We’re just about three months until we expect Apple to announce the upcoming iPhone 17 series. The base iPhone 16 has been proven to offer the best value for many users since it features many of the modern features introduced on previous Pro models. For those who are hoping for what the next iPhone 17 base model is going to bring, the spec upgrades are said to be a bit minimal or underwhelming, and here’s why.
Earlier, sources indicated that Apple could bump the memory from 8GB to 12GB for the iPhone 17 lineup; however, depending on whether supply will be enough for all models, Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was debating between 8GB or 12GB for the base iPhone 17 model back then. We’ve now got another report from Apple analyst Jeff Pu that Apple may stick with 8GB for the base iPhone 17. So the rest of the lineup, including the “Air” and Pro models, will have their memory spec bumped to 12GB, and this will be very beneficial for multitasking and Apple Intelligence-related tasks.
But that’s not the only one that may be staying on the base iPhone 17 model. Pu also reports that the model will stick with the same A18 chip (based on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, or N3E) found in the current iPhone 16, and that’s with a 5-core GPU. This wouldn’t be the first time that a default iPhone model sticks with a chip of the same generation for another year. The base iPhone 13 from 2021 had the A15 chip. The following year, the base iPhone 14 also had the A15 chip, but I should mention that that chip had an additional GPU core, so it was the same variant found in the prior iPhone 13 Pro. Although the base iPhone 17 model is likely going to stick with the A18 chip, we should expect the iPhone 17 “Air”/Pro to feature the next generation A19 and A19 Pro chip, respectively, both of which will be based on TSMC’s third-generation 3nm process, a.k.a. N3P.
In spite of not upgrading the chip or memory for the base iPhone 17 model, this model may have one advantage over the higher-end models. With all the inflation and tariffs going on, we may see price hikes for both the iPhone 17 “Air”/Pro, but for the base iPhone 17, that phone will likely stay around the same price as the current iPhone 16. Still, the iPhone 17 base model is going to be a solid upgrade as we expect these key features to make their way: a 120Hz display (finally!), a 24-megapixel front camera, and a slightly larger 6.3-inch display found in the iPhone 16 Pro.
Only time will tell to see the final specs for the iPhone 17 lineup and we’re getting closer to their debut.
