The latest rumors suggest the iPhone 15 Pro Max could be getting a name change to the iPhone 15 Ultra. I don’t know about you, but I’m left with one question: “what’s the point?”
This comes from Andrew O’Hara on X, who claimed “multiple sources” have told him. We were getting rumblings about this earlier in the year, but after Apple seemingly backpedalled, it seems as if the renaming is back on.
But is it necessary? Does the company bring enough to the table to warrant separating it from the Pro? I don’t think so at all.
Here’s a late Friday tidbit I’ve heard for #iPhone15. Multiple sources have told me Apple will indeed use the “iPhone 15 Ultra” monicker for the plus-sized pro phone. This was an early rumor that got backpedaled. Most have since referred to it as iPhone 15 Pro Max.August 19, 2023
Put some respect on its name?
I don’t say that without knowledge that Apple has added some beefier upgrades into the Pro Max that could warrant the Ultra badge. Not only do you get the A17 Bionic, the world’s first 3nm process chipset with 20% more power, but there’s the 10x periscope telephoto lens (exclusive to the Pro Max), the vastly increased battery capacity, and much more.
To call it Ultra just seems a little unnecessary. Pro Max is bad enough — sounding like Apple just jumped into the caffeine pill business. But the naming convention makes sense. It’s the maximum pro you can get.
You see, with the standard iPhones, it feels more logical to have an iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. One is simply a plus-sized version of the other. Apple does face an interesting challenge with the Pro and Pro Max though, as there are the more fundamental differences between the two.
For example, the only differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are the display size and battery capacity. For the 15s, we're seeing that periscope lens being the upgrade. But is that enough? I don’t think so.
What are the odds?
I’d put Apple giving its big, beefy iPhone 15 Pro the Ultra moniker at 50/50 in terms of chances of it happening. Given the upgrades coming to it, calling it Ultra can be explained away, but there’s weight to the Pro Max name and I don’t think the upgrades are enough to warrant it.
I guess we’ll have to wait until Apple’s September event for official confirmation. Am I overthinking things? Maybe. It is quite the flaw of mine. But this is a pivotal moment for the Cupertino crew to rebrand. Will they take it? I hope they don’t until at least the iPhone 16, which seems to bring far bigger updates that make the iPhone 15 questionable in value.
