Apple may adopt a new configuration of processors in the iPhone 16, making all models in the lineup — base, Plus, Pro and Pro Max — use the future A18 chip. Since the iPhone 14, big tech has equipped the cheapest models (base and Plus) with the previous year’s processor, while the Pro versions use a new chip. In the case of the iPhone 15, we have the devices with A16 (2022) and A17, which debuted along with the line.
This is the second time that the hypothesis of a “same” chip for the iPhone 16 has been raised. Quotation marks in the word even because renowned electronics market analyst Jeff Pu commented, back in November, that Apple would use the A18 processor in the iPhones 16 and 16 Plus and the A18 Pro chip in the Pro versions of smartphones. The new rumor about the chips came from the iOS 18 beta.
Same chip, but with restrictions
According to a source from MacRumors, the iOS 18 beta code indicates that the iPhone 16 will use a T8140 SoC, called Tahiti within Apple and speculated to be the A18. This indicates that, at least on paper, the processors will be the same. The difference must be artificial — and marketing strategy, as always.
Together with what was revealed by Jeff Pu, it is likely that Apple will differentiate the two chips with the adoption of the “Pro” suffix, something that is done in the A17 Pro of the more expensive versions of the iPhone 15 — interestingly, there is no SoC called just the A17.
The reason Apple adopted the current processor configuration (old for cheaper, new for more expensive) was to create a difference in the specifications of the base and Plus versions for the iPhones Pro. With the iPhones 16, Apple should limit the performance of the A18 chip in the cheaper versions. It already does this by restricting some features and may, on the iPhone 16, limit the CPU and GPU clock.
