Kuo: Only iPhone 14 Pro Models to Get 'A16' Chip, Standard Models to Retain A15

Only the iPhone 14 Pro models will have the "A16" chip, while the standard ‌iPhone‌ 14 models will retain the A15 Bionic chip from the ‌iPhone‌ 13, according to insightful Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

iPhone 14 Mock pill and hole thumb
In a tweet, Kuo said that the 6.1-inch "‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro" and the 6.7-inch "‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max" will get the A16 chip, while the 6.1-inch "‌iPhone‌ 14" and the 6.7-inch "‌iPhone‌ 14 Max" will retain the same A15 chip from the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup.

The two more affordable ‌iPhone‌ models retaining the same chip as the previous year could be a major new point of differentiation between the standard and "Pro" ‌iPhone‌ models. Going forward, it seems plausible that Apple could only offer a new chip with the "Pro" models, before it subsequently trickles down to the two cheaper ‌iPhone‌ models the following year.

Kuo added that all four of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 models are likely to come with 6GB of memory, with the standard ‌iPhone‌ 14 models having LPDDR 4X memory and the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro models having LPDDR 5 memory.

Currently, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini and ‌iPhone‌ 13 feature 4GB of memory, while the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max feature 6GB of memory. These amounts are unchanged from the iPhone 12 lineup. For the ‌iPhone‌ 14 lineup, Kuo suggests that all models will feature 6GB of RAM, but the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max's LPDDR 5 memory will be up to one and a half times faster and up to 30 percent more power efficient.

Kuo's claim stands in contrast to a rumor from Haitong International Securities' Jeff Pu, which suggested suggested the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro models will feature 8GB of RAM, the same amount as the Samsung Galaxy S22 models. That being said, Pu has a mixed track record with Apple rumors. For example, he accurately claimed that 16-inch MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models with mini-LED displays would launch in 2021, but he was incorrect about HomePods with 3D sensing cameras launching in 2019. This may bring the 8GB RAM rumor into question now that Kuo, a more established analyst in the Apple space with a better track record, is claiming otherwise.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances

Monday November 24, 2025 10:25 am PST by
Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production. Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the...

Top Rated Comments

Hartley Avatar
49 months ago

Because it’s not him. 9to5mac didn’t “confirm” anything. They didn’t talk to him and find out if it’s him. They didn’t investigate at all. They just assume it is.
We have contacted Ming-Chi Kuo at TF International Securities directly and can confirm that the @mingchikuo Twitter account is indeed him.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
49 months ago

Apple, Please bring the M1 chip to the iPhone. You did it with iPad Air 5. Why not apply the M series chips to the iPhone?
Because the M1 adds no features to the A-series that are useful for a phone. And M1 would be slower and consume more power than an A16 on a phone.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThisBougieLife Avatar
49 months ago
Is it just me or have all of Ming-Chi Kuo’s rumors been really disappointing lately?

That’s how I know they’re probably true… :(
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cwwilson Avatar
49 months ago
Ever since this Kuo Twitter account showed up we've been seeing some wild stuff come up from him and I don't know if I like it.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
49 months ago
It’s becoming more clear that this isn’t really Kuo on twitter.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
49 months ago
Nope.
We see this every single year.
We saw it with the iPhone 7S, which actually became the 8. All the rumors said that it would have an older processor than the X.
Same with the XR
And The mini series, they would get the older processor while all the big phones got the newer processors. It didn’t happen.
Apple has *never* introduced a new flagship iPhone with last years processor, except for the 5C which… was a failure.
All of the iPhones will have the A16 processor.
Especially if they’re getting rid of the mini, and the base price of the new iPhone *starts* at $799, with an $899 option.
Someone please get Quo off of twitter, he’s embarrassing himself.
First the new SE was supposed to have MM wave according to his Twitter account… and it didn’t.
Now it’s a new MacBook Air that’s according to him going to use a two year old chip, and an iPhone that’s going to get more expensive, but keep last year‘s processor, something that hasn’t been done since 2013.
Nope
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)