According to Mark Gurman’s Bloomberg newsletter, Apple is seriously considering an iPhone Ultra model. This model will sit above the Pro and Pro Max models and would be even more expensive.
Gurman cites Tim Cook’s response to investors about whether the iPhone’s rising average price was sustainable. Cook said people “are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in that category”. Cook reportedly sees the iPhone as “integrated” into people’s lives — they use it to make payments and store banking data, control smart home appliances and manage their health.
Apple is reportedly very open to unveiling a fifth iPhone model – the Ultra – alongside the regular, Plus, Pro and Pro Max. The company could launch it as early as 2024. Apple already uses the Ultra brand as its most powerful M1 processor and its flagship Apple Watch.
What isn’t clear, and Gurman isn’t speculating, is what features an iPhone Ultra would have to justify its higher position. He notes that it may not be a foldable iPhone, as Apple is reportedly concentrating its foldable efforts on larger devices, like laptops, and a foldable iPhone likely won’t arrive until after 2024.
An iPhone Ultra can have an even bigger screen than the Pro Max, better cameras and a faster processor. But before 2024, Apple is expected to finally bring a periscope zoom camera to the 2023 iPhone 15 series.
