the introduction of USB Type-C ports instead of Apple's proprietary Lightning connector, which has been used in iPhones for a decade. Moreover, the entire lineup next year will incorporate the Dynamic Island instead of just the two Pro models, unlike the iPhone 14 series.
Apple is also expected to implement another major change next year. According to reports, the iPhone 15 lineup is expected to have four models like this year, but the flagship 'Pro Max' variant will reportedly be ditched in favor of an 'Ultra' model with additional features over and above the three other models in the series. The change is supposed to bring a naming parity between the iPhone lineup and the Apple Watch lineup, which now has a new 'Ultra' model designed for outdoor enthusiasts and extreme athletes. Reports also suggest that the iPhone 15 Ultra could come with dual selfie cameras, but other details remain under wraps for now.
According to Nikkei Asia, the iPhone 15 will sport a Sony-made 'state-of-the-art' image sensor that "roughly doubles the saturation signal level in each pixel," helping it capture more light in low-light conditions. What's more, the new sensor is also said to reduce both overexposure and underexposure to improve image quality when there's a big difference in lighting between the background and foreground in a frame. According to the report, the feature could enable the next-gen iPhones to clearly photograph a person's face in the foreground even when they're standing against a strong backlight. The report doesn't say whether the new sensor will be used in all four iPhone 15 models or if it will be reserved for only the high-end variant(s).
New 'Advanced' Camera Sensors In iPhone 15?
The reported upgrade would be the second big change to the iPhone's camera system in two years. Apple this year upgraded the primary camera sensor in the two 'Pro' models to a 48MP unit after several years of using the same 12MP sensor in all its iPhones. The two base models, however, still retain the old sensor. It will be interesting to see whether Apple will use the new Sony sensor in the two high-end models next year (or just the iPhone 15 Ultra) while bringing the 48MP sensor of the iPhone 14 Pro to the two base models.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 lineup is also rumored to use other new camera features that have long been a part of the Android ecosystem. That includes a periscope camera that could bring better optical zoom and reduce the camera bump at the back. The iPhone 14 Pro's new camera system has been praised for its image quality, but the massive camera bump has received a lot of ridicule. It will be interesting to see if the rumored periscope camera system will help reduce the camera bump on the iPhone 15 lineup.
Source: Nikkei Asia