TrendForce, in a report focused on global smartphone production, said that Apple plans to launch four new iPhone 14 models in the second half of 2022.
However, it said that only the Pro models will be equipped with Apple’s latest A16 bionic. This was earlier reported by a reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo previously (in March) claimed that only the iPhone 14 Pro models will feature an A16 processor. The standard iPhone 14 and 14 Max models remain using the older A15 chip, but now with 6 GB of LPDDR4x RAM instead of 4GB.
iPhone 14 will have an older chip?
In a newsletter back in April, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that standard iPhone 14 models are “likely to stick to the A15 from last year or a variant of it.” The report from TrendForce talks along these lines of this.
There is still no clear reason as to why Apple is going this route. Gurman said that “beyond trying to make the Pro stand out,” ongoing chip shortages may have something to do with Apple’s decision. Limiting its upcoming chip to the iPhone 14 Pro models might be the only plausible move.
Apple has previously never done this and its current strategy; of equipping all flagship iPhones with the same chip is quite appreciated by enthusiasts. For instance, the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max; are all equipped with the same A15 chip.
Apple’s chips are said to be “a year or two ahead of Android’s” and provide a better in-app optimization. Pairing it with Apple’s years of updates is unlikely that the iPhone 14 or 14 max would break sweat down the line. Apple is expected to announce its latest lineup in the fall of this year. What do you think about Apple choosing to stick to an older processor? comment below.
