Last year, Apple made a clear distinction between the iPad Air and the Pro, packing the Pro with the fastest processor ever and charging the highest price ever for an iPad, as it attempted to clean up the cluttered iPad lineup. But that innovation hasn’t stopped.
Oddly enough, the iPhone lineup is taking a nearly opposite tack. There are still some differences between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, but while Apple has so far focused its investment on the iPhone Pro, it’s time to take a second look at the standard lineup.
There are a few reasons for Apple’s decision. First, the regular iPhone line has been struggling for years compared to the Pro line. Every fall, we see articles about how no one wants a regular iPhone, as if the problem is that regular iPhones aren’t selling. But what’s wrong with Apple if you spend money on a top-of-the-line camera? That camera is made by Apple.
Sometimes, the best chicken sandwich place suddenly starts putting out sandwiches with ingredients that people either love or hate, like celery. No one asked for it. AI is like this celery.
Apple says it had to put the A18 processor in the standard iPhone 16 to run AI that no one asked for. The iPhone 16 Pro, of course, has the A18 Pro chip because it’s “a Pro product line.” The iPhone 16 with the latest processor will also be able to run high-end games like “Honor of Kings,” which is coming to iOS early next year.
Also, this time around, the standard version is newly equipped with a 48-megapixel camera with action buttons, camera controls, and a 2x optical zoom that can capture space. Unlike the iPhone Pro, it comes in a variety of colors instead of a metallic feel. That’s not bad at all.
So how much is a reasonable price? If you thought $799, you’re right. That’s exactly the actual starting price. For $200 more, you can get the iPhone 16 Pro with a better processor, a slightly larger always-on display, and a better camera.
But I don’t think $200 will make as much of a difference as it used to.
It’s not as confusing as the iPad, but it does blur the lines between the iPhone lineup. The problem is that the iPhone SE 4 is coming out next year.
The new iPhone SE is expected to be released under $500, even with the A18 processor to take advantage of Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 15 regular version is currently sold for $699, while the iPhone 14 regular version is sold for $599, both of which have better camera performance than the iPhone SE 4th generation, but do not support AI. It is also possible that the iPhone 14 regular version will be discontinued along with the release of the SE 4th generation to clearly differentiate the product line.
Apple’s problem of ‘how to make a regular iPhone successful in the shadow of the Pro lineup’ seems to have been solved. If people only buy the iPhone Pro, there is no problem. But it is a different story when Android smartphones come in as competitors. Still, the base price of the iPhone 16 regular version, $799, is a good price.
editor@itworld.co.kr
Source: www.itworld.co.kr
