The iPhone 15 Pro is rumored to have these exclusive features as Apple pushes customers towards high-end models

While we’re still about 10 months away from Apple introducing the iPhone 15 lineup, rumors already suggest that the high-end Pro models will have even more exclusive features than usual compared to the standard models next year.

In September, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that strong sales of iPhone 14 Pro models would likely encourage Apple to increase differentiation between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, though it’s worth noting that many hardware changes are probably planned at least a few years in advance.

There are currently at least five features rumored to be exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro models:

• A17 chip: iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with an A17 Bionic chip manufactured based on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, bringing performance and efficiency improvements, according to Japanese publication Nikkei Asia. The report claimed that 2023 could mark the second year in a row that only the Pro models of the new iPhone lineup will feature Apple’s latest chip.
• Faster USB-C port: iPhone 15 Pro models will have a USB-C port with support for at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which would result in the devices having significantly faster data transfer speeds with a cable compared to existing iPhones with Lightning . Kuo said the USB-C port on regular iPhone 15 models will remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds like Lightning.
• Increased RAM: iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with an increased 8GB of RAM, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, while the standard models will likely continue to have 6GB of RAM as at present. Additional RAM can allow apps like Safari to keep more content active in the background, preventing the app from reloading content when reopened.
• Solid-state buttons: iPhone 15 Pro models will have solid-state volume and power buttons, according to Kuo. The analyst said the devices will be equipped with two additional Taptic Engines that provide haptic feedback to simulate the feeling of pressing the buttons, without physically moving them, similar to the home button on the latest iPhone SE or the trackpad on newer MacBooks.
• Increased optical zoom for iPhone 15 Pro Max: The iPhone 15 Pro Max will have a periscope telephoto lens, according to Kuo. This could result in the device having at least 10x optical zoom, compared to 3x on iPhone 14 Pro models.

Due to the increased differentiation, BloombergMark Gurman said that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will potentially be renamed the iPhone 15 Ultra.

Driving customers toward the Pro models would help Apple increase the iPhone’s average selling price. The trend started already this year when only the iPhone 14 Pro models received Apple’s latest A16 Bionic chip, with the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models still equipped with last year’s A15 Bionic chip.

Apple is likely to announce the iPhone 15 series next September as usual. With many months to go until the devices launch, it’s likely that additional features will emerge, so the information we have right now is just a glimpse of what’s to come.