Unlike the iPad, new mainstream iPhones (with the exception of the SE) get Apple’s latest processor when they are released. But authoritative analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that this will change with the iPhone 14 series – only Pro models will be equipped with the latest Apple A16 processor, while basic smartphones will receive last year’s A15. This information was later confirmed by Bloomberg sources, as reported by 9To5Mac.

Apple is expected to abandon the iPhone 14 mini in favor of the iPhone 14 Max, which is a larger (not smaller) version of the base model. Both smartphones will receive the A15 equipped with the iPhone 13 series, but some analysts believe that the iPhone 14 and 14 Max will already have 6 GB of RAM, not 4 GB.

Ming-Chi Ko is confident that this is marketing considerations, not a global semiconductor shortage. Next-generation chipsets should boost the popularity of the more expensive Pro models: analysts previously assumed that by the end of 2022 their sales share would be 40-50% of all new products, but now that figure has risen to 60%.