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US$1,800 iPhone 15 Pro Max could be on the horizon as Apple is reportedly increasing iPhone 15 series prices by up to 20%

An iPhone 15 Pro Max dummy alongside an iPhone 14 Pro Max.An iPhone 15 Pro Max dummy alongside an iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Apple’s latest iPhone 15 smartphones are rumored to reuse the same general design as the iPhone 14 smartphones with the key improvements being a new SoC and the inclusion of a Type-C port. Despite what seem like minor upgrades, it is now rumored that Apple may increase the price of the iPhone 15 series by up to 20% vs the current-gen devices.

As is tradition, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 15 series in September. Aside from the long-awaited debut of the Type-C port and the arrival of the new A17 Bionic SoC, the 2023 iPhones won’t pack many notable upgrades. According to a new report from the Chinese outlet Economic Daily News, Apple may increase the price of the iPhone 15 series by a considerable margin (via Wccftech).

Economic Daily News suggests that the entire iPhone 15 series could see a 10 to 20% hike in MSRPs. At a minimum, the cheaper iPhone 15 devices may end up costing US$100 more than their iPhone 14 counterparts while the flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max could bump the price by as much as US$200. Per the outlet, the 512 GB variant of the iPhone 15 Pro Max could become the most expensive iPhone ever by costing a whopping US$1,800.

Similarly, if we add the proposed US$100 price hike to the existing iPhone 14 MSRPs, we could see the base iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max cost US$899, US$999, US$1,099, and US$1,199 respectively.

Furthermore, Economic Daily News lists the rising cost of components and inflation as the chief contributors to the potential price hike.

As always, rumors and leaks don’t always represent the final information. So, take the news about the iPhone 15 series’ price increase as just a pre-launch rumor that could end up being false.

Design

Several tipsters have hinted that the iPhone 15 Pro Max could feature a curved design and the same has been seen on the dummy units of the smartphone

that have been leaked. It could also get curved bezels, according to ShrimpApplePro. The viewing area will remain flat, but the side bezels will be a lot

slimmer and contained within the curve area to give a more bezel-less feel, like the display of the Apple Watch Ultra. According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone 15

Pro Max could also get the thinnest bezels of any smartphone around, at just 1.55mm.

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One of the biggest changes to come to the iPhone in recent years is the inclusion of the USB Type-C port that will replace Apple's proprietary lightning port,

in accordance with EU regulations. According to a report, Apple could limit the charging speeds on third-party chargers and cables, only allowing MFicertified accessories to take advantage of full charging speeds.

Moreover, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to get a titanium frame with haptic volume buttons as well as a mute switch, and the same has been shown in

renders of the smartphone. Another leak hints at a new action button, similar to the one found on the Apple Watch Ultra.

Specifications

The iPhone 15 Pro Max, alongside the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to have the brand new A17 Bionic chipset which could be based on the new 3nm process

technology. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will get the A17 Bionic. The RAM is also expected to be

bumped up to 8GB.

The leaked benchmark scores for the iPhone 15 Pro Max show how much it could be faster than not only the iPhone 14 Pro Max but also the flagship

It has also been claimed that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, according to a MacRumors report which has been backed up by analyst

Cameras

Reports reveal that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to get the same camera system as its predecessor including the 48MP Sony IMX803 sensor. On the

other hand, it reportedly gets a new periscope lens.

According to a report by MacRumors, the periscope camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max could have almost double the optical zoom as the current iPhones.

Just a few weeks ago, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that Apple had chosen parts manufacturer Largan to make the periscope lens for the iPhone 15

Pro Max.

MacRumors now report that this new periscope camera, which would be built into the telephoto lens, could offer 5X-6X optical zoom, which is almost

double the 3X zoom offered by the current iPhone 14 Pro Max. It is an exclusive feature that will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro Max only, according to