One of the gorgeous clear methods through which Apple has, in recent times, tried to enhance its common income per iPhone unit bought, is needlessly differentiating options between the ‘vanilla’ (learn: cheaper) iPhones and the costlier (*16*). It acquired to the purpose the place the vanilla fashions at the moment are powered by totally different, older chipsets so as to save Apple some cash and shield its revenue margin.
That, nonetheless, could form of change subsequent 12 months. According to a analysis word by Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers Apple and its provide chain and has a good observe file, despatched to Haitong International Securities in Hong Kong, all 4 iPhone 16 fashions will likely be powered by A18 chips.
That’s a far cry from this 12 months’s lineup, the place the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus get the A16 Bionic, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are each powered by the A17 Pro chip.
Now, you might be pondering that Apple is lastly going to cease making the chipset’s capabilities one of many important upsells for its Pro line, however you would be fallacious. See, whereas all 4 fashions will use an A18 chip in 2024, it will not be the identical one it appears, because the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are mentioned to include the A18, whereas the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could have the A18 Pro, strongly implying extra oomph baked in.
So ultimately, Apple may simply be rebranding its chipsets in order that it feels just like the vanilla iPhones are nearer in {hardware} specs to their Pro family members. It’s unclear how totally different the A18 will likely be from the A17 Pro used on this 12 months’s Pro iPhones, we’ll have to wait and see.
Anyway, the A18 and A18 Pro will likely be manufactured by TSMC on its “N3E” second-generation 3nm course of, which will likely be cheaper and produce higher yields than the “N3B” that is used for the A17 Pro, in accordance to TSMC.
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