New code findings recommend Apple’s dual-chip strategy will continue with this yr’s iPhones, with solely the iPhone 15 Pros getting the upcoming A17 Bionic chip.
In distinction, the common iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus fashions will get final yr’s A16 Bionic. The A16 Bionic powers the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, whereas the common fashions use the A15, a chip that debuted in the iPhone 13 family in 2021.
This is predicated on code spelunker Aaron Pena, who found references to 4 unreleased iPhone fashions in the newest tvOS 17 code, sharing his findings on Twitter.com/aaronp613/standing/1689071303356014592″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>X.
Table of Contents
What chip does the iPhone 15 Pros run?
Aaron was in a position to unearth the following identifiers from the tvOS 17 code that don’t correspond with any of the at the moment transport iPhone fashions:
- iPhone15,4
- iPhone15,5
- iPhone16,1
- iPhone16,2
The “15” denotes fashions powered by the Apple A16, whereas the “16” references iPhones that use the unreleased A17 chip. The Cupertino tech large has been tipped to carry a press occasion to announce the iPhone 15 family on September 12.
Why solely the iPhone Pros get the newest Apple chips
Up till the iPhone 14, each iPhone technology ran the similar chip. That modified with the iPhone 14 family in 2022 as a result of the pandemic-era provide points.
That strategy is anticipated to continue into the foreseeable future. Reliable trade analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in 2021 that every one future Pro-branded iPhones would completely use Apple’s newest cell chips.
Another motive for this dual-chip strategy is value. The Information reported that Apple’s “sweetheart deal” with chipmaker TSMC saves it from prices related with faulty chips. Instead of paying for these like different purchasers, TSMC principally eats the value of the defects—giving Apple a major value benefit. All different purchasers should pay for the wafer and its dies, whether or not good or faulty.
The A17 Bionic will be the first chip manufactured utilizing TSMC’s new three-nanometer course of expertise. With each new fabrication course of, it’s essential to have a high consumer like Apple cowl the value of latest expertise, even when it means giving it concessions unavailable to every other consumer.
