iPhone 17 rumor claims the base model could miss a key performance upgrade

For those looking for more of an upgrade, this year's iPhone 17 base model may be a disappointment.

Analyst Jeff Pu shared information on the iPhone 17 in a research note from equity research firm GF Securities (seen by MacRumors). According to him, the standard iPhone 17 will feature the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16.

The A18 chip will still be manufactured using TSMC's 3nm process.

In further matching, Pu also claimed that the iPhone 17 will feature 8GB of RAM — the same as the iPhone 16.

By comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro models should be equipped with A19 Pro chips. The much-rumored ultra-skinny iPhone 17 Air is supposed to have an A19 chip.

If true, it's a strange choice from Apple, which appeared to be done with splitting chip generations between phones with the entire iPhone 16 lineup featuring an A18 chip, including the slightly more wallet-friendly iPhone 16e that launched this spring.

Though to be fair, with the new A18 chip and access to Apple Intelligence, the iPhone 16 is Pro-enough, something we're certain Apple probably wants to avoid to entice customers into purchasing the higher-end Pro models.

Left behind

The iPhone 17 looks to be a minimal upgrade over the iPhone 16 with no new designs, despite the rumored overhaul the Pro models are expected to receive.

It might feature a faster 120Hz display and a 24 megapixel front camera, both double the 60Hz and 12MP on the iPhone 16, but that's about it. There are conflicting rumors that the iPhone 17 will feature a 6.3-inch display, up from the 6.1-inch screen on the 16, according to display analyst Ross Young. However, Pu has claimed that it will remain the same size.

In comparison, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in April that the iPhone 17 Air and the Pro models will get 12GB of RAM, a long-needed upgrade from Apple.

The iPhone e-line is supposed to become an annual release, but if the iPhone 17 barely upgrades, where does it leave the budget iPhone? On the same side of the coin, where does it leave the base iPhone if it's barely more powerful than the iPhone 16e, which isn't that much of a downgrade from the iPhone 16, despite the unfortunately higher price?

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 family in September during its usual fall window for new handsets.

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