With the iPhone 14, Apple draws a line between experts and normal people

Apple introduced the iPhone 14 series on Wednesday. As in the past three years, the lineup is split, with two reasonably affordable entries and two more expensive flagships. In this case we have the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus on one end and the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max on the other end.

However, what is different this time is the discrepancy between these two sets. This year, Apple is working harder than any other to appeal to two different types of iPhone buyers: the experts and the normies.

With the iPhone 11, 12 and 13 series, there was a lot of overlap between the regular phones and the Pro phones. For example, a person who uses their iPhone for CPU-intensive tasks would appreciate processing power, but they might not care about cameras. This hypothetical buyer could snag the iPhone 13 for just $799. You would get the same CPU and general features as the iPhone 13 Pro but for $200 less.

See also: Which iPhone is right for you?

However, the iPhone 14 series draws a line in the sand. On one side you have the power users — people who need one or many of the high-end features that iPhones are known for. On the other hand, you have the normies — people who don’t know or care about smartphone technology and just want to upgrade to a new iPhone every few years.

Never before has this line been so clear. It could fundamentally change the way Apple manages its smartphone portfolio. It could also be a lightning rod for change across the smartphone industry.

Samsung has several smartphone lines, each with its own identity. The Galaxy S range is the best of the best for the general consumer, while the Galaxy A range appeals to budget buyers on multiple levels. Meanwhile, the foldable Galaxy Z range is aimed at the techie who wants to be on the cutting edge. This creates multiple categories of phones, each with its own strict appeal to a specific demographic.

Apple just sort of does this. It has the iPhone SE, which is aimed strictly at a budget-conscious consumer. Aside from that, however, every other consumer needs to be plugged into the main iPhone range. That sounds simpler than Samsung’s strategy, but it’s also more restrictive. With so much historical overlap between the four iPhones in the main series, there was only so much Apple could do to accommodate each phone’s many different types of buyers.

With the iPhone 14 series, Apple is removing these limitations. Now the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus can exist as phones for the average consumer who upgrades every few years. The Pro models, on the other hand, can specifically appeal to power users who upgrade more frequently – even annually. Apple can curate and market these devices to these two distinct groups of buyers.

This creates a very interesting situation. When you hold an iPhone 14 in one hand and an iPhone 14 Pro in the other, you’re looking at completely different devices for completely different people. The Pro model will have a leaps and bounds better screen, a cutout instead of a notch, a better camera system with an extra lens, and far better quality build materials. Inside, it will have a more powerful chip and better memory management that will enable the coveted usability improvements, including an always-on display.

Meanwhile, in your other hand, you’ve got a phone that doesn’t offer either of those things. You’ll be holding two completely different phones, so to speak – and each will end up at very different prices.

Returning to the hypothetical buyer who wants all the processing power but doesn’t care about cameras. They used to be able to buy an iPhone for under $800 and get whatever they wanted. However, now they have to shell out at least $1,000 to get the A16 Bionic, as the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus come with last year’s A15 Bionic.

That $1,000 price floor now applies to most of the new iPhone features announced this year. Want an always-on display? $1,000. Want a 48MP camera? $1,000. Hate the hack? You can get rid of it for a cool $1,000 (most of the time).

Related: The history of the iPhone

During its launch event, Apple made a fuss about not increasing the prices of the Pro-level iPhones. That could soften the blow of this new shift. However, Apple has conveniently skipped much of the world on this news since the new iPhones are actually increasing in price in other countries.

In Europe, the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at a whopping €1,479 (~$1,480). And in the UK, the same phone costs £1,199 (~$1,383). It seems Apple is using the rest of the world to subsidize US prices and keep them the same as in previous years.

This proves once again that Apple is firmly keeping that new line between the normies and the experts. If you’re not willing to spend big bucks on your phone to get all the cool new features, you just can’t get them. You could have gotten some of these in years past, but that’s no longer true. Either go big or go home.

That’s all bad news for iPhone users though, right?

Many of our readers are Android die-hards. You may be thinking, “This has nothing to do with me.” Ah, but how wrong you are.

History has proven time and time again that the Android industry is following Apple’s lead. Remember when Apple removed the headphone jack? How about with the included charger removed? Android OEMs initially scoffed, but are now squarely on board.

Apple’s moves this year could result in wildly different splits within Android ecosystems. Take the pixel line. What are the big differences between the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro? The Pro has a slightly larger, slightly faster display and an additional camera lens on the back. That’s pretty much it.

What we might see in the future is greater separation between pro and non-pro models. Of course, this means fewer new features for the non-pro area. Hypothetically, one could imagine a Pixel 8 that doesn’t offer too many upgrades over the Pixel 7, while the Pixel 8 Pro could offer a ton of great new features for a lot more money.

This would create a very diverse market and push the price needle up for what is considered “flagship”. If you are loaded with cash you can get all the fun stuff. If you’re not, you’ll get some little treats. Talk about wealth inequality.

Of course I’m pessimistic about that. This might turn out to be a good thing. Perhaps smartphones are so advanced that most people will be fine to have an affordable device that does only what is necessary and no more. The people who want all the really cool, cutting-edge perks have to dish out for it. On the surface, that sounds reasonable.

In a way, the iPhone 14 series will act as a litmus test for the rest of the industry. Will buyers flock to the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus despite hardly being an upgrade over the iPhone 13? Or will they scoff at “upgrading” to a phone that doesn’t even have a new processor? Will they then give in and spend $1,000 to get the new features they really want, or will they not bother at all? We will see. However, we should all be careful because how this plays out will affect the industry as a whole.

Continue reading: Now is the right time to buy an iPhone 13