iPhone

Poll: Tim Cook thinks you’d pay more for an iPhone Ultra, but is he right?

Chance Miller | Feb 6 2023 - 6:18 pm PT

Over the weekend, a report from Bloomberg suggested that Apple is considering adding a new high-end option to the iPhone lineup. This device, potentially branded as the “Ultra,” would be more expensive than the “Pro Max,” but the question is, how much more

Apple mulling iPhone Ultra for 2024

During Apple’s Q1 2023 earnings call with investors last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that consumers are willing to pay more to get the best iPhone available. With the iPhone 14 lineup in particular, this has led to higher-than-expected sales of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and lower-than-expected sales of the iPhone 14 Plus.

Speaking to analysts last week, Cook said:

Wamsi Mohan, Bank of America: Tim, do you think that this move to sort of higher ASPs that has happened over the last few years is sustainable or could it could sustain on this very tough macro environment that you’ve cited?

Tim Cook: I wouldn’t want to predict, but I would say that the the smartphone — for us, the iPhone — has become so integral into people’s lives. It contains their their contacts and their health information and their banking information and their smart home and so many different parts of their lives. It’s the payment vehicle for many people. And so I think I think people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can they can afford in that category

With this in mind, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported on Sunday that Apple has internally discussed adding an even more expensive option to the iPhone lineup. This could be done as soon as next year with the iPhone 16 lineup, where an “iPhone 16 Ultra” could coexist alongside an iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max currently starts at $1,099, so an “Ultra” model would be even more expensive than that. As for what an iPhone Ultra could offer in comparison to the “Pro Max” remains to be seen, but things like better cameras and even more cutting-edge chip designs seem like strong possibilities.

What do you think? How much would you be willing to pay for an “Ultra” version of the iPhone? For the sake of this poll, assume that some of the upgrades include better cameras, faster performance, and different materials are used for the design.