Apple could be planning a big overhaul to critical iPhone 16 components to improve the performance and speed of its entry-level flagship when that phone arrives this fall.
The tech gianti might include 8GB of RAM in all iPhone 16 models this year to improve the handset’s performance, Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu told investors in a research note this week. Pu added that the handsets will also ship with support for Wi-Fi 6E, allowing the phones to take advantage of faster wireless speeds.
Both updates would deliver important upgrades to the iPhone 16 lineup. While Apple doesn't disclose the amount of memory it includes in phones, teardowns reveal that the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus offer 6GB of RAM, compared to 8GB for the iPhone 15 Pro models. Boosting the RAM even by a little helps with performance and paves the way for improved multitasking. There's also the matter of stronger performance for resource-intensive apps like games and video editing software.
Wi-Fi 6E is a higher-end wireless technology that allows devices to access the 6GHz wireless band for faster performance than 5GHz connections. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the only models to support Wi-Fi 6E.
Apple expanding higher-end RAM and Wi-Fi to the entire iPhone 16 lineup makes sense. It allows the company to bring better performance to the entire iPhone line without too much investment. It also helps to create a stark difference between last year’s models and this year’s handsets.
Apple, of course, hasn’t commented on any of its iPhone 16 plans, and likely won’t until it unveils the handset later this year. But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning out a steady supply of reports about what the smartphone could ultimately offer when it launches.
According to most reports, the iPhone 16 will have a nearly identical design to the iPhone 15, though its iPhone 16 Pro models could offer slightly larger screens measuring 6.3 and 6.9 inches. Apple is also reportedly planning a major camera upgrade that will bring a 48MP ultrawide camera to the Pro models.
Perhaps most interestingly, reports suggest Apple could deliver an iPhone 16 Ultra model this year with higher-powered features than even its Pro line. There’s also been some rumblings that Apple could release its first iPhone flip phone this year, though that seems a bit more unlikely.
Whatever the case, Apple likely won’t say anything about its iPhone 16 plans for months. But expect to hear plenty from the rumor mill in the coming weeks and months as we get closer to its eventual launch.
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