Apple might launch an 'iPhone Ultra' that plays nice with Vision Pro

2023-09-05 15:50

We're just a week away from Apple's September event, where the company is likely to

We're just a week away from Apple's September event, where the company is likely to reveal the new iPhone 15 lineup.

A new rumor that surfaced on Weibo and was noticed by MacRumors, however, claims that Apple is working on an entirely new "iPhone Ultra" model, which will be able to capture spatial photos and videos for Apple's upcoming Vision Pro augmented reality headset.

The spatial photos and videos are definitely coming. Apple's Vision Pro features a "three-dimensional camera" that lets users capture immersive photos and videos. Coupled with Apple's Spatial Audio tech, this should result in an entirely new type of experience; as Apple's PR puts it, "every spatial photo and video transports users back to a moment in time, like a celebration with friends or a special family gathering."

Apple's Spatial Photos and Videos will be a part of the Vision Pro experience. Credit: Apple

This three-dimensional camera could be a part of the rumored "iPhone Ultra," though that phone will reportedly launch after the Vision Pro, which is expected to become widely available "early next year."

This is not the first time we've heard about the possibility of a high-end iPhone, one that sits above even the iPhone Pro Max in terms of features; Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in February that the company discussed such a device, likely to be released in 2024.

For now, however, it doesn't seem that Apple is going beyond the Pro Max tier when it launches the iPhone 15 lineup of devices, though we've also heard rumors of the iPhone 15 Pro Max simply being renamed iPhone 15 Ultra. The company will reportedly further differentiate the iPhone 15 Pro Max from other models by making it the only model with a periscope lens-based telephoto camera.

It's also entirely possible that at least some of Apple's iPhone 15 models will be able to take the "three-dimensional" photos mentioned in Vision Pro marketing materials, with the functionality perhaps unlocked via a future software update.

Meanwhile, a different rumor, coming from DigiTimes (via MacRumors), claims that Apple's iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models might be significantly more expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. If true, the iPhone 15 Pro could start at $1,099, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max could start at $1,199.