Large screen sizes for one thing, which creates a marketing conundrum.
From Gurman’s Power On, mailed to Bloomberg Technology customers on Sunday:
One of the biggest differences in the iPhone 14 lineup is that Apple is shaking up its screen sizes.
Introducing today’s iPhone 13 lineup:
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- 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini
- 6.1 inch iphone 13
- 6.1 inch iphone 13 pro
- 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max
The relative sales performance of both the largest and smallest sizes prompted Apple to rethink the lineup. The Max model is extremely popular, especially in China, while the Mini doesn’t sell well enough to even stick around. So here is the solution Apple is planning for the iPhone 14:
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- 6.1 inch iphone 14
- 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max
- 6.1 inch iphone 14 pro
- 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max
So, for the first time ever, the non-Pro iPhone line will get a 6.7-inch screen option. I think that version of the phone will be extremely popular, given that users will now be able to get Apple’s biggest iPhone size for at least $200 less than before.
However, this poses a conundrum: How does Apple differentiate its Pro and non-Pro phones? Right now, the big difference is the telephoto lens, stainless steel edges, a lidar scanner, a promotion screen, a few more hours of battery life, an additional graphics core, and a 1-terabyte storage option.
That doesn’t seem like enough to justify the high-end device’s Pro status. But Apple is doing more to differentiate the iPhone 14 Pro from the lower-end models.
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- From what I’m told, the new 48-megapixel sensor for the wide-angle camera (which is essentially the “main” camera on the iPhone) will be exclusive to the Pro model. The regular iPhone 14 line will stick to the 12-megapixel shooter.
- As mentioned, the Pro model will get Apple’s new A16 chip, while the standard model is likely to stick to the A15 from last year or a variant thereof. Beyond trying to make the Pro stand out, the lack of a chip may have contributed to this decision.
My take: It’s like clockwork. It’s Sunday, it must be time for another Apple leak.
