iPhone 15 line may sport 3nm processors and spur a high upgrade demand

The next-generation iPhone slated for launch will be powered by Apple’s custom-designed 3nm SoC fabricated by TSMC, marking the market’s long-awaited transition from 5nm to 3nm chips for Apple’s iPhones, according to DigiTimes, which quotes unnamed “to industry sources.”

The paywalled report says these improvements should spur upgrade demand for the new iPhones. 

From DigiTimes: TSMC’s N3E (3nm enhanced) technology will enable significant specification upgrades in the upcoming iPhone series, the sources said. Suppliers involved in the iPhone supply chain anticipate replacement demand for the 2023 models.

The iPhone 15 line-up will probably debut in September or October. Here’s a round-up of some of the other rumors about them:

° The line-up will have thinner bezels.

° Pro models may pack 8GB of RAM.

° Only the highest-end model will sport a periscope lens.

° The iPhone 15’s volume button and power button will adopt a solid-state button design (similar to the home button design of iPhone 7/8/SE2 and 3) to replace the physical/mechanical button design.\° The iPhone 15 pack a USB-C port, and multiple camera improvements.

° The iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro’s USB-C port and accompanying charging cables will feature a Lightning-like authenticator chip, potentially limiting their functionality with accessories that aren’t Apple-approved.

° The iPhone 15 Pro will be offered in a “stunning new dark red color option.”

° iPhone 15 Pro models will have improved LiDAR scanners that offer better battery life and improved performance.

° The iPhone 15 Pro Max will be thicker than its precedessor despite having a slightly reduced height and width, but it could offer a less protrusive camera rear array.