Apple iPhone 14 Pro, Pro Max may be only models in 2022 lineup to use new A16 chip
India Today
Apple may bring major changes to the performance levels of its flagship iPhone lineup with this year's iPhone 14. The Pro models may get a new processor, but the standard models may settle for the old chip.
iPhones may not bring radical changes to the overall design and features every year, but one change that has been consistent over years is the new processor. Apple may be looking to change that this year. According to the renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max may be the only models in the upcoming series to use the new A16 chip. This means that the other two models, which, according to rumours, will be called the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max, will run the A15 Bionic chipset from last year.
A Twitter account that likely belongs to Kuo said that only the two Pro models in the iPhone 14 lineup “would upgrade to the A16 processor.” The standard iPhone models, one of which will be a new iPhone 14 Max, will be left with the A15 Bionic, which powers the iPhone 13 series. The A15 Kuo talked about could be the same as the processor used on the iPhone 13 series. It could also be a bumped-up version just so there are performance improvements over the original A15, but not as much as what the A16 is supposed to bring.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple has equipped the Pro models with a processor with more cores or memory in the past, but it has not used two entirely different processors in the same lineup to categorise iPhones into standard and premium since the release of the iPhone 5S and 5C back in 2013. If true, this would be a big change for Apple’s flagship iPhones, which, over the past few years, have had differences in their sizes and some camera features, but they all have used the same processor to offer customers the same level of performance, no matter what model they choose.
Kuo also mentioned that all four new iPhone models will “likely” come with 6GB of RAM. But there will be certain differences here, as well. While the higher-end Pro models will feature the upgraded LPDDR5 memory, the less expensive iPhone models will go for LPDDR4X, which is available on the iPhone 13 series. The analyst also said that the iPhone 14 Max will feature a 6.7-inch display, in what could be the first non-Pro model to come with a Pro-sized display. The “mini” 5.4-inch iPhone, Kuo said, will be discontinued for good.
Apple has not announced the iPhone 14 yet, but rumours suggest it will hold its annual event in September to launch the new flagship iPhones. Rumours are rife that this year’s iPhone will ditch the notch in favour of a punch-hole design with the Face ID system hidden under the screen.
