The iPhone Ultra, which is more expensive than the Pro Max, could arrive next year

Rumor mill: Flagship iPhones continue to rise in price, so what is Apple going to do? Price cuts would be the obvious answer, but no; Cupertino could release an even more expensive phone called the iPhone Ultra next year.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in September that Apple could overhaul its regular iPhone lineup in 2023, replacing the top-of-the-line Pro Max with a model called the iPhone Ultra. The claim comes shortly after Apple introduced the Ultra branding in the form of the rugged and very expensive Apple Watch Ultra. This name is also used in the top-end Apple M1 SoC.

Now Gurman has changed his forecast. Instead of rebranding the Pro Max as Ultra this year, he says, there will be an all-new flagship called the iPhone Ultra that sits above the Pro Max. This could happen as early as 2024.

Being higher up the chain than the iPhone Pro Max means the Ultra has a higher price tag than a $1,600 phone for the 1TB model. This is a pretty big question, especially at a time when the industry is struggling with the economic crisis.

However, flagship iPhone prices have continued to rise faster than inflation over the years, with the 2009 iPhone 3GS 66% cheaper than the better-spec iPhone 14 Pro Max. after inflation. Cook believes consumers will continue to pay these amounts because “people are willing to put in the effort to get the best they can afford in this category.”

One would expect the iPhone Ultra to offer a few improvements over the Pro models, such as a better camera, a faster SoC, and possibly a bigger screen. It may also have features that set it apart from other iPhones, similar to how the Pro models differ from the standard versions by offering exclusive features like Dynamic Island. Gurman suggests that the iPhone Ultra may be missing a charging port; For several years now, there has been talk of an iPhone without a port and only with wireless charging.

Gurman also talks about the possibility of Apple’s foldable phone. The Samsung-dominated form factor is becoming increasingly popular despite high prices. While Apple has explored the foldable iPhone in the past, Gurman believes we won’t see any launches in the near future. A foldable iPad or a similarly sized Apple device is likely to be released first.