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TechRadar
James Rogerson

The iPhone 16 might be just as powerful as the iPhone 16 Pro Max

IPhone 15 review images.

There’s good news for anyone who doesn’t want to shell out on a pricey (rumored) iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, as the latest leak suggests all four iPhone 16 models will have the same chipset.

MacRumors has received information about early development versions of iOS 18, and it includes references to all four expected iPhone 16 models, namely the iPhone 16 itself, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. And all four of them are listed as using the Tahiti chipset, which is reportedly Apple’s internal name for the A18.

In the last couple of years, only the Pro iPhones have received the latest chipset, with the standard and Plus models getting the chipset from the previous year. So for example, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have an A17 Pro chipset, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have an A16 Bionic, a chipset that you’ll also find in the older iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

Peak power at a palatable price

But if this leak is accurate, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will get a brand-new chipset, and the same one as the Pro models. That would mean a big, two-generation leap in power from the A16 Bionic-powered iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

It would also mean you’d be able to get the most powerful iPhone chipset without buying one of the most expensive models. Though it’s possible the Pro models will have more RAM, which could give them an edge.

MacRumors notes that it’s also possible that there will be two versions of the A18, such as an A18 and an A18 Pro, with the Pro phones getting the latter. In which case these phones might not all get exactly the same chipset after all.

In any case, one other interesting detail in this leak is that there’s no mention of an iPhone 16 Ultra, which some reports suggest might land instead of, or as well as, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, as an even more premium option.

All that said, it’s still early days for iPhone 16 leaks, as these phones probably won’t land until September, so we’d take all of this with a pinch of salt. In the meantime, there are loads of great Apple options among the best iPhones.

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