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.

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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

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Top Rated Comments

somnolentsurfer Avatar
36 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
36 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
36 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
36 months ago
Is this where the Pro Max becomes Ultra?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
qgadrian Avatar
36 months ago
Apple should make a 15 mini Pro, the sales for that one will ?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scubasteve03 Avatar
36 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)