Kuo: Only iPhone 14 Pro Models to Get 'A16' Chip, Standard Models to Retain A15

Only the iPhone 14 Pro models will have the "A16" chip, while the standard iPhone 14 models will retain the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, according to insightful Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a tweet, Kuo said that the 6.1-inch "‌iPhone 14 Pro‌" and the 6.7-inch "‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max" will get the A16 chip, while the 6.1-inch "‌iPhone 14‌" and the 6.7-inch "‌iPhone 14‌ Max" will retain the same A15 chip from the ‌iPhone 13‌ lineup.

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— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 13, 2022

The two more affordable iPhone models retaining the same chip as the previous year could be a major new point of differentiation between the standard and "Pro" ‌iPhone‌ models. Going forward, it seems plausible that Apple could only offer a new chip with the "Pro" models, before it subsequently trickles down to the two cheaper ‌iPhone‌ models the following year.

Kuo added that all four of the ‌iPhone 14‌ models are likely to come with 6GB of memory, with the standard ‌iPhone 14‌ models having LPDDR 4X memory and the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ models having LPDDR 5 memory.

Currently, the ‌iPhone 13‌ mini and ‌iPhone 13‌ feature 4GB of memory, while the iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max feature 6GB of memory. These amounts are unchanged from the iPhone 12 lineup. For the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup, Kuo suggests that all models will feature 6GB of RAM, but the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max's LPDDR 5 memory will be up to one and a half times faster and up to 30 percent more power efficient.

Kuo's claim stands in contrast to a rumor from Haitong International Securities' Jeff Pu, which suggested suggested the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ models will feature 8GB of RAM, the same amount as the Samsung Galaxy S22 models. That being said, Pu has a mixed track record with Apple rumors. For example, he accurately claimed that 16-inch MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models with mini-LED displays would launch in 2021, but he was incorrect about HomePods with 3D sensing cameras launching in 2019. This may bring the 8GB RAM rumor into question now that Kuo, a more established analyst in the Apple space with a better track record, is claiming otherwise.