If you want the best iPhone in every discipline, you have to pay more. Apple has rarely expressed this more clearly than this year.
One of Apple’s best-kept secrets, which even leakers like Ming-Chi Kuo or Mark Gurman have not yet been able to reveal, are the conferences in which the functions of the next iPhone will be defined. It has to be intense, controversial consultations to decide how “professional” a Pro device needs to be to make it attractive enough for buyers to pay the premium. And how much less a standard model of the iPhone can have, so that it is not considered too cheap and becomes a slow seller.
With the iPhone 14 – we now know this not only because of rumors since the Apple event on September 7th – those who campaigned for a strong Pro model triumphed. Gone are the days when an additional camera and a larger display were the most prominent differences. At first glance, the iPhone 14 Pro is better in a number of disciplines, but it is definitely different from the standard model.
Hard times
Why does Apple do it this way? Well, it will probably have to do with the exceptional economic situation that the Californians and the entire tech world are facing. Apple must be prepared for device purchases to decline no matter how attractive the new iPhone is. Apple is building new emergency features like satellite SOS and impact detection into the iPhone 14 — but the Cupertino-based company actually needs a contingency plan of its own this year to salvage sales.
In the USA, the prices have remained the same, in Europe the iPhones cost between 100 and 150 euros more depending on the model. However, inflation and rising energy prices leave little room for more significant price hikes, although these are now more important than ever for continued growth or even for maintaining past revenue on Apple’s balance sheet. When people are doing well, it’s easier to simply raise the price of the iPhone. Of course there is grumbling and bitching, but people continue to pay diligently when the euro or dollar is looser.
This year it will be different. And so the strategy of building more attractive Pro models is a wise one: If you are not willing or able to pay the extra charge, you can always buy a modern new iPhone. No one is left out, fewer purchases are lost. But the suffering has increased for all those who want the best of the moment. And each additional Pro device sold over the standard model ultimately helps Apple improve its bottom line.
Different, but not always better
However, a closer look at the new models reveals that there is also a lot of psychology involved in the supposed added value of the Pro models. The fact that Apple is reserving the latest chip, the A16, for the Pro models for the first time and the standard models carry the A15 of the previous year is a powerful sign of the widening gap between Standard and Pro. In reality, however, it is completely irrelevant for the user in most cases, since the A15 is completely sufficient for the functions of the iPhone 14 and, apart from some benchmarks, hardly anyone will feel a difference.
The advantages of the new pill – called Dynamic Island by Apple – which is now separated from the edge of the display or the always-on display in the Pro models are, at first glance, primarily of a cosmetic nature. Does it really make a difference if the display is always on when so many Apple Watches have an always-on display on their arm? First and foremost, the two new features contribute to the visual differentiation between last year’s model and the current model, and now also between Standard and Pro model buyers. And yes, the new notifications look very snazzy. Actual utility will vary from user to user.
Everything is looking at the camera
The really big difference between the classes is once again the camera. Standard and Pro variants have been further apart here for a long time. The new 48-megapixel sensor on the Pro models is another step in that direction. Dedicated iPhone photographers who want the full toolbox can’t get past the Pro, although the standard model gets better low-light capabilities.
After all – at least in one point, buyers of the standard model are offered something that was previously only available to Pro buyers: the iPhone 14 Plus has fulfilled the often-heard wish of being able to get the largest display, but not for the would like to pay for the entire range of Pro functions. Previously, this required the purchase of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. This has annoyed many and would probably persuade lovers of large screens to buy Android devices in these times, since large screens are cheaper there. Especially in these times, it would be good for Apple’s balance sheet if that didn’t happen. And the fact that the iPhone 14 Plus is supposed to have the longest battery life also gets some critics.
Bad prospects for basic models?
Looking to the future, the question arises as to whether the gap between standard and pro will continue to widen in the future. Just as with the iPhone Mini, which has now disappeared again in the 14 generation after two editions, the current new structure can certainly also be seen as a test run. In a year or two, Apple could also quickly let the Standard model catch up to the Pro again, which would then also provide a good reason to increase the minimum price again. Here, too, it can be assumed that the decision-making conference in Cupertino certainly gave some thought to this.
