Apple is reportedly considering making a cheaper big iPhone for those who can’t afford the iPhone Pro Max series, according to a report from noted Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo. The iPhone 14 Max, as it is speculated to be called, would join the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max to form Apple’s 2022 iPhone lineup.
This iPhone 14 Max would likely have the same features as the smaller iPhone, albeit in a 6.7-inch frame. Also expected is an improved camera with an autofocus capable ultra-wide lens. It may also have the same improved 120Hz display that the iPhone 13 Pro line is reported to have.
Apple has steadily increased the number of iPhones it ships, from two models with the iPhone 6, to three models with the iPhone 8, and now four models with the iPhone 12 series. Apple is predicted to continue this four-model schedule, with 2021’s iPhone 13 mimicking the iPhone 12’s lineup, while the 2022 iPhone line is said to be ditching the Mini for the Max.
The iPhone 12 Mini is reportedly being dropped for performing poorly in relation to other iPhones, and Apple is said to be planning on deemphasizing 2021’s iPhone 13 Mini. The shift between extremes is unsurprising as Apple’s bigger iPhones have historically sold very well. More specifically, the iPhone 12 Pro Max led the iPhone 12 series to the strongest launch sales of any iPhone save for the iPhone 6.
“Consumers preferred the highest version of the iPhone 12 series during the first seven months after the series’ launch. The share of the Pro Max version in the iPhone 12 series sales was 29%, compared to the 25% for the same model of the iPhone 11 series,” Counterpoint Research said, “This is also one of the reasons for the iPhone 12 series grossing 22% more revenue than the iPhone 11 series in the first seven months of its launch.”
At the same time, big, cheap phones have sold well across the board, with manufacturers who attempt to capture markets outside Europe and the United States investing in big-screened phones for cheaper models. If Apple, as predicted, pushes for cheaper big phones with the iPhone 14 Max, the company may be able to compete more favorably with some of the best cheap Android phones.
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