However, that could change this year. A tweet by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed that Apple could be changing up their strategy this year. The analyst claims that for 2022’s iPhone 14, Apple might only equip the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max with the A16 chipset, while the remaining models are rumored to come with the same A15 chipset as the iPhone 13 series.
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
There will also be a difference in the type of RAM used, where Kuo claims that all models will be equipped with 6GB of RAM, but the Pro and Pro Max models will use LPDDR5 RAM while the other models will use LPDDR4X. We’re not sure what’s with the change in strategy. It could be that ongoing chip shortages could be forcing Apple to “ration” the newer A16 for its higher-end phones.
We’re not sure how well this will sit with customers since even the base iPhone isn’t what many would call cheap/affordable. However, if Apple were to lower the price of the non-Pro models, then perhaps it could be an easier pill to swallow, but we’ll have to wait and see.