iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro Models Said to Get Same 3nm A18 Pro Processor Next Year: Analyst

Having the same chipset as the Pro models will make for better value

Written by Sheldon Pinto, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 16 October 2023 14:34 IST

iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro Models Said to Get Same 3nm A18 Pro Processor Next Year: Analyst

Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro were launched in September

Highlights

iPhone 15 was launched with last year’s A16 Bionic SOC
Apple has launched the iPhone 14 in 2022 with a previous gen SoC
The upcoming iPhone 16 A18 Pro SoC will be manufactured by TSMC

Apple did shock many of its fans when it launched the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models back in 2022 without its latest processor. Both models were unveiled with the previous year's A15 Bionic, which was an SoC manufactured using the 5nm process. The more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models came with the latest Apple A16 Bionic instead, which used the newer 4nm manufacturing process. Apple went on to repeat the same with this year's iPhone 15 launch, revealing yet another iPhone 15 model with last year's A16 Bionic SoC, while the top-end Pro models received a brand-new A17 Pro SoC. While it seems like using old SoCs in its lower-priced iPhone is soon becoming a standard practice for Apple, it appears that this may not be the case with next year's iPhone 16 range.

According to a report by Wccf Tech, which spoke to industry analyst Jeff Pu from Haitong Securities, Apple could offer the same new processor in next year's base iPhone 16 models as the Pro models. Pu in the report claims that all new iPhone 16 models, which includes both the lower-priced iPhone 16 models and the high-end iPhone 16 Pro models will use the same A18 Pro processor, which will be announced by Apple next year. The analyst also states that the SoC will be manufactured by TSMC using its second-generation N3E 3nm process node.

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This year's iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are indeed quite the leap in terms of processing power versus the high-end Qualcomm silicon powering premium Android smartphones this year. This is because Apple became the first company to release its own processor, which is manufactured using the more efficient 3nm process, versus the 4nm process which most Android smartphone manufacturers are currently utilising. This is expected to change when the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC-powered smartphones arrive, which uses the more efficient 3nm manufacturing process.

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The second-generation 3nm process node is expected to provide better yield allowing more processors to be manufactured on a single silicon wafer. TSMC currently uses the N3B process node to build Apple's current generation A17 Pro processor. Efficiency in such processors is usually connected to the manufacturing process, because the drop in process nodes allows more transistors to be packed into the same space, which allows for more power and better efficiency, also letting the devices being powered by these processors last longer in terms of battery life.

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Apple iPhone 15 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent display
USB Type-C
AAA gaming
Excellent all-round performance
Good primary and telephoto camera
Customisable Action Button

Bad
Gets hot quickly when stressed
Slow wired charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Apple, Apple iPhone, Apple iPhone 16, Apple iPhone 16 Plus, Apple iPhone 16 Pro, Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple A18 Pro

Sheldon Pinto

Email Sheldon Pinto

Sheldon Pinto is based in Mumbai, and has several years of experience in reviewing smartphones and gadgets. As a Senior Reviewer at Gadgets 360, you will always find him deeply immersed in his reviews, switching from one phone to another. When the battery dies out, Sheldon is always browsing the web for a good sci-fi movie or reading up on cars and bikes. He also loves creating lists of interesting places to eat and travel. Sheldon is available on Twitter at @shellshocd, and you can mail him at ...More