Product identifiers in Apple's own code indicate that all of the iPhone 16 models will share the same processor, although the Pro models may get more powerful versions of it.
The code also references a fifth iPhone that may be the next iPhone SE.
When Apple launched the iPhone 15 last year it reserved its latest processors for the Pro and Pro Max: they both got the A17, whereas the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have the A16. That was expected to happen again this year for the iPhone 16, but a new report says no. All four iPhone models will get the same A-series processor.
That doesn't necessarily mean that they'll all get the same model of A18 processor, though.
Previous rumours have indicated that the standard iPhones will get a standard A18 and the Pros will get an A18 Pro, which may have the same architecture but more cores. But, it's interesting that, if the report is correct, it means that all four iPhones will have the same generation of processor.
That would mean a significant upgrade for the standard iPhone and the iPhone Plus.
Apple's processor plans for the iPhone 16
This latest report comes via MacRumors and it's based on the product identifiers inside Apple's own code. Those identifiers are different for each iPhone model and they begin with a number that indicates which generation of processor they have.
For example, the identifier for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus includes the number 15, but the identifier for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max has the number 16.
For the iPhone 16, the numbers are the same for all four models: they all have "iPhone17". That strongly suggests the same processor generation, which ties in with previous rumours that all four iPhones will be based on the same chips.
Although there are four iPhone 16 variants on the horizon, there are five identifiers in the code. We don't know what that fifth iPhone model may be, although it's possible it could be the next iPhone SE.
While the SE doesn't normally get the same processors as its more expensive siblings that could change with the next generation due to the company's focus on Apple Intelligence.
This requires more power for its machine learning and AI systems: Apple has said that only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are powerful enough for Apple Intelligence, so it makes sense for Apple to have an Apple Intelligence-spec processor across all its 2024/5 phones.
