iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro could look surprisingly similar — here's why

A render of the iPhone 15 next ot the iPhone 15 Pro, showing the larger size of the iPhone 15 — (Image credit: 9to5Mac / Ian Zelbo)

It could be harder to tell the iPhone 15 apart from the iPhone 15 Pro later this year, as leaker Setsuna Digital on Weibo claims that both phones will have frosted glass backs for the first time.

The same leaker also claims Apple will offer cyan and deep red colors as this year's unique color options for the regular and Pro models respectively. We'd assume these will join the usual array of iPhone colors, such as black and white for the base models and silver and gold for the Pro models.

Flagship iPhones have come with glossy glass backs since the iPhone 4 back in 2010. However, when Pro iPhones arrived with 2019's iPhone 11 Pro, Apple differentiated them from the non-Pro models by using frosted/matte-textured glass on the back. But if this change is coming, then the design of Pro and non-Pro iPhones will be closer than ever before.

The family resemblance grows

This similarity will be helped by the iPhone 15 allegedly using the Dynamic Island on all models. And while it won't be as noticeable at a glance, all models should receive a 48MP main camera too. Both of these features are currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro.

If these changes do indeed happen, it looks as if the major rumored differences remaining are the Pro's third telephoto camera on the back (possibly with a stronger periscope lens on the Pro Max), its newer and more powerful chipset, and its 120Hz ProMotion display. Those are some pretty significant differences, so we can imagine the Pro models will again be the better, and more popular, iPhone 15 models at launch.

Still, it's encouraging to see Apple potentially making substantial upgrades to the base iPhone 15. While we like the current iPhone 14, it's a bit too similar to the old iPhone 13 for our liking.

Apple is likely still set to tell us all about the iPhone 15 series in September as usual. Until then though, we'll be reporting on any convincing leaks that emerge, and rounding them up in our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max hubs for easy access.

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Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.