Daily Authority: 🍎 iPhone haves and have-nots

✨ Good day, and welcome back to the Daily Authority. The coffee hasn’t kicked in yet, nor have the five cups before this one. May your brew be strong this morning and the rest of the week.

Splitting Apples

We’re still combing through the details of Apple’s big product launch, which included the Apple Watch Series 8 and its new AirPods Pro. But one detail that caught our C. Scott Brown’s eye was Apple’s iPhone 14 ladder. See, the base iPhone no longer caters to everyone, which could be a big problem for Android users, too.

The worrying changes

• Last week, Apple announced the iPhone 14 series.
• The lineup consists of four devices, namely the base iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro, and their two larger variants.
• Apple’s previous iPhone lineups saw plenty of feature overlap.
• For instance, if you wanted new features from the iPhone 13 line last year, you could opt for the cheaper base iPhone 13. No need to grab the pricier iPhone 13 Pro.
• Effectively, whichever new iPhone you decided to buy, you’d get a selection of the core new features.
• But this all changes with the iPhone 14 series.

What do we mean?

• This time around, Apple is splitting its quartet down the middle and subsequently dividing its prospective buyers into two groups.
• You’re either an ambivalent normie — the average consumer who upgrades every few years. Or you’re a passionate expert — power users who upgrade more frequently.
• In other words, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro might be part of the same family, but they’re vastly different phones.
• “The Pro model will have a better screen by leaps and bounds, a cutout instead of a notch, a better camera system with an additional lens, and far more premium build materials.”
• The base iPhone 14 offers none of these perks, and only the Pro models get the new A16 chipset.
• The worst part? While Apple may not increase the price of the Pro models in the US, it is in other parts of the world.
• To become a power user, you’ll need to spend much, much more.

How does this affect me?

• If you’re not an Apple user, this move could also affect Android manufacturers.
• We’ve seen how Android phone makers respond to trends outlined by Apple.
• Someone just unofficially added the Dynamic Island to an Android phone. So how long until this is an official addition?
• Effectively, this could see the gap between “pro” and “normal” Android phones grow wider in terms of pricing and feature set.
• “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 terrific new features for much more money.”
• Only time will tell if this comes to fruition. But we should all hope it doesn’t.

Roundup

👁 Not all Apple’s latest moves are questionable. The company is leading the charge in democratizing female health with the Apple Watch Series 8 line (Android Authority).

⏪ We revisit the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in this feature. Does it hold up to scrutiny six months later? (Android Authority).

🎼 Don’t you worry, child: Ikea’s Swedish House Mafia record player is going on sale in October if you’re into that sort of thing (The Verge).

⚛️ An interesting look at the sheer number of sci-tech figures knighted by late Queen Elizabeth II during her reign (Ars Technica).

🏃 As a runner, the Apple Watch Ultra makes no sense to me (Android Authority).

🔋 California’s heat wave is a big moment for batteries (Wired).

🤑 Here’s a strange glimpse into the failed world of Launch House, a tech incubator set in a multi-million dollar mansion (Vox).

👶 There were some fantastic tech inventions in the UK in 2021, including a “nappy fullness sensor” (The Guardian).

📺 The new Google Chromecast HD might have a big advantage over its predecessor (Android Authority).

🎦 The Fabelmans packs all Steven Spielberg’s magic into telling his own story (Polygon).

🤔 What is not a religion, but people treat it with the same attention? The first answer is unexpected (r/askreddit)

Monday Meme

This week’s meme comes from super dedicated Paddington fan @Jaythechou (h/t Polygon). If you don’t know that Twitter handle, you probably should. It posts stills of movies and series with Paddington Bear “photoshopped” in every single day. It sounds great because it is.

From World War Z to Peaky Blinders, no screen property is safe. We’re currently on day 552, but with the host of shows on the likes of Netflix, HBO Max, and more, it’s unlikely the account will stop any time soon.

Until next week,

Andy Walker, Editor.