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Is Apple's 'next big thing' the iPhone Pro?

Apple is looking for a way to revitalize iPhone sales. Could an iPhone Pro be the way forward?
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer
Is Apple's "next big thing" the iPhone Pro?

Is Apple's "next big thing" the iPhone Pro?

A "special edition 10th-anniversary iPhone" doesn't really make much sense to me. It's the sort of short-term thinking that Apple doesn't really buy into. Apple is a company that keeps its eye on the big picture.

This is why calling it the iPhone Pro makes much more sense.

As rumors, leaks, and supply chain gossip offer us a clearer picture of what Apple has planned for its upcoming $1,000 OLED iPhone, it's clear that Apple is going to take the iPhone in a new direction. I mean, if everything we're currently hearing about the new iPhone is true - OLED display, augmented reality, totally new form factor, wireless charging, USB-C replacing the Lightning port, a revamping of the Home button and Touch ID sensor - then we're looking at a pretty big revamp, and one that's weighted more towards revolution than evolution.

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That doesn't sound like some "special edition 10th-anniversary iPhone," it sounds more like a totally new class of device. And that "iPhone 8" name that's doing the rounds really doesn't make sense (I mean, what happens when the regular iPhone ticks over to 8?), and is only going to add confusion, especially if Apple also releases the iPhone 7s/7s Plus.

Here's a better name: iPhone Pro.

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It's clear, concise, and offers a clear way to differentiate between the original iPhone and the new iPhone.

A Pro line is nothing new to Apple. It has a Mac Pro (well, sort of), a MacBook Pro, and an iPad Pro. This means that the branding will be familiar to those already in the Apple ecosystem.

Calling it the iPhone Pro also makes better sense if Apple is planning to add the big differentiation of dumping the Lightning port for USB-C, which would open up the iPhone to a whole array of new accessories. The Pro moniker makes it clear that this is a different class of device.

And just yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook told investors Apple will "do more in the pro area." Many took this to mean a renewed interest in the Mac Pro and other tools for creative, but this doesn't make a huge amount of sense since these products are a drop in the ocean compared to the cash the iPhone pulls in for Apple.

If Apple wants to "do more in the pro area," the iPhone is the perfect place for Apple to make this move.

So, I'm calling it here. iPhone Pro.

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