iPhone Ultra: What the rumors are saying
- Apple may release a new iPhone Ultra model with premium features and a higher price tag than the Pro models.
- Possible new additions to the Ultra model include camera improvements, a faster chip, a bigger display, and a portless design.
- The iPhone Ultra may have unique and niche features, similar to Apple's high-end Apple Watch Ultra.
- The iPhone 16 Ultra is expected to be part of the 2024 iPhone lineup and will be sold alongside the Pro models.
- There were previous rumors of an iPhone 15 Ultra, but instead, we are expecting an iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max.
- The potential price for the iPhone 16 Ultra is still unclear, but it will likely offer further improvements in camera, chip, and display.
- The Pro models in the upcoming iPhone 15 lineup will include a USB-C port and a periscope camera.
The iPhone 16 Ultra is expected to be Apple's most expensive and feature-rich smartphone yet, with options beyond those available with the Pro models. While we don't have much insight into what new additions Apple might reserve for an Ultra model, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has shared some possibilities, including additional camera improvements, a faster chip, a bigger display, and perhaps even a portless design without a Lightning or USB-C port.
Image credit: Jonas Daenert
The iPhone Ultra would presumably be modeled after the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple's high-end Apple Watch option. Like that device, the iPhone Ultra could have unique and niche features that set it apart and make it worth a more premium price tag.
If Apple ends up unveiling an iPhone 16 Ultra, it will be even more expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is priced starting at $1,099. It is expected to be sold alongside iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max devices rather than replacing one.
The earliest that Apple would introduce a higher-end Ultra iPhone is 2024, which would make it part of the iPhone 16 lineup. As 2024 is the soonest that we'll see the model, there is a possibility that it could be delayed until the iPhone 17 lineup or beyond.
Image credit: Mashable
While there were previous rumors that an iPhone 15 Ultra might replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max in the 2023 iPhone lineup, it no longer appears that an iPhone 15 Ultra is going to happen. Instead, we are expecting an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Designer Jonas Daenert in February shared some conceptual images of what an iPhone 16 Ultra could look like, with some of the design ideas taken from the Apple Watch Ultra. He imagines a thicker 12mm iPhone with a titanium chassis, rounded edges, protruding buttons, and orange accents.
Image credit: Jonas Daenert
While the potential price for the new iPhone 16 Ultra model in 2024 is still unclear, it will probably offer further camera improvements, a faster chip, and perhaps an even larger display. According to Mark Gurman, consumers are willing to pay up for the best iPhone they can get, signaling that even more ritzy models may be on the way.
Before the launch of the iPhone 16 lineup, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 15 lineup later this year, with several upgrades over the iPhone 14 series. The Pro models are set to include a USB-C port and a periscope camera.
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Published to Apple Scoop on 22nd February, 2023.
