Last year, notable Apple analyst and journalist Mark Gurman in his “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg, had said that the tech giant might replace its “Pro Max” iPhone with an all-new “Ultra” iPhone 15 model in 2023. Now, in his latest weekly “Power On” newsletter, Gurman suggests that the Cupertino giant is discussing releasing a premium iPhone Ultra model as soon as 2024, which would sit above the current most expensive and highest-end model, iPhone Pro Max. This iPhone Ultra will be a completely new addition to the company’s smartphone line-up. “When the iPhone 15 arrives later this year, Apple will further differentiate the product’s tiers with a range of materials, processors and cameras. That includes giving the Pro Max model a periscope lens, which will offer improved optical zoom,” says Gurman in his latest weekly “Power On” newsletter. “Apple’s plan to draw a greater distinction between the Pro and Pro Max has spurred speculation that the company will opt for a new top-end brand: the Ultra. Apple has already used that name for its sporty high-end smartwatch and the top version of the M1 processor. “But instead of renaming the Pro Max “the Ultra,” Apple could add an even higher-end iPhone above both Pro models. Internally, the company has discussed doing just that — potentially in time for the 2024 iPhone release.” Currently, it’s unclear how the new top-of-the-line model would be different from the Pro and Pro Max, but Gurman guessed that the smartphone may offer additional camera improvements, a faster chip, and perhaps an even larger display. It may also have future-forward features, such as an entirely port-less design without the Lightning port and USB-C. Further, the new high-end “iPhone Ultra” is expected to be more costlier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which starts at $1,099. Last week, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook during the company’s earnings call mentioned that consumers are willing to pay more for the best iPhone. For instance, the iPhone X with 256GB of storage that cost $1,150 in 2017 and now fetches $1,600 (the iPhone 14 Pro Max with 1TB). When Cook was questioned if the increase in the average selling price of the iPhone was sustainable, he replied that a price increase is no problem and that consumers could probably be persuaded to spend more. “I think people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in that category,” noting that the iPhone has become an “integral” part of people’s lives allowing them to make payments, control IoT enabled appliances, manage their health, and store banking data. Source: Bloomberg
