Report: iPhone 15 “Ultra” Could Replace Pro Max Model in 2023

The iPhone 15 “Ultra” may succeed to the iPhone 14 Pro Max in 2023. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple could use the same Ultra branding we’ve seen on the Apple Watch Ultra this fall for its most expensive iPhone coming next year.

According to the report, the new Ultra iPhone model would coincide with the revamped iPhone design Apple is expected to introduce next year. The just-released iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro use the same design as the iPhone 12 from 2 years ago, except that the iPhone 14 comes with a new internal design that improves repairability.

“Based on Apple’s current pattern, we can expect a revamped iPhone design next year, coinciding with a shift to USB-C and the potential of a new Ultra model replacing the Pro Max,” Gurman wrote. The switch to USB-C for charging, if it does happen, is something that iPhone users have been asking for years, but Apple is a company that slowly iterates. The next entry-level iPad is also expected to switch to USB-C later this fall.

Gurman’s report also includes other interesting tidbits about Apple’s roadmap for the rest of the year. The company is expected to launch new M2-based iPad Pros, Mac Minis, and MacBook Pros later this fall, though Gurman wrote that Apple may not hold another keynote to announce these new products. “I think the company (as of now) is more likely to release its remaining 2022 products via press releases, updates to its website and briefings with select members of the press—rather than via a major iPhone-style keynote,” the report reads.

Lastly, Gurman reported that the Apple Pay Later feature that was announced for iOS 16 may not launch until next year. “I’m hearing there have been fairly significant technical and engineering challenges in rolling out the service, leading to the delays,” Gurman said.