People don’t buy phones like they used to, so Apple really has to push the envelope on us every upgrade cycle. Lately, that means more people are choosing the iPhone Pro over the regular iPhone. Over the past few years, Apple has reserved more and more features for its Pro phones each year, bringing them down to standard iPhone levels in one fell swoop. But if the rumors are true, things may change this year, and to that I say: It’s about damn time.
Over the past few cycles, only the “Pro” model has been equipped with the latest Bionic chipset. Not only does this mean that the Pro model is more powerful, it also means that the regular iPhone won’t get the same feature updates as the Pro model in the next few years. iPhone 15 Pro models are eligible for Apple Intelligence, while standard models are not.
This year may be different. Rumor has it that the entire iPhone 16 range will be equipped with the A18 chipset, although Apple may still reserve the most powerful version for the 16 Pro models. Even so, it’s likely that all iPhone 16 models will be able to run Apple Intelligence, which Apple hopes will be a major upgrade driver.
Other rumors also indicate that the regular iPhone may not have one, but two New buttons this year: the action button introduced on last year’s Pro models and the capture button we expected to see on the iPhone 16. Under such economic conditions! It’s still possible that the capture button is a Pro-only feature, but I think that would be a real shame. You don’t need to be an expert phone user (or even anything) to appreciate a dedicated shutter button.
All things considered, the regular iPhone may catch up to the Pro a bit this year, which sounds like a great year to me. Personally, I’d like to see Apple do more for the regular iPhone, starting with the screen refresh rate. By 2024, Apple’s 60Hz screen phone will still cost $799. This may continue for another year. When an Android phone in the budget range offers a 120Hz display, it looks pretty shabby.
At the very least, it looks like Apple will restore a little balance with the iPhone 16 series. I think that’s how it should be – the iPhone Pro should make you feel like you’re getting something extra, rather than being forced to pay more for a basic feature. All Apple has to do is re-launch the Mini; then all my hopes and wishes for a regular iPhone will come true. I can dream, right?
