iPhone 15 Ultra gets intriguing Apple Watch Ultra makeover

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited February 2023
Apple iPhone 15 Ultra rumors are floating about, and none of them suggest an Apple Watch Ultra design -- but there is a fascinating concept floating about that merges the two.

iPhone 15 Ultra concept from Jonas Daehnert
iPhone 15 Ultra concept from Jonas Daehnert


Designer Jonas Daehnert has put together the monster of all iPhone concepts.

The ruggedized buttons stick out from the frame, and the ring/silence switch has a textured pattern. Display bezels are protected by a raised surface, just like on Apple Watch Ultra. The edges are rounded with a slight concave valley before the display.

The device is clearly something Apple would never build in 2023, with its 12mm thick chassis -- but that case depth allows the camera bump to nearly disappear. The individual cameras are encased in a single sheet rather than extending beyond the bump itself.

The bottom of the device shows speaker cutouts similar to the one on Apple Watch Ultra. This design was introduced for maximum output for the 50db siren.

Orange accents around the USB-C port and the added Action button also mimic the Apple Watch Ultra's design. The overall effect is compelling, we admit.



This ultra-thick device with accent colors looks pretty, but it is a device that would never exist in Apple's product line. The current iPhone 14 Pro Max is 7.85mm thick, so adding an additional 4mm of uniform thickness alone would go against everything has been steering towards since the original iPhone.

It also isn't likely that Apple would add an additional button when rumors indicate the company would like to eliminate all physical buttons on iPhone.

We love the creativity of this designer and how he's brought Apple Watch Ultra to iPhone. It works as a "just for fun" concept that is still somewhat grounded in reality. And, the designer was up front from the very beginning that it is just a concept, and not a rumor.

The iPhone Ultra we're expecting to arrive in 2023 or 2024 will most likely look very much like the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Some rumors point to it being a new product tier above the Pro Max in 2024, which would make it an even more premium device.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    XedXed Posts: 2,547member
    LOL I like this rumor score.
    robin huberravnorodomdoozydozenappleinsideruserwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 20
    dutchlorddutchlord Posts: 210member
    Bring it on please. Love this beefy battery
    doozydozencaladanianappleinsideruserwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 20
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,958member
    Xed said:
    LOL I like this rumor score.
    Yes, thank you for this handy key to rumor reliability. Might save a lot of pointless yacking in comments. 
    edited February 2023 watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 20
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 834member
    So... this is funny once. But I hope this isn't the start of articles that showcase "impossible" rumors that are known BS. What I will say is that some speculative renders of the iPhone 15 design--though definitely NOT the iThicc phone in this article--look nicer than anything I've seen from Apple phones in quite a while. 
  • Reply 5 of 20
    kurai_kagekurai_kage Posts: 104member
    Those volume buttons though, and that camera cluster.  Yum!
    doozydozenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 20
    retrogustoretrogusto Posts: 1,111member
    Apple has been trending towards thicker phones, but adding weight faster. This would constitute a pretty large jump, but maybe not totally impossible given the half-pounders they are selling now, and still thinner than the 3G or 3GS.

    edited February 2023 doozydozencaladanianmangakattenbloggerblog
  • Reply 7 of 20
    Wesley HilliardWesley Hilliard Posts: 190member, administrator, moderator, editor
    charlesn said:
    So... this is funny once. But I hope this isn't the start of articles that showcase "impossible" rumors that are known BS. What I will say is that some speculative renders of the iPhone 15 design--though definitely NOT the iThicc phone in this article--look nicer than anything I've seen from Apple phones in quite a while. 
    We chose this one because of the attention it was getting. We're not going to browse Instagram for the hundreds of ugly renders that'll never happen and report on them. But if something starts getting spread around, we'll comment on it and use our rumor score to provide context.
    roundaboutnowFileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 20
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    charlesn said:
    So... this is funny once. But I hope this isn't the start of articles that showcase "impossible" rumors that are known BS. What I will say is that some speculative renders of the iPhone 15 design--though definitely NOT the iThicc phone in this article--look nicer than anything I've seen from Apple phones in quite a while. 
    There will be more. The reasoning is here.

    https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/01/27/most-of-this-weeks-iphone-15-pro-ios-17-rumors-are-lies-fabrications

    TLDR: "As I've said frequently in the past, part of AppleInsider's mission is to tell you when something is true. It's also to tell readers beyond our regulars when something that's caught some traction elsewhere is total crap — and that's where we've fallen down as of late as it pertains to rumors.

    In the coming weeks, we're implementing what we're internally calling the "BS Meter." We're going to be clearer in headlines and introductory paragraphs where we stand on the matter."

    This is why we're making these labels clear. If you don't want to read the outlandish ones and why they're outlandish, it'll be easy to spot.



    roundaboutnowdoozydozenappleinsideruserrobin huberFileMakerFellerwatto_cobramuthuk_vanalingambloggerblog
  • Reply 9 of 20
    hmlongcohmlongco Posts: 537member
    I'd love that "action" button on a phone, especially if it acted as a camera button when in the camera app.
    JFC_PAwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 20
    AppleishAppleish Posts: 691member
    As much as people whine about the steel/glass construction of the iPhone Pros, wait until this titanium beauty "comes out." 

    Oh... There will be scratches.
  • Reply 11 of 20
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    Why not offer a radically different concept within the line? Thats what Ultra should be for. 

    giving people choices.  
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 20
    jdwjdw Posts: 1,336member
    Sorry, but the only way an iPhone can truly become an ULTRA is if it shared the same sapphire cover glass as the Apple Watch Ultra, which isn't going to happen due to cost.  Anything better that the ULTRA ultimately offers over the Pro (e.g., thicker case to eliminate a camera bump, better cameras, etc.) will pail in comparison to what Sapphire could offer.  How so?  Durability.  That's really the main reason most people put a case on an iPhone and cover up its beauty.  It's so lovely to gawk at, you want to protect it, but even in a clear case, the beauty is marred a bit.  Making it most impervious to drops would be an amazing feat worthy of an ULTRA moniker.
    robin hubermangakattenwatto_cobraHallel
  • Reply 13 of 20
    appleinsideruserappleinsideruser Posts: 495member
    hmlongco said:
    I'd love that "action" button on a phone, especially if it acted as a camera button when in the camera app.
    Er, like the volume button does now?
    FileMakerFellerwatto_cobraHallel
  • Reply 14 of 20
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,302member
    The Ultra sounds intriguing, but for now, other then size, I want both Pro models to continue to have the same specs.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 20
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    charlesn said:
    So... this is funny once. But I hope this isn't the start of articles that showcase "impossible" rumors that are known BS. What I will say is that some speculative renders of the iPhone 15 design--though definitely NOT the iThicc phone in this article--look nicer than anything I've seen from Apple phones in quite a while. 
    Except there have always been articles based on garbage rumours. I doubt that the percentage of those will change, they are just flagged now. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 20
    M68000M68000 Posts: 726member
    That rendering picture looks like a case
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 20
    mac_dogmac_dog Posts: 1,069member
    “Fascinating”? Really…
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 20
    hmlongcohmlongco Posts: 537member
    appleinsideruser said:
    hmlongco said:
    I'd love that "action" button on a phone, especially if it acted as a camera button when in the camera app.
    Er, like the volume button does now?
    Other than than the fact it's not dedicated and on the wrong side from a traditional camera button, exactly like that. ;)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 20
    appleinsideruserappleinsideruser Posts: 495member
    hmlongco said:
    appleinsideruser said:
    hmlongco said:
    I'd love that "action" button on a phone, especially if it acted as a camera button when in the camera app.
    Er, like the volume button does now?
    Other than than the fact it's not dedicated and on the wrong side from a traditional camera button, exactly like that. ;)
    Ow, so, like you can press it at any time and the camera takes a picture. That could be interesting for covert photography... 😉 
    watto_cobraHallel
  • Reply 20 of 20
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,464member
    I like the new look, but I also like your rumor score :D
    watto_cobra
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