The iPhone 14 Professional Max is already one of the vital costly smartphones accessible, but it surely seems like Apple is laying the groundwork to launch one thing even pricier, primarily based on recent feedback from the corporate’s CEO, Tim Cook dinner.

Bloomberg (opens in new tab) reviews that, in Apple’s Q1 2023 earnings name, Cook dinner was requested whether or not the rising common gross sales costs of iPhones was sustainable, to which he replied “I believe persons are prepared to essentially stretch to get the most effective they’ll afford in that class,” including that iPhones had turn into “integral” to folks’s lives.

Cook dinner didn’t particularly say whether or not costs will proceed to rise, however that remark definitely means that he thinks clients may very well be persuaded to pay ever extra for the corporate’s prized smartphones.

It’s a surprisingly assured assertion, particularly within the present monetary local weather. Even in a more healthy financial system, the thought of individuals needing to “actually stretch” their finances to afford a smartphone appears sub-optimal and even distasteful. So it will likely be fascinating to see how this pans out.

However then folks do love iPhones, and there might properly nonetheless be comparatively reasonably priced choices, just like the iPhone SE (2022) and even the bottom iPhone 14.

In truth, Mark Gurman – who has a very good monitor document for Apple data – claims in the identical Bloomberg article that Apple might plan to increase the number of accessible iPhones.

Gurman claims that Apple will first look to additional differentiate the completely different fashions with the iPhone 15 line, specifically by solely giving the iPhone 15 Professional Max a periscope digital camera, for longer vary optical zoom.

Then, subsequent yr the corporate may add an extra mannequin, within the type of an iPhone 16 Extremely. This could apparently sit above the iPhone 15 Professional Max, so that you might need 5 fashions to select from – the usual, the Plus, the Professional, the Professional Max, and the Extremely. That’s, except Apple ditches the Plus, since presently these fashions reportedly aren’t promoting brilliantly.

Gurman says Apple has internally mentioned including an Extremely mannequin to the highest of the road, probably in time for the iPhone 16 sequence in 2024, but it surely seems like the choice hasn’t been made but. He moreover speculates that this superphone would have even higher cameras, a sooner chip, and probably a bigger show, alongside maybe with no charging port – so it must juice up wirelessly.

Whereas it seems like these options are simply hypothesis for now, it’s definitely sounding extra doubtless that Apple might add a super-premium iPhone Extremely to its line-up following Cook dinner’s feedback. So we might quickly discover ourselves in a scenario the place the highest iPhone actually is out of attain for lots of people – or on the very least requires them to stretch their finances an uncomfortable quantity.

Evaluation: what in regards to the iPhone 15 Extremely?

This isn’t the primary time we’ve heard speak of an iPhone Extremely, however earlier leaks advised we would see one this yr, and that fairly than sitting above the iPhone 15 Professional Max, the iPhone 15 Extremely may change it.

Primarily based on Gurman’s claims right here, it seems like crucial features of these leaks should still be correct – specifically that the highest mannequin this yr will clearly stand out above even the iPhone 15 Professional. It’s simply that Apple may not put Extremely within the title, with an much more ludicrously costly Extremely handset coming subsequent yr as an alternative.

However whether or not this yr’s prime mannequin is named the iPhone 15 Professional Max or the iPhone 15 Extremely, the way in which it’s reportedly going to be positioned coupled with Cook dinner’s feedback, means there’s a very good probability it’s going to price much more than the iPhone 14 Professional Max – which for reference begins at $1,099 / £1,199 / AU$1,899.

So, in order for you the most effective iPhone of 2023, you then might need to essentially stretch your finances.