People have been asking for more differentiation between Apple's Pro and Non-Pro products, and here it finally is. However, since Apple decided to make the change this year, they feel they're getting downgraded. Obviously, it is easy to feel like prices are increasing and products are getting worse with inflation.
However, in recent years, Apple's chips have been so far ahead of the competition that they don't need to put the newest ones into the non-pro models of their products. For example, my iPhone 11 with an A13 still has a higher geekbench score than the recent Google Pixel 7 Pro, yet people complain about the iPhone 14 not getting the same chip as the 14 Pro. How much processing power do you need for Instagram and TikTok anyway?
Furthermore, my M1 Macbook Air still runs circles around any recent PC releases while maintaining better battery and producing next to no heat. I use it 8-10 hours a day for remote work with no slowdowns, just the occasional graphical glitch too commonplace in Macos. So, they could slap a Base M1 in the device and it would still be a good option. Now, the only missing variable in the value equation is the price...
However, in recent years, Apple's chips have been so far ahead of the competition that they don't need to put the newest ones into the non-pro models of their products. For example, my iPhone 11 with an A13 still has a higher geekbench score than the recent Google Pixel 7 Pro, yet people complain about the iPhone 14 not getting the same chip as the 14 Pro. How much processing power do you need for Instagram and TikTok anyway?
Furthermore, my M1 Macbook Air still runs circles around any recent PC releases while maintaining better battery and producing next to no heat. I use it 8-10 hours a day for remote work with no slowdowns, just the occasional graphical glitch too commonplace in Macos. So, they could slap a Base M1 in the device and it would still be a good option. Now, the only missing variable in the value equation is the price...