There’s a chance that Apple will unveil a brand new iPhone next year as its flagship device. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple is thinking about releasing an even more expensive iPhone called the “Ultra,” which would sit above the iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max. He says that the piece of technology could be sent out as early as next year.
If you’ve been following reports from Gurman on Innovation Village, you may recall that he previously reported Apple was debating whether to rename the forthcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max to the iPhone 15 Ultra. The evidence, he claims now, suggests Apple would rather cater to high – end customers by releasing a more robust and pricey iPhone.
Gurman makes reference to a recent statement by Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. Cook in a statement to analysts about whether “the rising average price of the iPhone was sustainable”, said “The iPhone has become so integral [to] people’s lives. I think people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in that category.”
It’s not as clear how Apple plans to differentiate the new model. Compared to the Pro and the Pro Max, Gurman speculates the iPhone Ultra will have a more powerful processor, better camera hardware, and a larger display. He continues, “There also may be more future-forward features, such as finally dropping the charging port.”
Apple is reportedly looking for more ways to distinguish the Pro models from the standard models in the iPhone 15 line. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus ship with older WiFi 6 antennae, but a recent report suggested that the upcoming Pro variants could feature WiFi 6E connectivity.
Some potential unique selling points for the Pro models are reworked titanium frames with haptic volume and power buttons. The Pro Max, it has been said, will also feature an expanded periscope camera lens from Apple.
Last week, we reported that Apple may debut a foldable iPad in 2024. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s rumour was that the foldable iPad will come with a built-in kickstand. According to him, Apple lovers should “expect this new model will boost shipments and improve the product mix.”
The Tech giant is also said to be working on a Touchscreen Mac — something it had never considered. A new MacBook Pro with an OLED display could be the first touchscreen Mac in 2025, a previous report from Gurman rumoured.
The report further states that the first Touchscreen Mac would retain a traditional laptop design with a trackpad and a keyboard, but the display would most likely use the same touch input technology like the iPhone or iPad.
