iPhone 15 set to enter mass production soon, here's everything we know

Much to the delight of Apple fans, it looks like the highly anticipated iPhone 15 is slated to enter mass production soon. One of Apple's largest suppliers, Foxconn is prepping to mass produce the long-rumoured iPhone 14 successor.

In line with this, the company has started actively recruiting new employees. Also, a report by MyDrivers suggests Foxconn has increased bonuses for its existing employees. As expected, there's been a lot of hype surrounding the next-generation iPhones lately.

In fact, the iPhone 15 series has been floating around the rumour mill for a while now. For instance, past leaks suggest all iPhone 15 series models will have Dynamic Island. The iPhone 15 Pro lineup will also reportedly be housed in a titanium frame rather than a stainless steel body.

iPhone 15 launch could be around the corner

While nothing is set in stone yet, the latest report has confirmed that Apple is gearing up to unveil the iPhone 15 series soon. Newly appointed Foxconn employees have started getting larger bonuses than before from May 29. This piece of information, which was found in the official data from Zhengzhou, has been shared by IXBT.

Furthermore, the official data shows that new employees will be eligible to receive a maximum bonus of around $500 (about £400) per person. It is worth noting that the bonus for new employees from May 22 to May 28 was up to $425 (£343) per person. Foxconn is giving hourly workers something to cheer about as well.

From May 29, the hourly wages for hourly workers have increased by 2 yuan (about $0.31 / £0.25) per hour. The maximum hourly wage will be 22 yuan (about $3.1 / £2.51) per hour. Notably, the iPhone 15 series is expected to comprise four models. These include the base iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

iPhone 15 series: What else to expect?

All models will reportedly have a USB-C connector, and pack the Apple Bionic A17 chip under the hood. At the same time, the American tech giant will spare no effort to widen the gap between the Pro and non-Pro iPhones. As part of its strategy, the company will only equip the iPhone 15 Pro Max with a periscope camera that supports 6x optical zoom.

So, it is safe to say that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will garner more popularity among photography enthusiasts, as well as professionals. On the downside, tipster Revegnus claims the iPhone 15 Pro Max will retain some internals of its predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Also, Revegnus believes the highest-end iPhone model will sport the same Samsung-made M12 panel as last year's iPhone 14 Pro Max.

To recap, the iPhone 14 Pro Max got an upgrade in the optics department with a 48MP Sony IMX803 sensor. So, the Cupertino-based tech giant isn't likely to introduce a new rear camera setup this year. Nevertheless, Revegnus suggests the new iPhone will ship with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM. However, the processor will be the most notable difference between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and its precursor.

In a tweet, Revegnus stated that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will draw its power from an A17 Bionic chip. It is worth noting that this chip is made using the new 3nm process. Last year, Apple limited the A16 chipset to its flagship iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models. So, there is a possibility that only the upcoming Pro models will get the newfangled chipset.

Also, this is a major sign that the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could pack the current-gen A16 Bionic chip. However, the tech firm will put these speculations to rest ahead of the iPhone 15 series launch event. While Apple is expected to take the wraps off its iPhone 15 lineup in September, Jeff Pu believes the company might postpone the launch of its next iPhone models.

According to the Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities analyst, Apple's production partners aren't able to make enough 48MP sensors for the iPhone 15's expected sales. As a result, there could be a delay in manufacturing 48MP sensors. However, Apple has neither confirmed nor denied this rumour.