In all likelihood, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will be the only ones to benefit from the A16 chip. A change of strategy for Apple, which usually offers the same SoC across its entire range.
Apple will present the iPhone 14 in the fall and many developments are looming for the range. The most emblematic change is the end of the mini model which must give way to a Max version. This choice would allow Apple to better position itself against Android models, while its mini has never been able to convince. For several months, it has also been expected that only two of the four iPhone 14s benefit from the A16 Bionic chip. An important change for the American manufacturer.
Each year, the apple brand offers us a new in-house SoC to accompany its new smartphones. The opportunity for the firm to highlight its progress and compare itself to the competition, with however a subtlety in 2021. For the first time, Apple launched two different variants of the A15 Bionic with a version with a 5-core GPU (iPhone 13 Pro) and the other with a 4-core graphics part (iPhone 13).
In 2022, it is the A16 Bionic which must point the tip of its nose to equip certain models. According to TrendForce, the new chip will be reserved for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. These smartphones, which are scheduled for release this fall, will be accompanied by iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max (6.7 inches); which will retain an A15 Bionic SoC. This is not the first time that this option has been mentioned with insistence.
Last March, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple would reserve the A16 chip for Pro models. Information that the site 9to5Mac was able to verify and confirm, three rather reliable sources.
Only two Pro models would upgrade to the A16 processor, while the 14 & 14 Max will remain the A15. All four new models will likely come with 6GB RAM, with the difference being LPDDR 5 (14 Pro & 14 Pro Max) vs. LPDDR 4X (14 & 14 Max). https://t.co/tHcszIz6gX
— Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) March 13, 2022
Should we be worried about this new strategy?
As we indicated in March, this change of direction would mark a turning point in the history of the iPhone. However, it would not be illogical to see Apple want to differentiate between these “Pro” and “classic” ranges; particularly in a market disrupted by the component crisis.
Analysts also believe that this shortage is behind Apple’s decision to reserve its supply chain for the production of the most expensive models. Moreover, China’s “zero covid” policy also complicates Apple’s ambitions.
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The new chip will take place on the flagship models, this does not mean that the entry level will not evolve. It is rumored that the iPhone 14 and 14 Max will ship 6 GB of LPDDR4X RAMagainst 4 GB on the iPhone 13. This increase in the amount of RAM would not be trivial and would make it possible to offer the “high-end” version of the current SoC A15 Bionic. As explained earlier, there are two different versions of the A15 chip today. The first with its quad-core GPU equips models with 4 GB of RAM, such as the iPhone 13. The second offers a five-core GPU for the iPhone 13 Pro with 6 GB of RAM.
It is this last variant that should take place in the iPhone 14. Apple could therefore make something new out of “old”highlighting a slight improvement in performance.
As things stand, it must also be taken into account that the A15 chip is very far from being exceeded. It is still among the benchmarks on the market and remains a high-end SoC in 2022. Finally, the latest rumors ensure that A16 chip would still be engraved in 5 nm and would not bring significant improvements. It would be necessary to wait for the A17 and the passage to 3 nanometers to see a notable evolution.
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