As iPhone users, we’ve been used to seeing Apple introduce a new model every year, with improvements to the camera, performance, and design. However, in recent years, we have been noticing a change in this annual update strategy. And the reason for this change is clear: the Pro models.

In recent years, Apple has introduced two lines of iPhone: entry models and models with surname Pro. Regular models often include camera and performance enhancements, but often don’t include the latest Technologys. It is in the Pro models where Apple gives free rein to the specifications and try new Technologys. And this seemingly simple change is making the idea of ​​having a new iPhone every year staggering.

Simplifying and diversifying at the same time

The double line of the iPhone has become more and more evident. For example, the iPhone 11 Pro included a triple camera and an OLED screen, while the iPhone 11 did not include these features. If we jump to the iPhone 14, the difference is, again, more than clear. It is in the iPhone 14 Pro where we find the new design with the Dynamic Island and a new chipwhile in the entry models the changes are minor.

Now, with the iPhone 15 Pro, it is expected to include a periscope lens, a technology that enables powerful optical zoom. According to rumors, this technology would not reach the iPhone 15 entry, but yes it could be present in all models of the iPhone 16. Again a key differentiation.

Let’s add one more element to the equation before moving on to some conclusions: the iPhone SE. According to rumors, Apple could have canceled the iPhone SE 4 and, as far as we know, this model could disappear from the catalog. The same has already happened with the mini variant of the iPhone.

Years ago the difference between the sizes of the iPhone was basically this, that of the sizes. But we have been seeing a change for some time now. With the iPhone mini gone and possibly the iPhone SE, the annual releases happen at two speeds. While the iPhone with the last name Pro receives the most significant news, entry models take an extra year.

We say that every year Apple launches an iPhone, but the truth is that there are four, five or even seven models if we count the choice of storage. The iPhone is a product with many users and should cover as wide a range and spectrum of needs as possible. Maintaining a double speed in terms of new products can be key to maintaining certain price ranges while presenting new products regularly.

Although the most enthusiastic, surely many of us reading this article, have a propensity for the best of the best when we talk about the iPhone, there are many users who value the iPhone for its operating system and little else, for example. Yes, they are going to take photos, but not for any contest either. For this spectrum of users, a iPhone that upgrades with more ease while maintaining a noticeably lower price it can be really attractive.

We will have to closely monitor how this strategy evolves in the future and what effects it has on users and the iPhone ecosystem in general. But if the tendency to simplification in terms of models and differentiation of specifications continues, it could mean that the concept of having a new iPhone every year could change, and that users of the entry models could take a little longer to receive the latest Technologys. Well? Bad? More options to choose from.