The new iPhone 15, due for release in September, will have some subtle changes including a USB-C port to replace the Lightning port according to dummy models of the upcoming products Tech Guide has obtained.
Every year these dummy iPhones are created in China based on the specs obtained by case manufacturers to ensure they fit on the new iPhone and can be sold from the day iPhone 15 goes on sale.
In recent years these dummies have been extremely accurate.
Tech Guide obtained the dummy iPhone from EFTM’s Trevor Long – Stephen Fenech’s co-host for Two Blokes Talking Tech and The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcasts.
At first glance the design doesn’t look much different between the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 15 dummies but upon closer inspection you can see subtle differences.
The edges are a little more rounded with the top of the screen protruding by half a millimetre above the edge panels.
The camera systems on both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro dummies and the iPhone 14 are virtually identical.
But the biggest change we can see is the charging port which is noticeably larger on the iPhone 15 dummies.
Could it be a USB-C port? We connected a USB-C cable into the port – and it fit perfectly.
You can also easily see the difference in the size of the ports when you have the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 dummy’s charging ports next to each other.
The USB-C ports on the iPhone 15 are much larger than the iPhone 14’s Lightning port.
The reason Apple is doing this is to comply with European laws that all smartphones would be required to have the same USB-C charging port by the end of 2024.
Apple is getting in early here and the iPhone 14 will become the last Apple device to have a Lightning port with all the iPads, including the 10th gen iPad, all now sporting USB-C ports.
Another subtle change can be seen on the iPhone 15 dummies is the side button and mute button.
The mute switch to silence the iPhone has been there since 2007 but on the iPhone 15 Pro dummies it looks like it will be button.
The volume keys on the iPhone 15 Pro will also now be one larger key rather two separate keys on the iPhone 14.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will remain the same with a switch and two separate volume keys.
Another thing we noticed is the iPhone 15 dummies being a millimetre or two shorter and narrower than the iPhone 14.
This could be because the iPhone has much thinner bezels so the 6.1-inch and 6.8-inch displays will take up less room and that’s saved on the overall size of the device.
Now remember we said that the main reason for creating these dummies was so that case manufacturers can make sure their new designs work on the latest iPhone.
So will last year’s iPhone 14 cases fit the iPhone 15 – not really.
You could get away with putting on the cases – they do fit the iPhone 15 dummies, but they are not quite as snug.
And with the iPhone 14 Pro case on the iPhone 15 dummies – the case actually fits and has room for the camera bump, but the case doesn’t line up with the new side buttons layout.
The iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will go on sale in September.
