iPhone 14 tipped to get this big upgrade

iPhone 14 renders by Front Page Tech and Ian Zelbo
(Image credit: Ian Zelbo | Front Page Tech)

Apple could give the iPhone 14 a whopping 2TB of storage, double that of the maximum 1TB of onboard storage the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max can be equipped with. 

This rumor comes via the Chinese site MyDrivers, which adds that Apple will be switching to QLC flash storage to allow the change. Given Apple has been stingy in the past with storage, with the new iPad mini 6 only coming with 64GB of storage at its base spec, we're a tad skeptical about this information tidbit. 

However, the rumors around the iPhone 13 getting 1TB of storage ended up being true, at least for the Pro models. So perhaps there's a nugget of truth here. 

DigiTimes agrees wit the rumor that Apple is looking to switch to “cost-effective QLC NAND flash solutions," but stops short of repeating the 2TB claim. 

MyDrivers doesn’t provide an explanation as to why Apple would be increasing capacities so dramatically, other than the fact that QLC flash storage is cheaper than what it uses now. Still, Apple could probably justify the move with the support for ProRes video files on the Pro models that will chew through internal storage once enabled

How likely is a 2TB iPhone 14? 

All the same, 2TB sounds like a stretch to us just a year on from the adoption of 1TB. 

Apple is a cautious company when it comes to phone iterations, and it would seem enormously unlikely for it to plough ahead with a 2TB model when the 1TB iPhone 13 Pro Max has only been on sale for eight days. Just over a week of sales’ data is hardly enough to justify doubling the storage given Apple handsets topped out at 512GB for the three years between the iPhone Xs and iPhone 12.

It’s also illustrative to look at the opposition. Samsung introduced 1TB models with the Galaxy S10 Plus and Galaxy Note 10 Plus, but the company reverted to 512GB for the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy 21. Reading between the lines, you have to assume the reasoning was that they simply weren’t selling. At the time of writing, only a handful of Android phones have 1TB of internal storage, and none hit the 2TB mark that Apple is supposedly targeting in 2022.

Of course, there is a key difference here: Android devices often support microSD storage expansion, while no iPhone ever has. All the same, while the direction of travel is undoubtedly towards more and more internal storage, we’d be very surprised if the iPhone 14 was the first handset to hit 2TB. Maybe in 2023.

TOPICS
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

Read more
Render of the alleged design of the iPhone 17 Pro
iPhone 17 Pro Max again tipped for RAM increase — and it's probably to do with AI
iPhone SE 4 render
iPhone SE 4 listing reveals Apple's next budget phone could take this huge step backward
iPhone SE 4 renders
This rumored iPhone SE 4 spec has me seriously worried — here’s why
iPhone 17 Pro render
iPhone 17 Ultra just tipped to replace Pro Max in new leak — with these key upgrades
A render of the iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max just tipped for very welcome design upgrade
iPhone 17 Pro render
iPhone 17 Pro — 7 biggest rumored upgrades
Latest in iPhones
An image of an iPhone screen showing the Safari app icon in the center
I got tired of Safari revealing my web searches in iOS 18.4 — this setting fixes that
iPhone Flip Concept
Foldable iPhone delays — there’s a bigger problem going on at Apple
iPhone 17 Air render
iPhone 17 Air — new survey could be bad news for Apple's super thin iPhone
Render of the alleged design of the iPhone 17 Pro
New iPhone 17 Pro dummy leak highlights redesigned camera and part glass body
Siri in iOS 18 on iPhone
Users complain that Siri can’t answer even the most basic questions — here’s what we know
iPhone 16 next to samsung galaxy watch 7 and bose wireless earbuds on a composite image
Apple's walled garden is crumbling — EU orders iOS to open up to third-party devices
Latest in News
ChatGPT on iPhone
ChatGPT is down — updates on major outage affecting users worldwide
Emma D'Arcy in House of the Dragon season 2
‘House of the Dragon’ season 3 has officially begun filming — what it could mean for the potential release window
AirPods Max in various colors
AirPods Max is getting a big update with lossless audio and ultra-low latency — here's how it works
A mosquito resting on a plant
Experts predict a spring surge in these 9 pest populations — here's what's forecast for your area
Apple Watch SE (2022) shown on wrist
Apple Watch SE 3 reportedly in ’serious jeopardy’ — here’s why
Galaxy S25 Plus held in the hand.
Samsung could delay One UI 7’s release in the US — here’s what we know