The last two years saw Apple equip the standard and Pro iPhone models with different chips. The company did the same only once before, in 2013. The Cupertino giant will go back to its standard practice of equipping all its new phones with the same chip, per a new report.
According to code analyzed by developer Nicolás Alvarez, all four iPhone 16 models will be powered by the same A-series chip. They discovered five new iPhones that all start with the same identifiers, which are as follows:
iPhone17,1
iPhone17,2
iPhone17,3
iPhone17,4
iPhone17,5
The iPhone 16 family will reportedly consist of four models, so the fifth identifier here might be for a future iPhone variant.
The same starting digits are indicative of the fact that all upcoming iPhone 16 models will feature the same chip, otherwise, the identifiers would have been different for the Pro and non-Pro models. That was the case last year when the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus were known as iPhone 15,4 and iPhone 15,5, respectively, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, were known as iPhone 16,1 and iPhone 16,2.
Apple equipped Pro and standard iPhone models with different chips in 2023 and 2022
The iPhone 15 Pro duo is fueled by the 3nm A17 Pro chip, whereas the iPhone 15 and 15 feature the 4nm A16 Bionic, which also underpins the iPhone 14 Pro. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 14 Pro has the model number 15,2 and the Pro Max has the identifier iPhone 15,3.
In short, the first two digits of an identifier usually refer to an iPhone's chip. That's why, the identifiers belonging to all the iPhones with the A16 chip begin with 15 and the phones that came with the A15 chip had model numbers starting with 14.
Coming back to the iPhone 16 series, since all the identifiers start with 17, it's highly likely that all phones will have the same chip. Previous rumors have already said that all the models will feature chips based on TSMC's N3E process.
That said, there still might be some minor differences between the chips that power the standard and Pro models. For starters, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus' chip might be called the A18, while the Pro models may get the A18 Pro. Other than that, the A18 Pro might flaunt a slightly more capable GPU with more cores.
Fundamentally though, they will be the same chips. Apple may have decided to abandon its previous strategy of reserving its better chip for the Pro models to ensure Apple Intelligence features run smoothly on its new phones. The company has already explained that the reason why you need at least an iPhone 15 Pro to run Apple Intelligence features is to ensure that everything is fast enough to be useful.
Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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