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Opinion: Where does the rumored iPhone 7 ‘Pro’ fit in the overall iPhone lineup?

iphone-dual-camera

Earlier today, yet another report emerged claiming that Apple would launch an iPhone ‘Pro’ or iPhone 7 ‘Pro’ this fall. This report claimed that the device would be identical to the iPhone 6s Plus in terms of size, but would feature dual cameras on the back and Smart Connector support.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard reports of Apple perhaps adding an additional model to its iPhone lineup, either. A separate report from last month claimed that the company was planning an iPhone 7 Pro with dual camera capabilities.

While all of this is obviously yet to be confirmed and could very well change before Apple announces new iPhones this September, it brings up some interesting possibilities for the iPhone’s 2016 lineup. Will Apple replace the ‘Plus’ model with the ‘Pro’ model? Will it join the lineup as an additional, more expensive option? Let’s discuss…

There are two possibilities for how Apple’s iPhone lineup could soon look, should this rumored iPhone 7 ‘Pro’ come to fruition this fall.

Possibility #1:

  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone SE
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 7 Pro

Possibility #2:

  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone SE
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Pro

Each one of these possibilities has its own pros and cons, likely ones that Apple is weighing itself behind closed doors, but the most likely option in my opinion is option #1. While option #2 certainly seems more concise, we’ve learned over recent months that Apple’s focus on having simple and easy to understand product lineups isn’t as strong as it once was.

Look at the iPad lineup, for instance. Right now, Apple is selling the iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, and two iPad Pro models, not to mention the budget-friendly iPad mini 2. For the average user, there’s really no way to differentiate the iPad Air 2 from the 9.7-inch iPad Pro or the iPad mini 2 from the iPad mini 4.

iphones_2016_7

With that said, however, the main reason I think Apple will add the iPhone 7 Pro its lineup rather than replace the iPhone 7 Plus with it is to preserve the ‘Pro’ moniker as representing the best of the best and its most enterprise-focused options. Now, I’ll let you be the judge as to whether or not the ‘Pro’ name still carries that weight, but in Apple’s mind, it clearly does.

Apple wants anything with the ‘Pro’ name to represent the highest-end model of that device on the market there is. Much like with its MacBook lineup, where the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro are supposed to be its workhouse and powerhouse machines. If Apple were to replace the 7 Plus with the 7 Pro, it would imply to the average that the only major difference between it and the iPhone 7 was the size and it looks like this year that won’t be the case.

Of course, the camera on the ‘Plus’ iPhone variant has always had a few advantages. With the iPhone 6 Plus, it featured optical image stabilization on still photos, while on the 6s Plus it features OIS for videos, as well. The important differentiator here, however, is that an iPhone 7 Pro with dual cameras is physically different, unlike previous camera discrepancies. The average user isn’t going to be able to look at the iPhone 6s Plus and say “Oh, that has optical image stabilization” and notice that the iPhone 6s doesn’t. They can, however, look at a device and notice that it has two cameras and Smart Connector support.

This brings me to the next differentiator between ‘Pro’ model devices and normal devices: Smart Connector. Apple first introduced Smart Connector with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro last November and brought it to the 9.7-inch model last month. Apple could have just slapped it on the iPad Air, but it instead created a whole new device. This leads me to believe that the Smart Connector is purely reserved for devices that carry the ‘Pro’ name.

Smart Connector on iPhone has interesting possibilities. Would it be only used for battery cases and docks? Those seem like very entry-level use cases, though, which leads me to believe that Apple has more up its sleeve in terms of plans for Smart Connector on iPhone.

With all of that said, it seems most likely that the iPhone 7 Pro, should it even exist, will join the existing iPhone lineup, not replace the ‘Plus model.’ That would create the following lineup for this year:

  • iPhone 6s – Affordable mid-size option
  • iPhone 6s Plus – Affordable big-screen option
  • iPhone SE – Affordable small option, but refreshed in the spring of 2017
  • iPhone 7 – Same specs as the ‘Plus,’ but smaller
  • iPhone 7 Plus – Same specs as the smaller model but larger
  • iPhone 7 Pro – Top of the line, Smart Connector, dual cameras

While personally I would love to see Apple replace the ‘Plus’ model with the ‘Pro,’ I just don’t see that happening. Apple holds the ‘Pro’ branding so far above its other lineups that it just doesn’t seem likely that it’s willing to sacrifice the name to simplify the iPhone lineup. Just like it wasn’t willing to do it to simplify the iPad lineup.

Screen Shot 2016-04-27 at 9.33.09 PM

As Ben has pointed out in his rationalization ideas for the MacBook and desktop lineups, Apple simply isn’t willing to prune down its product lineups like it once. Sure, it has to work to cater to varying tastes, but selling as many iPhone and iPad models as it does is not necessary. As Steve Jobs once told Fortune in 2008, “Apple is a $30 billion company, yet we’ve got less than 30 major products.” Unfortunately, the company is drifting further and further away from that mentality. 

In many ways, it has to continue to branch out its offerings in order to keep up with the ever-changing preferences of users. If you look at the Android market and compare it to Apple’s lineup, Apple is doing everything it can to offer the equivalent options. Nevertheless, the lineup still gets cluttered and it seems that it’s simply something Apple no longer worries about. Whether or not that’s for the best remains to be seen. But I for one would much rather see simpler product lineups.

What do you think? Should Apple add the iPhone 7 Pro to the iPhone lineup or replace the ‘Plus’ with it? Let us know in the poll below and in the comments.

You can read everything we currently know about the iPhone 7 here

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Comments

  1. Carl Wertz - 8 years ago

    I am losing my focus and interest on the new iPhone rumors, what can they really do to WOW me?

    Nothing the I can think of, I am going back to the iPhone SE as it is a sweet piece of tech and feels so much better in my hand.

  2. viciosodiego - 8 years ago

    Iphone pro.

    Are you sirius, apple?
    Your marketing team can’t be that stupid.

    Also, why are you holding back innovation?
    Look at the patents.
    You could use them now and make the best iPhone ever.
    Also, make a 4s like design with liquid metal, because why have exclusivity if you aren’t going to use it?

    • David Wood - 8 years ago

      “sirius.” hehe

    • twelve01 - 8 years ago

      You forget – Apple has to make 200 million of them. They can design the best phone ever, but it won’t happen unless it can be mass produced.

      • Also … even if Apple Did create the best and most innovative phone ever people would still be pissed because this is internet.

    • twelve01 - 8 years ago

      Also I would point out that a) we don’t actually know what it will be called as it is a rumor (assuming it exists at all) b) the name is immaterial. What does the phone look like? what can it do? That’s what matters

  3. o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

    It doesn’t fit anywhere. It is completely idiotic. They’re just doing everything they can to stop the massive decreases they’re seeing, too bad the iPhone Pro will do nothing for them.

    Let’s tack Pro onto everything we sell. Wow they’re incompetent.

  4. Jake Becker - 8 years ago

    In hell if it doesn’t change its ways.

    • twelve01 - 8 years ago

      Apple makes 3x as much as FB, GOOG, and HP.

      • tomi2711 - 8 years ago

        Its just a matter of time if they keep heading in this direction. Remember the 2000 Microsoft? King of the world. No other tech company was near of making 1/10 of what they were making. And just in a few years time, just by being slow and stale (as Apple is right now) they fell of the wagon.
        Tech is advancing at much faster rates right now. And if you are stale, things can happen quicker than you think.

      • Aunty T (@AuntyTroll) - 8 years ago

        I’m not Microsoft lover, but “they fell off the wagon” is crap. They are still the worlds largest software manufacturer and even now they have the third highest market capitalization after Apple & Alphabet.

      • tomi2711 - 8 years ago

        They are the biggest software manufacturers due to their install base.
        But they have the same percentage of people using XP than Windows 10. Around 14% of their install base is using a 15 year old operating system. And over 60% are using a 6 years old OS. 6 years! The iPhone 3GS was the top smartphone when they released their most popular OS.
        They have no significant share in the biggest market right now thats mobile, lost the communications edge they once had with live and hotmail. All their competitors give away the software that Microsoft sells, for free.
        They aren’t dead but if you remember the 2000 they were going to be the “first trillion dollar company”. Ironically, that’s what most of people said about Apple last year.

  5. macinscott - 8 years ago

    Ideally, Apple would have an iPhone lineup with 3 screen sizes with equivalent specs.
    iPhone 7 Mini (instead of SE)
    iPhone 7
    iPhone 7 Plus
    “Pro” would be reserved for the top-end 7 and 7 Plus models – the ones with 128GB RAM, dual cameras, Smart Connector, etc.

    In other product lines, Apple doesn’t limit the “Pro” to one screen size and they shouldn’t do that for the iPhone either. I have no desire for a 5.5″ screen. 4.7″ is large enough while still being pocketable. However, at the entry level you can exclude a “Pro’ model since there probably wouldn’t be room to include those features.

    Apple doesn’t need to keep around so many older versions of the iPhone. Just update the iPhone on an annual basis, drop the “s” naming convention and make all models similar in physical appearance.

    • David Wood - 8 years ago

      Totally agree about having 2 different size pro models. Why would “pro” users only want a 5.5″ screen? I want a a “pro” I can still fit in my pocket.

      And also agree about getting rid of the 6 models. If the 7 looks close to the 6 anyway, why keep them? Get rid of that riff-raff, make the lineup simple enough for my mom to understand. Aren’t we all tired of explaining these subtle differences to our moms by now?

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

        No matter what Apple does, you’ll still have to explain it to your mom. Mom’s generally aren’t glued to the Apple’s site or Apple rumor sites. :-)

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      They keep the old models around to long. The older iPhone models are bad enough, but the iPad mini 2 is insane to still be around.

      I think it will probably be 2018 until Apple goes with iPhone mini, iPhone and Pro models when all models
      Have OLED screens and smaller bezels. Most likely 4.” For the mini, 5″ for iPhone and 5.8″ for the Pro.

    • J.latham - 8 years ago

      Drop the number system.
      iPhone (Late 2016) comes in 4-inch and 4.7-inch variants. Focuses on everyday performance and battery life.
      iPhone Pro (Late 2016) comes in 4.7-inch and 6.5-inch variants. Has quad core processor, extra ram, dual cameras, etc.
      Drop all the old devices. Lower the price of the regular models. The $250 (usd) price jump from the SE to the 6s is insane and the $150 jump to the 6 with lower specs is even crazier. Have the Pro come in at the same price as the 6s/6s+.

      • Ilko Sarafski - 8 years ago

        Well, we all know that’s not gonna happen. And for a good reason – 95% of the users have no idea what Late 2016 would mean. Sure, for every 9to5Mac reader that’s a no brainer, yet for our moms, as it was said, it’s really challenging to understand it. So iPhone 6-7-8-9-10 works just fine. The name(s) is not really the problem here. The problem is that the line up is totally messed up – there’s just no consistence whatsoever anymore. It’s really strange why Apple can’t figure that out if we can, it’s pretty god damn obvious. But as every thing – there’s a moment when you reach your full potential and from that point forward it’s only downhill. It’s yet to be seen about Apple, but I guess that in the next 1 to 3 years we’ll know have they reached it or not.

      • J.latham - 8 years ago

        Ilko, I think your not giving the consumers enough credit. They know what it means to buy a 2015 Honda Civic or a 2016 Honda Civic the same way they can understand if they were buying 2016 iPhone or a 2017 iPhone. It never stopped people from buying iPods which just had a generation number rather than some ever expanding arbitrary name. Now, calling the 10th iPhone the iPhone 7… That’s a bit crazy and makes no sense. In fact I would argue most consumer probably think there is a Pro version of the iPhone 6 called the 6s. Can’t wait for the “iPhone 7s plus Pro”.

  6. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    Kuo’s original prediction was 30% of the the 5.5″ iPhones having dual cameras do to supply restraints.

    I agree with you Chance that Apple will go with option 1. Maybe along with the dual cameras the pro will be the model we have seen with an all glass front with no home button concave.

    I think the smart connector will open the door to many compact battery cases and will be the major tent pole feature of the pro model.

    • tomi2711 - 8 years ago

      If the tent pole feature of the iPhone 7 Pro (which should be better than the iPhone 7) is the smart connector to add a battery case, Apple will sure have a troubling year ahead regarding sales.
      I mean, if thats the biggest Pro feature I’m expecting the greatest non Pro feature to be something among the lines of removing the antenna lines.

  7. J.latham - 8 years ago

    Because what we need are more device models out there. Stop naming all your “new” products “pro”. Can’t wait for the MacBook Air Pro and the iMac Pro. Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll get a Mac mini Pro sometime soon.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      I can’t wait until they put the Pro back on the MacBook so it’s the new MacBook Pro alongside the MacBook Pro.

      • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

        Yo dawg, I heard u liked Pro….

  8. edenk121d - 8 years ago

    So basically there would be no difference between iPhone 7 Pro and 7 plus except for an extra camera and a few goodies. Sounds like iPhone 6SS to me

  9. Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

    Why hasn’t anyone learned from the last Apple event? It will just be “iPhone Pro” if they do it. Apple wants to move away from defining products by numbers since update cycles may start getting longer and having a product with a number dates it. “SE” is timeless while “5 SE” means it’s older and worse than a “6”. Not great if you plan to have a design stay on shelves for a few years.

    Ideally they’d rebrand both of this year’s 4.7″ and 5.5″ models as “pro” but It doesn’t seem like they are in a place to rebrand the smaller size just yet. I’ll go with it being pro anyway in light of both ipads coming out.

    iphone se 4″
    iphone 6s 4.7″
    iphone 6s plus 5.5″
    iphone pro 4.7″
    iphone pro 5.5″

    There was no new update to an existing line – just the addition of a new line with two sizes. The old line dropped price because Apple wants to capture lower income customers now. The people that could afford their products already have them and are happy with them for a bit while the small percentage of early adopters are craving updates and will pay for it.

    This then sets Apple up to not drastically change the pro line and replace the remaining numbered line with really redesigned and attractive devices. Like the macbook design they may start with the smaller devices that can afford to have less performance and be most differentiated from the pro line in form factor. So newly designed 4″ and 4.7″ phones. New 7.9″ and 9.7″ ipads.

    iphone old: 4″ (se unchanged)
    iphone: 4″, 4.7″ (new design in 2017)
    iphone pro: 4.7″, 5.5″ (old design made pro 2016) (new design in 2018)

    ipad old: 7.9″ (latest mini)
    ipad: 7.9″, 9.7″ (new design in 2017)
    ipad pro: 9.7″ 12.9″ (old design made pro 2016)

    The macbooks seem less easy to fit to this model. The macbook line could use a slightly larger size to fill it out but the pros are also due for a refresh. 3 new laptops seems like a lot to fit into wwdc. They didn’t do the retina update to both macbooks at the same time so maybe we only get a the larger macbook size and the larger pro refresh now and the 13″ retina sticks around for a bit more.

    macbook old: 13″ (air dies, old retina pro sticks around lower price).
    macbook: 12″, 14″ ( new size added 2016)
    macbook pro: 16″ (new design 2016)

    Whatever. I’m sure more rumors and wwdc could skew my thinking on this a bit.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      You do understand how far beyond idiotic that is right? From now until the end of time all iPhones will hereby be called ‘Pro’. Hahah I feel bad for everyone involved.

  10. Andy Brooks - 8 years ago

    Apples product line is getting so bloated now. It’s takes so much discipline to keep focused on just doing a few things great.

    • ericisking - 8 years ago

      They’re damned if they do and damned it they don’t. When they offered fewer choices, people complained that Apple was arrogantly trying to tell people that ‘one size fits all’. “What if I want a bigger phone? What if I want an even bigger phone? What if I want a smaller phone?” etc.

      • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

        I think we are approaching too much stuff at one time too, but Eric is absolutely 100% right there.

  11. stevelawrence - 8 years ago

    All I can tell you is that if you now have to pay mega bucks for the “pro” model to get the latest features, I will be jumping off the iPhone train. I’m already close and this would be the tipping point.

  12. mannyleaders - 8 years ago

    It’s a good thing I plan on keeping my iPhone 6 for another year because all of the rumors regarding new iPhones are underwhelming so far.

  13. tomi2711 - 8 years ago

    Please Steve come back.
    What Cook and co are doing to the product line is the greatest abomination since Steve killed all the shit Apple made in 1996. Luckily for them they have piles of cash hoarded to sustain this nonsense.
    As an Apple fan this is borderline painful. Can’t wait for the abrupt sales decline its comming so someone kicks that cheap fuck of Cook away of the company.
    His mind is set on squeezing every fucking penny out from their customers instead of providing whats best. Ironically, all he accomplished was a sales drop. Way to go.

    • Chris Cooper (@clcooper) - 8 years ago

      Have you ever heard of MobileMe or Ping? 2 examples of products that launched and flopped under SJ? The man had missteps, too. And such tough talk from someone at his computer. Would you call Tim Cook a cheap fuck to his face? #KeyboardMuscles

      • tomi2711 - 8 years ago

        Jobs made mistakes, but not on main product lines. iCloud isnt much better than MobileMe, and Apple Music Connect is a rebranding of Ping. At least Jobs had the decency of recognizing his mistakes. Cook is so out of ideas that he thought that a rebranding of Ping was something cool.
        I wouldn’t tell him “cheap fuck” to his face due to respect because he is a person. But I would definitely tell him he is being cheap, and ironically, when he started focusing on the cash grab, was when the sales decline started. I don’t know if it’s karma or whatever, but he diserves everything he’ll be getting, as this just started. Its sad that the company I like needs to be dragged down for him leaving, but I can’t find other scenario where that could happen.

  14. modeyabsolom - 8 years ago

    Reserving the Smart Connector just for a ‘Pro’ variant of the iPhone peeves me off! Because its a potentially very useful connector that could benefit all iPhone users immensely. Especially in the simplification of external battery packs for instance…as you know most people want better battery life on their iPhones which the 7 by itself will probably not provide. Reserving it only for a restricted customer base is bad form. Also the increasing complexity of Apple’s product lineup is bad form too I believe. If they want to add this extra model to the lineup (I hope they don’t) then at least dump the 6S/6S Plus models from it. So you have the SE, 7, 7 Plus and 7 Pro. That’s an easily understandable more logical lineup.

  15. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    Where is option 3 – there shouldn’t even be a Pro. Your polls are weird 9to5.
    It’s like a poll asking are you going to upgrade to the iPhone 7 and the possible answers being: Yes, I will get the 16GB model, Yes I will get the 64GB model, Yes I will get the 128GB model. That’s it, no ‘No’ option.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      It’s like a poll asking if you’d rather be punched in the face or kicked in the balls. I don’t want either guys.

  16. Jim Phong - 8 years ago

    Apple must stop selling iPhone 6S and 6S Plus when the iPhone 7 gets released.
    It was a huge mistake to keep selling the 6 and 6 Plus when they released the 6S and 6S Plus.

    • philips9179 - 8 years ago

      when I went shopping at my local Apple Store, one Apple employee says the new sized iPhones “blur the lines between the iPhone and ipad

    • ericisking - 8 years ago

      Why? You mean a huge mistake for Apple because they should force people to get the most expensive phone? That’s like saying that car manufacturers should only sell the top-of-the-range model with all the extras. You limit your sales, because some people will just feel constrained by that and will go buy something else which does what they need for a bit less cash. It makes business sense to have a few options at different prices, so that customers feel like they have a choice (even though it’s a bit of an illusion, because they’re not offering a genuine budget phone for $250, but you feel like you’ve got ‘budget’ options and that’s part of the psychology of sales).

      • J.latham - 8 years ago

        No, they should be making phones in different price points if that’s what they want. You don’t see car companies selling new 2015 model year cars right now. They don’t keep selling it under the guise of a more affordable decision that will be out of date sooner. Honestly, how much longer does the iPad mini 2 have from 3 years ago still have with software updates?

      • jerjuan (@jerjuan) - 8 years ago

        Poor analogy… cars and homes are unlike any other consumer purchase. Second, car manufactures do make cutoffs on feature offerings and force consumers to buy the more expensive model to get the options they want. I realize this is the point of debate, but keep in mind cars are heavily regulated. For example a convertible vs. hard top model is subject to independent crash tests, etc. which sometimes cause manufactures to release a convertible as a different model altogether for government filling requirements etc. So that convertible option now is an entirely different more expensive model.

  17. giuseppe9000 - 8 years ago

    “How should Apple integrate the iPhone ‘Pro’ into its lineup?”

    it doesn’t matter as long as 9to5mac will give enthusiast hands-on reviews on every new apple product pushing the customer to buy it without any vigorous form of criticism

    it is well known that apple sends free testing devices only to accommodating journalists, but the scarcity of unbiased opinions nullify the goodness of the opinion itself

    • ericisking - 8 years ago

      Every company does this, it’s part of the game. The “9To5Mac” name is probably a clue, a bit like “Windows Central” which is enthusiastic about every new Microsoft product (go read their review of Windows 10, and the comments which follow, a real monument to fanboyism). And do you think that Thurrott guy isn’t biased towards Microsoft and Windows? This is how companies do PR and marketing (all companies, not just Apple).

  18. philips9179 - 8 years ago

    It would be cool if they would introduce the iPhone mini, air and pro, somehow in terms of spec or size so everybody would be clear what each iPhone stood for

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      iPhone air and pro should never happen unless the people you have naming them aren’t people, but are chimpanzees with far inferior intellect.

      iPhone air just because you know we like the air name..it has nothing to do with a single aspect just air dude air. iPhone pro because we now name all of our products pro because we have become the worst marketing team and are completely incompetent.

  19. ericisking - 8 years ago

    I know it seems to make sense that it would be better if they simplified the lineup by replacing the Plus with the Pro, rather than having separate large phones, but what if I want a large phone but don’t want to pay extra for “pro” features? I’m not interested in a special camera or smart connector, I just want a bigger screen and longer battery life, and we have to assume that the ‘pro’ features would add to the price.

    I would probably just get the 6S Plus instead, if they did that (or maybe just jump in ahead and get the 6 Plus while it’s still available, to replace my 6, seeing as the “S” features don’t really interest me either….really, the only reason I plan to upgrade at all is for the screen size/battery life, otherwise I’d stick with the 6 which is doing just fine. Zero interest in a dual camera or attaching a keyboard to my phone or ‘force touch’ or ‘live photos’).

    People like me are why Apple is going to have problems with their numbers for a while – we’ve reached a plateau of innovation. Sure, you can come up with whizzy new features every year, and market the crap out of them, but most people just don’t need this gimmicky stuff. We’ve reached the point where our phones are good enough for what we do with them. And, you know, there are other things in life to spend our money on. Apple needs to diversify beyond smartphones in a more meaningful way….I would suggest rethinking the opposition to a Mac/iPad hybrid – that could really be a hot seller, I’m starting to think, based on people I talk to. I don’t mean merging iOS and OS X, trying to run desktop apps on a tablet or touchscreen apps on a laptop; I mean a device which can run both, separately. Runs OSX with the keyboard attached, and automatically switches to iOS when you detach the keyboard. Supports Siri and Apple Pencil in both OSX and iOS mode. Retina screen, all day battery, thin and light as the MacBook (screen same dimensions as iPad Pro). I’d buy one of those in half a minute.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      No. It makes no sense. They called it plus and it should remain plus. It should be:

      iPhone 7 mini (4.3″ OLED)
      iPhone 7 (5.0″ OLED)
      iPhone 7 plus (5.8″ OLED)

      All in 2017 with reduced bezels and thus physically the same size. They should skip 2026 because they’ve got nothing. It’s embarrassing.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        2016 rather, but maybe they should skip until 2026 at the rate they’re innovating now.

    • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

      I think that would be beyond messy. Even if within a Bootcamp-like implementation, which would be the best way of doing so. And IMO the Pencil doesn’t need to be anywhere near OSX……the developers (and Apple) just need to treat iPad Pro like it’s Pro.

  20. Avieshek (@avieshek) - 8 years ago

    9to5mac: Where does the rumored iPhone 7 ‘Pro’ fit in the overall iPhone lineup?

    Ans: In the waiting list.

  21. Chris Ko Hoffman - 8 years ago

    If Apple adds another tier to the iPhone, it’s obviously just a way to increase the price of iPhone models (since they’ve remained relatively the same minus the introduction of the Plus size). And I agree with others, their product line is getting way too bloated. I miss the simpler times at Apple.

  22. dksmidtx - 8 years ago

    The iPhone 7 “Pro” if merely added to the lineup, will be just another premium price point (like additional memory). Good luck with that. If it replaces the “Plus” model, and offers even more memory, two cameras, and pen compatibility, now you’re talking…

  23. Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

    From the looks of it, Apple’s going to keep models on the price list for 2 years, not 3.

  24. fireballshots - 8 years ago

    Smart Connector (SC) on every iPhone 7 as the chief selling point…Apples answer to (ambient “pseudo”) wireless charging although it wont include the SC charger, extra money from a ton of SC accessories….

  25. jacobcibas - 8 years ago

    I think they should have 3 iPhone options this year.

    iPhone SE
    iPhone 7
    iPhone 7 Plus

    I think both of the new models should have the dual camera set-up and the smart connector. Now, with all of that said, I don’t know that it’s possible for that to happen, but to me, that would be the best thing. Why make customers pay more for a phone that has a bigger screen size that they don’t want, just to get the pro features? That’s ridiculous. Give the people what the want. Cut down on all of the confusion with the iPhone models. Make it simple and easy for anyone. Easy for someone who has used apple products for years, and easy for someone who is new to it all. Sometimes, the confusion and complication can push people away, and cause them to look elsewhere.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Absolutely right on simplicity. Apple is becoming increasingly incompetent it seems. It’s like the further from Steve’s death, the more products they’re making, which by the way is slowly killing them. Look at their product releases as of late. Look at the Apple TV, it launched in fall 2015, and it’s now spring and the device is STILL not complete. It’s so embarrassing that they’d be stupid enough to launch an unfinished product, after the Maps disaster. Learn from your mistakes you morons.

      The simple fact is, they need to immediately stop making so many products and narrow everything down to a neat concise product line which isn’t confusing and isn’t beyond stupid (iPhone Pro, iPad Pro 9.7″).

  26. ankushnarula - 8 years ago

    Apple is increasingly suffering from the “too many products equals confusing market messaging” problem of the 1990’s. Microsoft had this problem for almost 2 decades until they recently started to cut down on product SKUs and market segmentation. In 1998, Jobs simplified this for the Mac product line by creating the 2×2 business-consumer/desktop-mobile product matrix. It could have continued to work if there was either more cohesions between product marketing and general marketing teams or a top dog with a long view who understood the impact of both. It’s only because we’re technical users that we spend the time to understand what we’re buying. But for your average non-technical user, this is painfully confusing – and not very Apple-like at all.

  27. Joseph Mireles - 8 years ago

    My opinion. They wouldn’t make a premium variation of the plus unless it’s also a variation of the size. I feel if this is true, they will make the 5.8 inch as rumored with the extra features (as bigger phone, more room to add in additional parts such as for a dual camera). Now, with that said, I’m not too intrigued right now with other rumors floating around that the big changes won’t happen until the 2017 model. If this holds true, this will be the first time that I don’t upgrade my phone at it’s 2 year mark. :P

  28. jerjuan (@jerjuan) - 8 years ago

    If the idea in this article is even true, in a word…. Dumb! Apple is losing sales because they are abusing their customers by pandering to Wall Street. The cohesion of a singular direction around their product line is falling apart. Products are being released before they are ready for example, iPad Pro, with few to no Pencils available at release, Apple TV with no TV service. Or products that are over priced and without a strong position for example Macbook and Apple Watch Edition and Hermes Apple Watch. Last but not least, memory storage prices and offerings across the entire product line!

  29. cmucha68 - 8 years ago

    Why not making a pure black iPhone Pro with integrated keyboard ? For traveling I can leave I pad and laptop at home. Go Apple go !

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com