iPhone 15 Ultra: latest news, rumors and everything we know so far

News
By
Contributions from
,
last updated

Apple's first Ultra iPhone may not arrive until next year

Two iPhone 14 Pro phones on a blue background
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is Apple's most expensive iPhone ever (Image credit: Apple)
Jump to:

While the iPhone 15 launch came and went, there was no word or hint of an iPhone 15 Ultra. Instead the star of the Apple September event was the iPhone 15 Pro Max with its titanium design and 5x periscope telephoto camera. Check out our Apple event 2023 live blog for a blow-by-blow account of what was revealed. 

So where does that leave the iPhone 15 Ultra? Well, it'll need to drop the 15 nomenclature, and if such a phone does come to fruition, we'll expect it next year at the earliest. 

Nevertheless, we've got a rundown of what we've heard so far about the iPhone 15 Ultra, which may end up being the iPhone 16 Ultra in 2024.

Latest news

The Apple September event came and went with no mention of the iPhone 15 Ultra. That could mean it won't arrive until 2024, or that such a rumor doesn't have enough weight behind it to be a reality. 

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The biggest and baddest iPhone yet
  • When is it out? Potentially September 2024
  • How much will it cost? More than the iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 15 Ultra what we know

iPhone 14 Pro Max review Notification Center

Apple's current top dog: the iPhone 14 Pro Max (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Supposedly the iPhone 15 Ultra will be a supercharged version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, offering a larger display, more performance and better cameras. 

But all that would come at an inflated price, which given the iPhone 15 Pro Max is now more expensive in the US and Australia than its predecessor, could sting even the most dedicated iPhone fan. 

Given the rumors of the iPhone 15 Pro being offered with up to 2TB internal storage tuned out to be wrong, with the phone topping out at 1TB, there's scope for an iPhone with a (relatively) huge amount of storage onboard. 

And as the iPhone 15 Pro Max was initially rumored to get solid-state volume and power buttons but didn't, such a feature could be the realm of the so-called Ultra phone. 

As could 8K recording, something the best Android phones offer but Apple's iPhones don't; though iPhones arguably offer superior video capture regardless. On the topic of cameras, one rumor has the iPhone 15 Ultra pegged to have a dual-lens front-facing camera.

With the Ultra moniker one could expect improved performance, maybe even see the iPhone 15 Ultra come with an M-series chip, as well as more RAM and powerful features for capturing 'Spatial' content for use with the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. 

But all things considered, we're no longer convinced the iPhone 15 Ultra will become a reality, at least not anytime soon, as a lot of the features touted for it when the rumor mill was churning appeared on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Still, stranger things have happened and we'll keep an eye out for any new mentions of an Ultra iPhone. 

More iPhone 15 stories

Hubs

Roland Moore-Colyer
Managing Editor, Mobile Computing

Roland Moore-Colyer is Managing Editor at TechRadar with a focus on phones and tablets, but a general interest in all things tech, especially those with a good story behind them. He can also be found writing about games, computers, and cars when the occasion arrives, and supports with the day-to-day running of TechRadar. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face and a nose for food markets. 

With contributions from