People aren't buying phones like they used to anymore, so Apple has to push us every upgrade cycle. And recently, that's meant pushing more people toward the iPhone Pro, rather than the regular iPhone. Every year for the past few years, Apple has been holding back more and more features for its Pro phones, slowly chipping away at them on the standard iPhone. But that could be changing this year, if the rumors are true, so I'm saying it: It's about time.
For the past two cycles, only the “Pro” models have received the latest Bionic chip. Not only does that mean the Pro models are more powerful, but it also means the regular iPhone won’t be able to benefit from the same feature upgrades that the Pro models will receive in the coming years. The iPhone 15 Pro models can benefit from Apple Intelligence, while the standard models cannot.
This year could be different. Rumors suggest that the entire iPhone 16 series would have an A18 chip, although Apple You can still book the most powerful version for the 16 Pro models. Even if that's the case, it's very likely that all iPhone 16 models will be able to run Apple Intelligence, which Apple hopes will be a big driver of the update.
Other rumors also point to the regular iPhone having not just one, but two New buttons This year: the action button introduced on last year’s Pro models and the capture button we expect to see on the iPhone 16. More buttons! In this economy! It’s still possible that the capture button could be a Pro-only feature, but I think that would be a real shame. You don’t have to be a pro phone user (what’s that?) to appreciate a dedicated shutter button.
It looks like this could be a year where the regular iPhone catches up a bit with the Pro, and that's music to my ears. Personally, I'd love to see Apple do even more for the regular iPhone, starting with the damn display refresh rate. It's 2024 and Apple is still charging $799 for a phone with a 60Hz display. That's It will probably remain true For another year, it seems rather unfortunate that Android phones across all price ranges offer 120Hz displays.
At the very least, it looks like Apple is on the verge of regaining a bit more of its footing with the iPhone 16 series. I think that’s how it should be: the iPhone Pro should feel like you’re getting something extra, not like you’re being forced to pay extra for an essential feature. All Apple has to do is bring back the Mini; then all my hopes and wishes for the regular iPhone will come true. I can dream, right?
