iPhone 15 Ultra – not Pro Max – might have a Galaxy S23 Ultra-level zoom camera

AppleInsider’s Andrew O’Hara says that multiple sources have told him that the top-tier model will indeed be known as the iPhone 15 Ultra. Earlier rumors had suggested Apple would create wider differentiation between the two premium models and to reflect the differences, the Ultra moniker would be used for the bigger Pro model.

Earlier, it was expected that the iPhone 15 Ultra would have a telephoto periscope lens with 5x to 6x optical zoom but O’Hara claims the phone will have 10x zoom, putting it in direct competition with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is one of the best camera phones around and is something of a gold standard when it comes to zooming capabilities.

Whether the phone will have a dedicated 10x lens or it will use sensor crop for 10x zoom is not abundantly clear. There’s also a faint chance that it will have a variable zoom lens for two different zooms.

Other than that, the two top-tier models will basically be the same. Sure, the Ultra will have a bigger 6.7 inches screen and a bigger battery, but that’s the case even now. O’Hara’s tweets are in line with previous reports that said both the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Ultra will have a titanium frame, an Action Button instead of the mute switch, and the 3nm A17 Bionic chip. 

They are also expected to have slimmer bezels and new camera lenses. Some reports also say that the base storage will be increased to 256GB and higher-capacity models may have 8GB of RAM.

Multiple reports have indicated that the iPhone 15 Pro’s price could increase by $100 and the top of the line model might be $200 model expensive. But the sticker shock could dissuade buyers and that’s part of the reason why Apple has decided to dial down production volume. A new name could help Apple send the signal that this a more premium model than the Pro Maxes of the past and is worthy of its new price tag.