Report: iPhone 17 to be similarly powered as the iPhone 16

Photo: Apple

If the rumours are true, you shouldn't expect a big upgrade for the base iPhone 17 model. While Apple is supposedly increasing its screen size to 6.3 inches, compared with 6.1 inches, that might be the most significant change. A new research note by GF Securities said the iPhone 17 will run on the iPhone 16's A18 chip with 8GB of RAM, despite the rest of the series being powered by the A19 processor and 12GB of RAM.

So, unless you're looking for a bigger screen, it probably won't make sense to upgrade to the iPhone 17 if you're coming from an older base model iPhone. But, as GSMArena pointed out, the lack of change might be a strategy to get you to upgrade to the more expensive models.

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Apple unveils iPhone 16e, ditching the SE moniker

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Apple has officially announced the iPhone 16e, a new entry-level model joining the iPhone 16 family. Dropping the SE branding, the iPhone 16e aims to distance itself from perceptions of being a "lesser" device. It boasts several key features, including Apple Intelligence support, previously absent in the iPhone 14.  

The iPhone 16e sports a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with Ceramic Shield, and Apple claims it has the "toughest back glass in a smartphone." It's powered by the A18 chip and features a 48MP "2-in-1 camera system"—though it's still a single lens setup capable of lossless 2x zoom. Apple also promises "the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone," exceeding the iPhone 11 by six hours and all SE models by up to 12 hours. But that claim requires real-life testing.

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Useful Apple Intelligence features are coming

Image: Apple, OpenAI

Apple is gearing up to launch updates for its operating systems—iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2—that would bring more useful artificial intelligence-powered features. The update introduces ChatGPT integration and the iPhone 16-exclusive visual intelligence that shows information about photos.

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iPhone 16 base models reportedly struggle in early sales

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Apple iPhone 16 and 16 Plus might not be as popular as its iPhone 16 Pro counterparts. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shares his initial reports on shipment updates for the new iPhones. He sees demand for the base iPhone 16 models as "lacklustre," while the iPhone 16 Pro models see orders comparable to the iPhone 15 Pro.

It doesn't seem to affect production much, though. Kuo says assembly orders for all four phones remain mostly the same. There's only a "negligible" 3-5% reduction of component orders for the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. Production estimate for the iPhone 16 devices in the fourth quarter of 2024 is around 88-89 million units (slightly lower than last year's 90-91 million units).

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