Apple is increasingly adopting a dual-tier offering for its iPhone range. This year for example, there is a clear difference between the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus, and the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The Pro variants get Dynamic Island, an extra camera with a beefier optical zoom, an upgraded processor and a better display. It's part of the reason why iPhone 14 Pro models have been so hard to get hold of.
And it seems that gulf will continue to widen next year. According to well-versed tipster, Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 line-up will differ in terms of port speed. That's despite all variants moving to USB-C, in line with a recent EU directive.
Kuo says, "all new iPhones will abandon Lightning and change to USB-C, but only two high-end models will support the wired high-speed transfer, and the two standard ones still support USB 2.0 same as Lightning."
That's a decent upgrade for the Pro models, which should benefit from high-speed data transfer and fast charging. It makes sense too – the Pro variants have more capable camera technology, making them great for capturing high-quality photos and videos. Large files like these will see the biggest benefit of higher data transfer speeds.
Still, it's something of a kick in the teeth for the standard iPhone 15 range. This year, we saw sales for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus slump. This drop was largely caused by public perception, with the standard models said to offer little upgrade over the outgoing iPhone 13. Many deemed paying the extra for a Pro model more worthwhile, with a host of extra features and upgrades included.
While features like Dynamic Island are rumoured to be joining the entire range, it's disappointing to see an intentional limitation being put in place. Adding the same high-speed USB-C port across the board would have given a substantial boost to the iPhone 15's credentials.
