Rumors suggest that Apple is planning some design adjustments for the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro. New photos of what is believed to be the device's case have been released, showing that the power and volume buttons are positioned slightly lower than on the iPhone 14 Pro, and the cutout on the bottom is slightly larger. This is likely due to the inclusion of a USB-C charging port, as Apple seems poised to finally eliminate the Lightning port with the iPhone 15 series.

As MacRumors discovered this week, leakers posted images of pre-release accessories for the iPhone 15 Pro on Weibo and Twitter. In addition to the repositioning of the power and volume buttons, the case reveals a notch for a new, dedicated mute button that is rumored to replace the traditional mute switch located above the volume buttons. It appears smaller than the notch for the mute switch, presumably because it does not require as large an area as the switch, since the button no longer needs to be gripped from the side.

This same mute button is also rumored to serve as an action button, similar to the one on the Apple Watch Ultra. It is expected to perform similar functions, such as enabling or disabling mute as well as performing customizable shortcuts; the Apple Watch Ultra's action button can start a workout, function as a stopwatch, act as a shortcut to the Dive function shortcut, activate the watch's Wayport and Backtrack functions, turn on the watch's flashlight, and perform other customizable shortcuts.

Another iPhone 15 Pro case shared by Twitter user Majin Bu suggests a model with a larger camera lens and a larger microphone. Interestingly, the case also appears to have a notch for a solid-state volume rocker as opposed to a dedicated volume button. Early iPhone 15 Pro leaks also pointed to this design change, but it has since been rumored that Apple will delay the debut of solid-state buttons until the 2024 iPhone 16 Pro.

Whether or not this will happen in this generation is not known, but Apple seems poised to move away from mechanical buttons to tactile feedback. Other rumored design updates for the iPhone 15 Pro series include a titanium chassis for a stronger, lighter Pro iPhone, slightly curved edges, and slimmer bezels. bezels. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is said to feature a more powerful 6x telephoto lens.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone Pro Max are expected to be released this fall at Apple's September event, with one analyst citing September 22 and 23 as specific retail release dates. Until then, however, we will report on compelling leaks as they emerge and summarize them in the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max hubs for easy access.