Apple might have shocked many fans when it revealed that an iPhone released only last year was being discontinued, but there's actually a little-known reason why the tech giant made this move — and it's something they've been doing for years.
There's no doubt that the iPhone is Apple's main focus, as while there's more than enough to be excited about when it comes to MacBooks and iPads, the smartphone is definitely the nucleus of Apple's ecosystem.
While the latest iPhone release was definitely a step up compared to recent generations, Apple has been accused in the past of not iterating enough with its new releases.
Plenty of people are still more than willing to bite the bullet and upgrade every year, but there has to be enough of a reason for many to jump ship to the new one instead of opting for an older – and often cheaper – alternative.
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You won't have the option to do that for some of Apple's most recent releases, however, as the company announced that 15 products would be discontinued following a barrage of new reveals, and one of these is an iPhone that released just over a year ago.
People typically expect something to become discontinued when it no longer serves a purpose, yet the iPhone 16 Pro has now joined that category just a few months after its successor was released.
As explained by Tom's Guide, this is completely normal though as Apple likes to only have one 'Pro' phone in rotation so that people looking for the best performance get what they're wanting.
You can still pick up the device released in 2024 through third-party retailers and on the used market, but you won't have any luck heading to Apple directly for this particular gadget.
Considering the fact that the standard iPhone 17 made the gap to its Pro sibling closer than it's ever been though, you might not necessarily need the 16 Pro anyway, especially as most average users won't really make use of all the differences still present within the older device.
You can still buy the standard iPhone 16 from Apple directly though, and at a reduced price of $699 to boot. This gives people looking for a cheaper alternative something to consider while still being able to pick it up directly from the source.
Prospective buyers might also want to consider the budget (but certainly not lacking) iPhone 17e that was just revealed too, and there's always the prospect of a new iPhone reveal later in the year for anyone patient enough to wait another five months or so.