Did the iPhone 15 chips just get confirmed by tvOS beta code?

With the iPhone 15 widely rumoured to launch next month, many are gearing up to see what the next generation device is capable of. Rumours about the device has been flying for over a year now, with all sorts of leaks offering a fairly comprehensive idea of what may be in store for us.

Now, one spec rumour may have been proven by code from Apple themselves. It was spotted by a Twitter user in the tvOS 17 beta, and could tell us a lot about the processors used within the new handsets.

The models are listed as "iPhone 15,4; iPhone 15,5; iPhone 16,1 and iPhone 16,2" which is a common method for Apple to identify their devices in code. In this instance, the first number usually refers to the chip found in the device, rather than the model family.

They're also one number behind the name of the processor, which is way more confusing than it has any right to be. Suffice to say – the iPhone 14 Pro models also had an "iPhone 15,x" moniker, suggesting that the chipset found in the new base models will be the same as was used there.

That's not exactly news. While it's never been confirmed officially, one of the earliest rumours suggested that would be the case. Last year, the iPhone 14 range saw the model line-up split for the first time. Now, the base models use an older chipset, while the Pro variants utilise the newest hardware.

What is new is that getting a semi-official confirmation from the brand itself. It seems likely that the split between range families will continue.

Arguably the more interesting part is the new processor on the Pro models. Based on other rumours we've heard, that will be the A17 Bionic chip, which could be the first 3nm processor in the iPhone range.

That's a big deal. Using the smaller architecture, the chip should be capable of better efficiency and more power overall. That should make processes more swift, while offering better battery life than previous generations.

We don't have too long to wait. Rumours suggest the new device could launch on the 13th of September, leaving us just a few short weeks away from the unveiling.