Apple iPhone 15 Models Will Be Lighter, Says Analyst

In line with previous reports, the upcoming iPhone 15 lineup will be lighter than its predecessors, famed Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo of TF International Securities has said.

In line with previous reports, the upcoming iPhone 15 lineup will be lighter than its predecessors, famed Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo of TF International Securities has said. In a post on Medium, Kuo wrote that the titanium frame on the iPhone 15 series should contribute to weight reduction. He also mentioned that the iPhone 15 Pro Max model, which is said to get the biggest upgrades, is running behind production schedule. The Pro Max project was the last to kick off, so the mass production schedule lags behind other models, Kuo noted. Apple on Tuesday sent invites for the iPhone 15 series launch and the big event is set to take place on September 12 at 10am PT or 10:30pm IST.

The tech giant would be hosting the September event from Apple Park and the launch would also be live-steamed via the company's website. It should be noted that the company has used pre-recorded videos to launch its iPhone models since 2020. This year's iPhone lineup may include four models, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max likely to get the biggest upgrades.

The key production issues hurting the upcoming iPhone 15 line were stacked CIS, panels, batteries (expanding when exposed to heat) and titanium frames and they have been resolved. While the iPhone 15 Pro models will be available in four colourways: grey, white, black and blue, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be available in black, pink, yellow, blue and green variants.

“The production challenges of titanium frames are high processing difficulty and significant design changes during development (cancelling the virtual button design in 2Q23),” said Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, a financial services group in the Asia-Pacific region.

Earlier this week, Kuo had predicted that Apple could see a rebound in its stock price ahead of new product announcements in September and could become the world’s largest smartphone brand by 2023-2024.