Technologies

iPhone 15 Design Rumors: How Apple’s New Phones May Change

The iPhone 15 lineup could differ from the iPhone 14 in a few big ways.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro may get a small but important makeover, if the rumors turn out to be true. Apple’s next iPhones, which will likely debut at the company’s Sept. 12 event, are expected to include a handful of design changes that could impact everything from the charging port to the display.

But overall, we’re largely expecting a more fine-tuned version of the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro’s design. Reports suggest there could be changes to materials, colors, buttons and the display, but the iPhone 15 likely won’t be as dramatic of a shift as Apple has made in years past. In 2020, for example, Apple updated the iPhone 12’s overall shape with flat edges, making it feel significantly different from the iPhone 11. And then, of course, there was the debut of the iPhone X in 2017, which was the first model to include a nearly borderless screen and Face ID.

Based on rumors, reports, leaks and Apple’s previous iPhone launches, here’s what we’re expecting the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus to look like.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: The Dynamic Island and USB-C

Assuming Apple keeps the same lineup as last year, we can expect two versions of the standard iPhone: the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. The smaller version would have a 6.1-inch screen like the iPhone 14, while the Plus model would have a 6.7-inch display like the iPhone 14 Plus.

While the screen sizes are expected to remain the same, Apple might make a major upgrade to the display. Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus may inherit the Dynamic Island from the Pro models, according to a tweet from analyst Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, and a Bloomberg report. The Dynamic Island, which Apple introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, replaces the notch on those phones. It’s like a miniature secondary screen that can show tidbits of information such as timers, sports scores and your Uber’s ETA.

Another aesthetic change rumored to be coming to the iPhone 15 is a USB-C port to replace the Lightning connector. Apple executives said when speaking at the Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference last year that the company plans to comply with European rules mandating USB-C charging on new phones. However, it’s unclear whether Apple would make the switch to USB-C this year or next, and whether it would do so globally or just where the EU’s rules would take effect.

As for color options, the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to come in black, pink, yellow, blue and green. That’s according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for his credible Apple product predictions. That sounds similar to the current iPhone 14 lineup, which is available in yellow, purple, blue, red, starlight (white) and midnight (black).

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max: An Action button and thinner bezels

An iPhone 14 Pro against a blue background.

In typical Apple fashion, more dramatic changes are likely to be reserved for its high-end line of Pro models. One of the most significant design updates possibly coming to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is an Action button to replace the mute switch, according to Bloomberg and MacRumors. This would be similar to the Apple Watch Ultra’s button of the same name, and it may allow you to trigger certain features like activating the flashlight, translate app or camera.

The iPhone 15 Pro is also expected to get a new titanium casing, according to the same Bloomberg piece, which could make it feel more premium but also potentially raise its price. The report has a few other nuggets about what to expect from the iPhone 15 Pro’s design, including a display with thinner bezels and an internal layout that’s easier to repair like the iPhone 14’s.

To reduce the iPhone 15 Pro’s borders, Apple may use a technology called low-injection pressure over-molding, the report says.

A shift to slimmer borders framing the screen would mark the latest sign that Apple intends to build on the vision it introduced with the iPhone X in 2017. «This phone really sets us up well for the next 10 years,» Dan Riccio, an Apple veteran who previously served as the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, told me in a piece for Time referring to the iPhone X back then.

Otherwise, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are expected to come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen sizes just like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Like the standard iPhone 15, it’s expected to have USB-C charging instead of Lightning. Color options could include gray, white, black and blue, according to the analyst Kuo, compared to the iPhone 14 Pro’s black, silver, gold and purple choices.

We’ll have to wait until Apple announces its next iPhones to know for sure. But if the reports turn out to be true, it sounds like the iPhone 15 series could be a bigger leap forward than last year’s iPhone 14.

Technologies

We Played Nintendo Switch 2: Mario, Donkey Kong, Mouse, Camera and a Lot More

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Every Reveal About the Console, New Games, Price, Release Date

The $450 console launches June 5, with Mario Kart World the highlight of its launch day game lineup.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday as part of the company’s latest Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Editions and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.