iPhone 15 Ultra suddenly sounds much less appealing after pricing leak

If you're a fan of Apple phones, you'll know that there's a wide range of products to suit every budget. This year, we had the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, spanning £849 / $799 / AU$1,399 up to £1,749 / $1,599 / AU$2,769 for a fully spec'd up model.

Next year another change is rumoured, with the introduction of the iPhone 15 Ultra. Originally believed to be a phone version of the Apple Watch Ultra, which would sit above the rest of the range and showcase the best iPhone Apple could create, many are now suggesting it could just be the Pro Max model under a new name.

We've already heard about rumoured iPhone 15 Ultra upgrades including the use of solid-state buttons, rather than physical ones for volume and power. Now, respected Apple leaker, LeaksApplePro, has tweeted about pricing – and it's not good news.

The tweet says, "iPhone 15 Ultra will cost substantially more to manufacture than iPhone 14 Pro Max," which suggests that the retail price will see a boost too. What's more, it could point to a price increase across the board. Apple is very good at keeping distance between it's models, without leaving a gap too big for an upsell. If the retail price of Apple's flagship is going to be increased, there's a good chance other models will be too, in order to keep things consistent.

It seems that Apple are expecting it to be a massive hit, though it's hard to envision. You can give it a titanium shell and USB-C, but any expensive phone in the current economic environment is a tough sell. Still, there's plenty of time for things to change. The iPhone 15 range is expected to be released around September 2023, so expect a few more updates beforehand.