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| Upcoming iPhone 16 models in pink and black. |
For the past two iPhone update cycles, Apple has utilized different silicon in various models, reserving the latest chipsets for the Pro versions and using the previous year's system-on-chip for the standard iPhone. This practice appears to be ending this fall with the release of the iPhone 16.
A snippet of code in Apple's backend suggests that the four iPhone 16 models expected later this year will all be equipped with the same A-series chip. This code was discovered by Nicolás Alvarez, who shared his findings with MacRumors.
The code identified by Alvarez contains a number that indicates the system-on-chip powering the phone. It's important to note that Apple's identifiers in the code use a lower number than the chip's public "name" for instance, the A16 is listed as 15, the A17 is listed as 16, and so forth.
iPhone17,1 iPhone17,2 iPhone17,3 iPhone17,4 iPhone17,5
For comparison, here is how the iPhone 15 is identified in code:
- iPhone 15,4 (iPhone 15)
- iPhone 15,5 (iPhone 15 Plus)
- iPhone 16,1 (iPhone 15 Pro)
- iPhone 16,2 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
As you may recall, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus use the A16 Bionic chip, which was previously in the iPhone 14 Pro models. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max feature the A17 Pro silicon, hence their 16,x listing.
With this leaked code, it appears the iPhone 16 lineup will all feature the same chip, which we assume to be the A18. This is a move we've been advocating for Apple to implement for at least the last couple of generations.
There have been rumors of Apple changing up the iPhone 16 lineup, and the fact that five devices are listed could add fuel to that speculation. MacRumors thinks the extra model could be a future iPhone SE. Past SE models have featured the same chipset found in the flagship iPhones released the previous fall, which would align with a rumored 2025 release of the iPhone SE 4.
There's also the possibility that the extra model refers to the rumored iPhone 16 Ultra, touted by some as a potential Pro Max successor. However, there haven't been many Ultra rumors emerging ahead of the expected iPhone 16 release date in a few months, making this scenario less likely.
Even with the 17,x identifier, it's not certain that all four (or five) future iPhones will have the exact same A18 processors. Apple could differentiate between the Pro and standard models by splitting the chip into a standard and a 'Pro' version.
Or, as Apple did with the recently released M4 iPads, the number of GPUs or cores available to the standard model iPhone 16 might be reduced compared to what's available in the Pro variants.
Apple's potential shift from its split chip strategy for the iPhone 16 is likely related to Apple Intelligence, which appears to require significant power to function properly. Currently, AI is limited to the A17 Pro-powered iPhone 15 Pro models. Despite rumors that Apple Intelligence might become subscription-based, it's unlikely Apple wants to restrict AI capabilities to just its Pro phones moving forward. Hence, the need for a powerful chipset in all next-generation iPhones.
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