPhones because the supply chain can’t support it. 

Read more: iPhone 14 Pro’s Most Eye-Catching Feature Feels Like It’s Winking at Something Else

An iPhone 7 Plus with Lightning port sits atop a Google Pixel 2 XL with USB-C port.An iPhone 7 Plus with Lightning port sits atop a Google Pixel 2 XL with USB-C port.

iPhones have had Lightning ports since the iPhone 5 in 2012. Android phones typically have the slightly larger USB-C.

Stephen Shankland/CNET

iPhone 15: Solid-state buttons come to pro iPhone 15 models

Noted Apple observer Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, expects Apple to differentiate further between its base and Pro models in the coming years. One way he’s expecting that to happen is by giving the iPhone 15 Pro models solid-state volume and power buttons instead of the standard keys present on today’s devices, he wrote in a tweet in October.

The solid-state buttons, which Kuo says will be similar to the home button found on the iPhone SE and iPhone 7, mimic the feel of pressing a button with the help of haptic feedback. The apparent advantage of this type of button is that it also protects against water getting in. 

iPhone 15 Power: Increased RAM for pro models

According to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, Pro models of the iPhone 15 lineup will get a bump up in RAM to 8GB from 6GB to complement the anticipated A17 Bionic chipset. Base models will continue to receive 6GB RAM, according to TrendForce. This rumor is also apparently backed up by a research report from analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities, according to a MacRumors article, which referenced Pu’s report.

iPhone 15 camera: Periscope-style telephoto lens arrives 

Yet another Kuo prediction has been making the rounds, but this time it’s about the iPhone 15’s camera. The analyst forecasts that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will receive a periscope-style telephoto lens. This sort of telephoto lens allows for higher optical zoom levels, with Kuo forecasting a 6x optical zoom could arrive in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The optical zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro Max is limited to 3x, which lags rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 10x optical zoom. 

Read more: The iPhone 14 Pro’s Camera Upgrade is Bigger Than You Think

iPhone 15 price: Up, up and away?

Prices have dramatically increased since the original iPhone arrived in 2007. And that may happen again in 2023 with the iPhone 15, except not in the way you might think. The price of the regular iPhone 15 is currently expected to remain the same, according to analysts who previously spoke with CNET. 

However, the upper limit of the price range could be pushed higher if rumors about a luxe iPhone 15 Ultra turn out to be true. The rumored Ultra model could potentially replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max next year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes. This falls in line with predictions from Kuo, who expects Apple to differentiate further between the iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max models. US prices currently range from $829 for the entry-level iPhone 14 model (128GB) all the way up to $1,599 for the highest-end iPhone 14 Pro Max with 1TB of storage.

Read more: What Apple Could Do With iPhone 15 Prices in 2023

iPhone 15: Launch and release timeline

Apple holds its annual iPhone event in September almost every year, so we’d expect the timeline to remain the same for the iPhone 15. New iPhones typically get released shortly thereafter, usually the Friday of the following week. Sometimes Apple will stagger release dates for specific models, especially when introducing a new design or size. So it’s possible that the iPhone 15 lineup will have more than one release date.

Here’s what we know: 

  • Apple tends to hold its events on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Apple’s iPhone 14 event was held on Wednesday Sept. 7, while its iPhone 13 event was held on Tuesday, Sept. 14.
  • iPhone release dates are typically a week and a half after Apple’s announcements. 
  • In general, new iPhones are released on a Friday, around the third week of September. For the iPhone 13, preorders began Sept. 17 and the phones went on sale Sept. 24.

Looking for more iPhone advice? Check out our iPhone upgrade guide, our list of the best iPhones and our roundup of the best cases for your iPhone 14 or 14 Pro.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, July 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.


I breezed through today’s Mini Crossword. There’s a little something for everyone. Birders will appreciate 3-Down while musicians will immediately know the answer to 6-Down. Read on for an assist with today’s Mini Crossword. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Workout facilities
Answer: GYMS

5A clue: Pipe dream? Just the opposite!
Answer: LEAK

6A clue: In good spirits
Answer: JOLLY

7A clue: Up to the task
Answer: ABLE

8A clue: Headache-inducing situation
Answer: MESS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Boston newspaper
Answer: GLOBE

2D clue: TALKS LIKE THIS
Answer: YELLS

3D clue: Mallard ducks with green heads, e.g.
Answer: MALES

4D clue: Drone’s zone
Answer: SKY

6D clue: Rock out
Answer: JAM

Continue Reading

Technologies

WeTransfer Backtracks on AI File Training After Backlash: What You Need to Know

The company has updated the changes to its policies after some users objected to new terms.

WeTransfer, the service that allows users to send large files to others, is explaining itself to clients and updating its terms of service after a backlash related to training AI models.

The company published a blog post, «WeTransfer Terms of Service — What’s Really Changing,» that details more updates the company made to its policies, after users noticed that recent changes seemed to suggest WeTransfer was training AI models on the files users are transferring.

In the blog post, the company says: «First things first. Your content is always your content.»

The post goes on to say, «We don’t use machine learning or any form of AI to process content shared via WeTransfer.» WeTransfer explains that its use of AI would be to improve content moderation and enhance its ability to prevent the distribution of harmful content across its platform.

The company adds that those AI tools aren’t being used and haven’t been built yet. «To avoid confusion,» it says, «we’ve removed this reference.» 

A representative for WeTransfer did not immediately return an email seeking further comment.

The backlash over the terms prompted users such as political correspondent Ava Santina to write on X, «Time to stop using WeTransfer who from 8th August have decided they’ll own anything you transfer to power AI.» 

What this means for users

Anxieties are high about what information users share or store in services such as social media accounts is accessed by companies to train AI models. WeTransfer may be used for highly sensitive file transfers, raising fears that private information might be accessed by AI. According to the company, this isn’t the case.

To further explain, the company said in its post:

  • «YES — Your content is always your content. In fact, section 6.2 of our Terms of Service clearly states that you ‘own and retain all right, title, and interest, including all intellectual property rights, in and to the Content’.»
  • «YES — You’re granting us permission to ensure we can run and improve the WeTransfer service properly.»
  • «YES — Our terms are compliant with applicable privacy laws, including the GDPR.»
  • «NO — We are not using your content to train AI models.»
  • «NO — We do not sell your content to third parties.»

When the Terms of Service change

While eagle-eyed experts understood the potential implications of what WeTransfer’s new terms could mean for people using the service, it’s unlikely that most people would be able to spot such changes.

«Expecting users to fully understand Terms of Service is unrealistic. These documents are often too complex to navigate,» says Haibing Lu, associate professor at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. 

Lu told CNET that companies would do well to clearly highlight any changes they make to AI-related terms and explain them clearly to give people a real choice. «That’s what true transparency looks like,» Lu says. «Companies are increasingly risking backlash when they update Terms of Service to include AI, especially when users’ data is involved.»

Companies including Adobe, Slack and Zoom have had similar issues with terms changes related to AI, but it’s not just AI that’s the problem, Lu says — rather, it’s the lack of transparent communication.

In the case of WeTransfer, Lu says the company’s response, including revising the terms and blogging about them, «was a smart move and helped rebuild trust. It showed they were listening and willing to act fast.»

WeTransfer could include more understandable language in its terms, or communicate the changes better or sooner, Lu says, adding: «Transparency shouldn’t start after a backlash.»

Continue Reading

Technologies

Best Galaxy Z Flip 6 Deals: Get The Previous Generation Foldable for Less Now That the Z Flip 7 Is Available

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Verum World Media