iPhone rumor: "Ultra" as a model above the "Pro Max"

Apple has been trying out individual appendages for product names for years, which are intended to assign the corresponding devices - and now also chips - to a category and a target group. Currently, these name extensions include: More, Pro, Max and Incredibly . With regard to the "Apple Silicon" chips, last year was still over Extreme speculated; the corresponding chip should not come onto the market for the time being. He was brought into the conversation by Mark Gurman, a Bloomberg journalist and Apple analyst. In his current newsletter, he says that Apple is planning a Incredibly variant plane, similar to the Apple Watch.

iPhones in 2024: Standard version, Pro version, Ultra version?

According to Mark Gurman, Apple plans to make a greater distinction between the "Pro" and "Pro Max" models of the iPhone. In addition to the standard and the Pro model, there should be a third division: the Ultra model. The name is already known to potential customers. You know him from M1Ultra and from the apple watch ultra. 

The question now is whether the "Pro Max" model should go or whether it will remain and the "Ultra" model will simply form a more powerful and more expensive tier. This is said to have been discussed internally at Apple as well. The newsletter mentioned above shows that these discussions are not about the iPhone 15 for 2023, but about the iPhone 16 for 2024. Accordingly, the offer could look like this:

• iPhone 16
• 16 iPhone Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16Ultra

What should make the Ultra model so special?

The iPhone Ultra obviously has to come up with specs, special hardware and/or other things that you can't find on the other models. The core of the purchase incentive could be a faster chip. Either Apple creates further versions of the A chip or, after the iPad, also uses an M chip for the iPhone. Furthermore, the charging connection could be omitted (charging then only via Qi and MagSafe) and the display could be even larger, which makes the iPhone Ultra a phablet – but also a competitor to the iPad mini could form.

At least the iPhone Ultra would compete with the in-house tablets if Apple oriented itself to the Ultra smartphones from Samsung. These offer a larger battery for longer runtime, a larger screen, stylus support, and more storage. But maybe Apple is also concentrating on completely different things: even more or even better cameras, Face ID technology under the display, Fixed buttons with haptic feedback on the sides of the device and such things. To be honest, I can't imagine the stylus support - even if Steve Jobs' visions are no longer fully followed.

What about a foldable iPhone?

The iPhone as a folding phone, that too has been a persistent rumor for several years. Apple has itself already in 2016 several patents secured in this regard. It is difficult to say whether and with what publication goal the “iPhone Fold” is being worked on. And it's even harder to say whether the Ultra model that may appear next year will be a folding iPhone. Whatever the case, the rumor mill has a lot of new ingredients and we're sure to have a lot to offer in the months to come.

Johannes Domke

After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.