Other rumors support the thesis that only the iPhone 14 Pro (and Max variant) will have a new generation chip, or presumably the Apple A16: they come from analysis and research firm TrendForce, as part of an article on the state of the global smartphone market. So only two of the four models that will make up the 2022 Melafonini range, whose debut is expected, as always, in the autumn.
The report does not go too far into the technical specifications of the SoC or related devices, but adds an interesting detail: even if they will remain with the previous generation chip (the one that is now on all iPhone 13, in short), the iPhones 14 and 14 Max will have some added value: 2 GB more RAM, going from 4 to 6. This detail suggests that the same variant of the chip seen this year on the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max will therefore be equipped, which also have an extra core for the GPU (5 against 4).
Finally, it is worth noting that according to TrendForce’s predictions, the Apple A16 will be produced on TSMC node at 4 nm, while the A15 was on TSMC’s 5nm “Plus”. However, just a few days ago the well-known super expert Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that according to him the new chip will remain on the N5P node because the 4 nm one does not actually bring any concrete advantage.
Kuo and TrendForce aside, there are several other sources that support the same theory for good or bad, although predictably there is some discrepancy in the secondary details. It’s hard to understand Apple’s decision, which has always aimed to offer its best hardware platform on all its iPhone models, even the cheap SE. It is plausible to assume some responsibility for the chip crisis, but at the same time with the “end” of the pandemic there is also a decline in demand for various electronic gadgets, including smartphones. This is a fact that emerges from the TrendForce report itself.
