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You’re probably overeaten with the constant economic situation, inflation, global crisis, and sales slumps. Unfortunately, these are still the hot topics Apple will introduce the iPhone 15 lineup into. But can it expect real success? It’s a somewhat vexing question.
After all, Apple’s success is different from that of other brands. It’s about expectations and sales estimates, which are not a success if they don’t materialise, even if we’re talking about tens of millions of phones sold. So what might be a failure for Apple would shoot such a Google with its Pixels sky high.
Design and materials won’t be enough
We know quite a lot about the upcoming lineup, but the question is how it will be in the case of the split Pro and Ultra models, where leaks are still slightly diverging. Either way, let’s assume you own an older iPhone Pro and are considering buying an iPhone 15 Pro or Ultra (or the same Max variants), depending on what Apple eventually unveils and with what features.
Will it have anything to entice you? What’s the one major item you’ll tell yourself is a must-have? With the iPhone 14 Pro generation, for many, it may have been the Dynamic Island, where Apple got rid of the cutout and added an “island”. It’s safe to say that this year’s more advanced models will include it, but it’s not a novelty that will convince you because you already know it.
If Apple will up the display’s brightness, it looks nice on paper, but it won’t be a deal breaker. The same goes for performance, which many users can’t squeeze out to its fullest anyway, even with the 13 Pro models. So Apple will try to change the design and materials slightly.
This alone will surely convince many to buy the new model because it will be obvious at a glance that they have a new model. But the main one could be the camera, whose specs are slowly emerging, and it doesn’t look bad.
Cameras as the main argument
The iPhone Pros are great photography tools but are still limited compared to the Android top end. We’re not talking about quality, where iPhones excel, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra flopped according to DXOMark, but capabilities. In my case, telephoto photos make up a good half of the shots I take.
It’s just that the overall zoom range is just too small. Triple Zoom is the gold standard, but it would like more, which is what the others can do. By implementing a periscope lens, Apple could give the iPhone 5 up to 10x zoom, providing much more coveted creativity.
And then there’s the issue of variable zoom. It should also do this because it presents its Pro models as professional. And on par with adult technology concerning photography and video. After all, it offers truly professional features like ProRAW and ProRes. So it should offer those options that the competition can and does well.
After all, when you try anything more than that, it makes you annoyed that the iPhone is so limiting. The iPhone 13 Pro is still a great device, and given the price increase on the iPhone 14 Pro, it was a highly desirable item when it was introduced, even if it was a year-old phone.
So Apple will have to work hard to make a compelling case for users to upgrade. In my case, the periscope would help with that.
The device upgrade interval is stretching
People are saving, or at least trying to, in some respects. Because of this, the interval between buying a new electronic device such as a smartphone is also getting longer. Annual upgrades are no longer valid; the two-year ones are also being phased out.
Of course, there are exceptions, which are perhaps also supported by many programmes. But the average user does not buy a new iPhone year after year anymore. With Samsung, the interval is stretched to something between three and four years.
When we look at the differences between the iPhone 13 Pro and 14 Pro (Max), we find two that could play into the upgrade’s hands. One is the Dynamic Island, and the other is the 48MPx camera.
You probably won’t be able to tell the difference in performance between generations. So many Gen 13 owners had difficulty deciding whether to get the 14th or wait. Those who waited will again be faced with a decision in which only Apple can give them the proper arguments as to whether the upgrade is worth it.
What will convince users to upgrade?
Whether or not the upgrade will make sense is very individual. I still use the iPhone 11 Pro Max as my daily driver. I’ve switched from the iPhone 11 Pro to the Max variant over time. But that’s only because of the larger battery. Otherwise, I would be more comfortable with the smaller size.
However, I have had all the models Apple has released. The new design or minor HW changes were insufficient to change the phone. Hardware-wise, it’s a capable phone that takes great photos. Well, the newer models take better photos. In the end, it’s something you notice when you have something to compare it to, which I have, but since I haven’t seen enough forward movement, I’ve stuck with the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Moving to a newer iPhone will be essential to make that 48MPx usable even in out-of-the-box mode. I don’t have to do anything extra and can take beautiful 48MP images. The default mode is 12MPx, and those 48MPx images are only in the pro mode, where you still have luck or feel in your hand to get a nice photo.
I think most people who get the iPhone 14 Pro just for the camera end up not using the better camera. For Apple to appeal to enough users to switch, it should offer a new design, camera/features that are easy to use without tedious setup.
And most importantly, it should think about the coherence of the systems because that’s the only thing between it and users migrating en masse towards Android. Which hasn’t been bad at all in recent years, except for photos.
Final thoughts
As a result, I’m starting to think it would be better to extend the time between models to 2 years, with the understanding that if Apple wanted to make it more interesting for users, it would release base models in odd years and Pro models in even years or vice versa.
The market would not be empty, and users would know that after two years. They would have something to look forward to again. This way, it comes down to whether there will be enough innovation and whether it will be tailored to regular users.
