Unlikely rumor points to an iPhone 15 Pro Max and an iPhone 15 Ultra

The iPhone 14 lineup on a table in situ in an undisclosed Apple Store
We got four different iPhone 14 models last year (Image credit: Apple)

Apple couldn't release both an iPhone 15 Pro Max and an iPhone 15 Ultra later this month, could it? That's a new rumor doing the rounds as we approach the date of Apple's next special event, though it's a move that doesn't seem too likely right now.

It's been predicted by tipster Majin Bu (via AppleInsider), and it seems the two different phone models would have a similar set of specs, with the Ultra edition of the iPhone 15 offering more in the way of RAM and internal storage.

Apparently the iPhone 15 Pro Max would top out at 6GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage, whereas the iPhone 15 Ultra would offer users 8GB of RAM and 2TB of internal storage, as well as "better camera features".

The iPhone 15 Ultra would cost $100 more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Bu says, and both phones are said to have a 6.7-inch screen. The same source also admits that there's some uncertainty around whether or not both handsets will see the light of day this year.

Rumor rating

On the one hand, it seems rather implausible that Apple would change its traditional four handset lineup to add a new model that's so similar to an existing one – and this tipster hasn't been the most reliable of sources in the past either.

No one else has mentioned both an iPhone 15 Pro and an iPhone 15 Ultra being launched at the same time either. Mark Gurman, one of the best in the business at Apple predictions, says we won't get both models this year – but we might next year.

What we can say for certain is that both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Ultra names have been swirling around for several months now. That suggests that there's something in the idea that two separate models exist, even if it's only in Apple's internal testing labs for the time being.

It's also clear that Apple expects the bigger, more expensive models in the iPhone 15 series to be the ones that sell the most, which might tempt it to introduce another high-end model. We'll find out for sure on Tuesday, September 12.

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David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.