In 2022, Apple increased the divide between Pro and non-Pro iPhones by giving them different chipsets. In 2024, it looks like the company will close the gap between models in two small, but significant ways.
According to a research note from analyst Jeff Pu, seen by MacRumors, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models will match their Pro counterparts on both RAM and Wi-Fi technology.
That means the iPhone 16 handsets will be getting 8GB RAM, an upgrade that Apple gave the premium models last year with the iPhone 15 Pro. This year’s iPhone 16 Pro will be sticking with 8GB, Pu adds, so we’ll have parity on memory again. Notably, this is the second time Pu has made this claim, so he seems pretty sure of it.
Then there’s Wi-Fi 6E, the standard which enables access to the 6GHz band enhancing speeds and reducing interference (assuming you’re connected to a compatible router). That was introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max handsets, and is another hand-me-down coming to iPhone 16.
Speaking of hand-me-downs, we’ve heard that the iPhone 16 will also be getting the Action button that debuted on last year’s Pro iPhones and it already has the formerly Pro-exclusive Dynamic Island.
With the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro rumored to pack the same chip for the first time since 2021, can Apple fans skip the Pro in 2024?
Still a Pro divide
While these features are undoubtedly welcome upgrades to iPhone buyers who can’t justify the extra $200 for Pro models, there are still two very clear reasons that the premium smartphones will appeal: photography and screen tech.
Photography is the most obvious to the layperson exploring the Apple Store. The iPhone 15 Pro has an extra camera lens on the back of the handset, and it allows for true 3x optical zoom, rather than the digital approximation achieved by cropping an image. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is even stronger, offering 5x magnification, and the word is that the regular iPhone 16 Pro will be matching it in 2024.
Then there’s screen tech. While the resolutions are the same between Pro and non-Pro models, the experience is very different. Since 2021’s iPhone 13 Pro, Apple has given its premium smartphones 120Hz screens — or ProMotion, as the company calls it. That makes everything feel buttery smooth, and while it’s hard to explain in writing, it’s difficult to go back to 60Hz after experiencing it in day-to-day use. We’re not expecting the regular models to get the upgrade until 2025 at the earliest.
It’s still early days for the iPhone 16, and we’ll likely learn of more ways that Apple intends to make the Pro versions appealing in the coming weeks and months. With nine months until the expected launch, there’s a long road ahead.
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