It’s time for the common iPhone to shine

Individuals aren’t shopping for telephones like they used to, so Apple’s actually gotta put the squeeze on us each improve cycle. And lately, that has meant pushing extra folks towards the Professional iPhone, moderately than the common one. Yearly for the previous few years, Apple has withheld an increasing number of options for its Professional telephones, convey them all the way down to the usual iPhone at a drip. However that is perhaps altering this yr, if the rumors are true, and to that I say: it’s about rattling time.

Previously couple of cycles solely the “Professional” fashions have gotten the newest Bionic chipset. That doesn’t simply imply that the Professional fashions are extra highly effective — it additionally signifies that the common iPhone gained’t be eligible for a similar characteristic updates that the Professional fashions recover from the approaching years. The iPhone 15 Professional fashions are eligible for Apple Intelligence whereas the usual fashions aren’t.

This yr might look completely different. Rumors counsel that the entire iPhone 16 collection would get an A18 chipset, although Apple should still reserve essentially the most highly effective model for the 16 Professional fashions. Even when that’s the case, it’s very seemingly that the entire iPhone 16 fashions will have the ability to run Apple Intelligence, which Apple is hoping might be an enormous improve driver.

Different rumors additionally level out that the common iPhone may get not one however two new buttons this yr: the motion button launched on final yr’s Professional fashions and the seize button we’re anticipating to see on the iPhone 16. Extra buttons! On this financial system! It’s nonetheless doable that the seize button might be a Professional-only characteristic, however I feel that might be an actual disgrace. You don’t have to be knowledgeable cellphone consumer (what even is that) to understand a devoted shutter button.

By all accounts, this may very well be a yr the place the common iPhone catches up a little bit to the Professional, and that’s music to my ears. Personally, I’d like to see Apple do much more for the common iPhone, beginning with the dang display screen refresh fee. It’s 2024 and Apple nonetheless costs $799 for a cellphone with a 60Hz display screen. That’s in all probability going to carry true for an additional yr too. Seems to be fairly shabby when Android telephones up and down the price range spectrum supply 120Hz shows.

On the very least, it seems to be like Apple is about to convey a little bit extra stability again with the iPhone 16 collection. I feel that’s the way it ought to be — the Professional iPhone ought to really feel such as you’re getting one thing additional, not being cornered into paying extra for an important characteristic. All Apple has to do is convey again the Mini; then all of my hopes and desires for the common iPhone will come true. I can dream, proper?