APPLE appears to be breaking from tradition when it comes to its latest line of iPhones.
According to a report, the California tech titan will split the power in the chips of the iPhone 14 series, which is due for release this summer.
The news comes from trusted tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, whose predictions are frequently bang on the money.
He tweeted on March 13 that, for the first time, Apple will load different microchips into its iPhones depending on how much you paid for them.
Apple typically releases new iPhones every September, each powered by a brand new bionic chip.
Last year’s iPhone 13 range, for instance, housed the firm’s A15 chip, while the 12 models came with the A14, and so on.
Engineers are widely reported to be lining up four models for 2022: The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Kuo, a Taiwan-based expert at investment firm TF International Securities, says this year’s chip, the A16, will only go into the pricier Pro models.
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The cheaper, base phones will have last year’s A15.
“Only two Pro models would upgrade to the A16 processor, while the 14 & 14 Max will remain the A15,” Kuo wrote.
He added: “All four new models will likely come with 6GB RAM.”
If the prediction turns out to be true, it would mark a huge departure for Apple, which normally puts its latest chip into all of its new iPhones.
It means people not willing to shell out for this year’s top-of-the-range mobiles will get iPhones with the same engine as older models.
For context, even the just-released, £419/$429 iPhone SE 3 – the cheapest iPhone Apple sells – has the A15 bionic chip.
The iPhone 14 and 14 Max may well feature the same engine under the bonnet but cost almost twice as much.
As with all leaks and rumours, take the news with a pinch of salt for now. Apple hasn’t even confirmed it’s making the iPhone 14 yet.
We’re unlikely to know anything concrete about the device until Apple’s launch event later this year.
According to analysts, all four new iPhone 14 models are expected to feature ProMotion displays.
Currently, these high 120Hz refresh rate screens only appear on the iPhone 13 range’s Pro models.
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They make for smoother animations and scrolling and are generally better for gaming.
All four models are tipped to feature 6GB of RAM, which is an increase for the lower-end iPhone models.
And the Pro handsets are expected to feature an upgraded 48-megapixel camera on the back of the device.
Finally, the iPhone 14 Pro models are tipped to start at 256GB of storage, up from 128GB.
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