Leaker ShrimpApplePro (opens in new tab) is claiming that the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra could feature a rounded back panel rather than a flat one as the iPhone 14, iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 series phones have had. At first, SAP said it’ll apply to the corners, but later clarified it’ll apply to the entire back edge of the phone. ShrimpApplePro compares this apparent new look to the iPhone 5C, although they aren’t certain how accurate that comparison is. The iPhone 5C was a budget alternative to the iPhone 5S which used a plastic back panel instead of glass, and featured curved edges on the back of the phone as a result. To clarify, SAP only seems to be talking about the potential similarities of the iPhone 15’s shape, not the materials used. Adding a curved back edge would arguably be good for the iPhone’s ergonomics. While the flat sides of the current iPhones look attractive, it makes them difficult to hold compared to similarly sized Android phones with curved backs. This is particularly noticeable on larger models like the iPhone 14 Plus or iPhone 14 Pro Max. Some users have complained about the sharper corners being uncomfortable. SAP also claims that the metal portions of the iPhone 15 will be made with titanium, rather than aluminum and steel like current non-Pro and Pro iPhones respectively use. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this rumor for the iPhone 15, but equally there have been titanium iPhone rumors going back some years, so we remain a bit skeptical that Apple would use this expensive material for its handsets. We’re still a long way off from the iPhone 15’s launch, which means Apple still may change its mind about how the iPhone 15 will look and what it will be made of. We’ll have to wait for further rumors to appear between now and the assumed September 2023 launch of the iPhone 15 series to see if what ShrimpApplePro says here holds water. We’ve already seen a number of rumors for the iPhone 15 regular, Pro and Ultra models though. Stuff we’ll be looking out for on the real phones will be USB-C charging ports on at least some models, a new A17 chipset on the Pro and periscope zoom camera also on the Pro models. There may even be solid-state buttons on the most expensive iPhone 15 devices, which would be a design change just as major as a curved back panel.
