We are just a few weeks away from the launch of Apple’s next gen iPhones. Expected to arrive early September 2024, the iPhone 16 series is expected to bring a slew of upgrades including bigger better displays, longer battery and mre. Now a new report suggests that Apple is planning to unify its iPhone 16 lineup with the introduction of the A18 chip across all iPhone 16 models this year.
Recent discoveries in Apple’s backend code by Nicolás Alvarez, shared with MacRumors, reveal that four new iPhone models will feature the same A-series chip. If it’s true, that means getting the same chip- A18 across all the iPhone 16 series including iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, marking a significant shift from Apple’s usual practice of differentiating between Pro and non-Pro models through their processors.
According to the report by Alvarez, the identified model numbers in the backend-iPhone17,1 through iPhone17,5-suggest a consistent use of the A18 chip for all devices. Historically, Apple has tied its iPhone identifiers to the chip being used. For instance, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, which house the A16 Bionic chip, have identifiers iPhone15,4 and iPhone15,5. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, equipped with the A17 Bionic chip, are identified as iPhone16,1 and iPhone16,2.
However, despite the likely uniformity in the chip, Apple is still expected to differentiate between the standard and Pro models. One possibility is that Apple might offer variations in performance by adjusting the number of GPU cores in the chips. For example, the A18 chips in the non-Pro models might have fewer GPU cores compared to the A18 Pro chips in the Pro models.
Another reported possibility is that the A17 chip could be rebranded as the A18 after undergoing a new manufacturing process at TSMC. This would allow Apple to present the A17’s design as a fresh generation while still introducing a new A18 Pro chip with enhanced graphics and AI capabilities for the Pro models.
The integration of the A18 chip across the iPhone 16 series is also likely influenced by the upcoming Apple Intelligence features set to debut in iOS 18. These features require a powerful chip for on-device AI processing. For now Apple announced that, only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will be getting the Apple Intelligence, but Apple aims to extend this capability to all future devices.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 series is also speculated to mark a shift from physical buttons to capacitive, touch-sensitive ones powered by Apple’s Taptic Engine, simulating real button presses through haptic feedback. The camera layout will also see a redesign, with the standard models featuring a vertical camera array and new Capture and Action buttons.
Reports also suggest display enhancements include larger screens with thinner bezels for the Pro models and a potential upgrade to a 120Hz refresh rate for the standard models. Battery life improvements are expected across the lineup, with larger batteries promising longer usage times. The Pro models will also likely to see significant camera upgrades, including a super telephoto periscope camera, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, and new anti-reflective optical coating technology for better image quality.
