The next-gen iPhone 17 might not be truly next-gen! Based on the newest tip, it seems that Apple might keep buyers of the regular iPhone 17 wanting for more, especially when it comes to raw performance. This isn’t new for the Cupertino-based technology giant since the iPhone 14 from 2022 suffered the same fate.
A research note shared by Jeff Pu (via Macrumors) from GF Securities, a research firm, suggests that Apple has internally decided to go for a lower-spec setup for the iPhone 17, i.e., give it a generation-old chipset with lower RAM. Instead of a next-generation chip, Apple is now going ahead with the combination of the A18 chip and 8GB RAM for the iPhone 17, thus retaining a similar performance profile as the iPhone 16.
While the analyst is yet to share a reason behind Apple’s odd choice of going with an older-gen chipset, it seems that the iPhone maker is trying its best to keep the costs in check. An older A18 chip could be an easy way to keep the price of the base iPhone 17 similar to the launch price of the iPhone 16 – something which could be difficult to achieve with the newer-spec A19 chip.
iPhone 17 leak roundup
With the chipset information added, here’s how the iPhone 17 shapes up so far. Built around the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16 with 8GB RAM, the iPhone 17 will offer a larger 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 24MP front camera for selfies, iOS 19 out of the box and a similar design to the iPhone 16. The rear camera system could remain unchanged, and Apple may not put new Apple Intelligence features on this model due to the chipset constraints. The price of the iPhone 17 base variant could be around Rs 80,000.
What about the chipset in other iPhone 17 models?
With the A18 reserved for the iPhone 17, it is said that Apple will upgrade the rest of the lineup to the newer A19 generation chipset. The iPhone 17 Air will get the new A19 chip with minor performance upgrades over the A18 and more room to accommodate new Apple Intelligence features.
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to get the beefier A19 Pro chipset, promising more raw performance.
Note that these are unconfirmed rumours at the moment, and Apple hasn’t commented on any of them. Hence, we recommend you take all this information with a pinch of salt.