Kuo: Apple to Further Separate Devices in iPhone 15 Lineup With Different Features

Apple will further differentiate its "Pro" and non-"Pro" iPhone models with next year's iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, according to insightful Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

f1662573062
In a series of tweets earlier today, Kuo said that further differentiating the ‌iPhone‌ lineup would increase sales of the "Pro" models. To this end, Kuo said that "Apple will also start creating differentiation between the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max and the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro," using a "precise product segmentation strategy to generate more sales/profits in a mature market."

This differentiation would presumably occur by giving individual devices in the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup different features, providing more reasons upsell next year's ‌iPhone‌ models. The only differentiating features between the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and 14 Plus, and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max, are display size and battery life.

It is not yet clear how capabilities could be separated across the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup, with some features such as the Dynamic Island expected to expand to the entire selection of devices, but the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max could be the only model to feature a periscope telephoto camera system.

One of the reasons Apple is able to do this, "even though hardware innovation has become more challenging and the market has matured," is believed to because the "Android camp still poses no threat to Apple in the high-end market" due to brand value and ecosystem disadvantages. That being said, Kuo added that Qualcomm's transfer of high-end chips for Android devices from Samsung to TSMC, Apple's chip supplier, as well as an aggressive push toward foldable phones, could help Android regain ground in the years ahead.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

somnolentsurfer Avatar
35 months ago
Introducing differences between the Pro and Pro Max would be the wrong way to go. I want all the features, but I still want a phone I can comfortably use in one hand.
Score: 61 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikaru Avatar
35 months ago
I miss the old days when there was just one iPhone, the new iPhone. Now it is Pro, it is Max, it is SE, it is previous generation models. I'm daily Macrumos visitor for many years and yet, I'll be struggling to remember all the difference between the iPhones in the current portfolio. What is the difference between iPhone 13 and 14? Is iPhone 12 Pro better than iPhone 14? What happened with Apple's slogan "we focus only on few things"?!
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
35 months ago
As expected, Hopefully, iPhone Pro Max's next step is the Ultra Model. Apple, please introduce iPhone Pro Max Ultra featuring.. Titanium Frame Chassis.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsboi Avatar
35 months ago
Is this where the Pro Max becomes Ultra?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
qgadrian Avatar
35 months ago
Apple should make a 15 mini Pro, the sales for that one will ?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scubasteve03 Avatar
35 months ago
Well, that didn’t take long at all. Love this website. The preorders for the 14 aren’t even live yet, and we are late we are already speculating on the 15.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)