Apple could raise a new naming scheme when it releases the iPhone 15 next year, replacing the current “Pro Max” branding with “Ultra.”
So it is according to Apple tracker Mark Gurman, who also expects the iPhone 15 to come with some “bigger changes,” including USB-C.
Apple’s also expected to introduce some significant design changes with the iPhone 15, including the addition of USB-C.
The Pro Max name emerged with the iPhone 11 in 2019, and counting Ultra branding to the iPhone lineup wouldn’t be all that dramatic. Apple already founded the new Watch Ultra with the label earlier this month and added the name to its M1 Ultra processor. Apple also raised a minor change to its naming scheme with the iPhone 14, fetching back the retired “Plus” title to the iPhone 14 Plus.
The iPhone 14 isn’t a month old yet, but other rumors about the iPhone 15 have already begun floating around. For example, supply chain analyst Ross Young predicts that the new Dynamic Island could come standard on all iPhone 15 — not just the Pro and Pro Max (or Ultra) models.
The iPhone 15 is also heavily whispered to come with USB-C instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning port. Gurman says the business has already started testing the new feature ahead of the EU’s enactment of a law requiring all new phones to have USB-C ports by fall 2024.
You, for one, favor Apple replacing Pro Max with Ultra — Pro Max is a bit of a mouthful, and Ultra seems better. On the other hand, you may be thinking about whether Apple is getting rid of the Max branding altogether or if it plans to reserve the name for tech that slips between the Pro and Ultra tiers. Apple also holds the AirPods Max, and it’ll be interesting to witness if Apple changes the name whenever a second generation comes everywhere.
With the iPhone 14 takeoff out of the way, Apple’s stage to round out the year with a slew of latest Macs, including upgraded M2 Pro and M2 Max 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, M2 and M2 Pro Mac Minis, and M2 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros. However, the company may not even hold a keynote next month to announce these devices as previously expected. Instead, Gurman believes Apple may release its products in much less exciting formats, including press releases, website updates, and media briefings.
The base iPhone 15 still won’t come with a 120Hz LTPO display that enables the iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on display and snappy ProMotion feedback, citing that the “supply chain can’t support it.”
The Dynamic Island is the black, pill-shaped cutout at the top of the iPhone 14 Pro that houses the camera array. Apple cleverly blended the cutout with the rest of the UI using animations that make the Dynamic Island appear more significant when interacting.
In addition, Dynamic Island displays notifications and will eventually let you monitor Live Activities, like sports scores or the status of your Uber ride, from the top of your screen.
Adding a Dynamic Island to the iPhone 15 could make upgrading to next year’s base model more appealing than making the minor jump from the iPhone 13 to the standard iPhone 14, or as my colleague, Allison Johnson calls it, the “iPhone 13S.”