Apple may be playing it safe with the base iPhone 17 this year. While the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup is shaping up to bring some big changes – if the rumors are to be believed – a new leak suggests the standard model could be keeping things pretty familiar.
Apple analyst Jeff Pu now says that the base iPhone 17 model won't come with an upgraded processor. The information was shared in a research note with equity research firm GF Securities. Reportedly, the base iPhone 17 model may come with the same A18 chip that's currently in the base iPhone 16.
The chip is said to be manufactured again with TSMC's second-gen 3nm process, according to the analyst.
Meanwhile, that's not the case (reportedly) for the rest of the iPhone 17 series. The ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air, which is said to replace the 'Plus' model in the lineup, is said to come with an A19 chip, while the Pro iPhone 17 models are said to come with an A19 Pro chip.
The analyst also says that the A19 processor series is also going to be manufactured by TSMC using a 3nm process, but there's a difference: reportedly, it would be a third-generation 3nm process.
The A18 is nevertheless a very powerful processor. | Image Credit - PhoneArena
Meanwhile, the analyst also claims that the base iPhone 17 may rock only 8GB of RAM, the exact same spec as the iPhone 16. It's worth mentioning that the A18 chip is very strong and reliable, fast enough to destroy most of the competition anyway, so do keep that in mind.
Last month, reputable tipster Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air and the Pro models will come with 12GB of RAM now, most likely to match the growing demands of Apple Intelligence. Kuo also mentioned Apple hadn't decided on whether to equip the iPhone 17 with 12GB or leave it at 8. Well, if Pu's information is correct, Cupertino has decided: the iPhone 17 may come with 8GB of RAM.
With all this in mind, it seems the iPhone 17 may be a minor update over the iPhone 16. The design is said to be the same, apparently, the chip as well. However, a recent leak indicates the display may be what differentiates the two models: the iPhone 17 is expected to come with a bigger, 6.3-inch display with a fluid 120Hz refresh rate. Also, the front camera on the iPhone 17 may jump to 24MP from 12MP.
The iPhone 17 series is expected to be unveiled in September.
Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: