Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro models are set to be faster and more efficient next year thanks to new technology packed into its top-of-the-line phones. This could leave the standard iPhone model an older, slower option and drive users towards more expensive devices.
Jeff Pu, a longtime analyst at Haitong International Securities, said: Apple is breaking with tradition and offering its new Snapdragon X75 5G modem only on iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models, continuing to lower specs on vanilla iPhones while steering consumers toward higher-end models.
Pu, who has a proven track record of reporting on the next iPhone’s hardware specs from the supply chain, said the next iOS smartphone will naturally continue to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon modem, but he is splitting the device’s specs and the latest 5G technology. He says he will. Appears only on Pro handsets.
It’s widely acknowledged that Apple is working on designing and manufacturing its own modems, just as it developed its Apple Silicon series of chipsets. Announced by Apple itself Acquires majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business Still, the company continues to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon-branded modems across its iPhone and iPad lines. The contract was extended last month. It covers phones released in 2024, 2025, and 2026, likely named the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and iPhone 18 families.
The modem selection draws attention to Apple’s marketing message across the iPhone series. The more advanced Snapdragon X75 modem is expected to come only to the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models, with the current X70 model carrying over to the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
Splitting the two models of modems across the iPhone series helps continue differentiation between the two tiers. Apple has further separated its vanilla and pro models over the past few years. The most visible implementation of this approach is the Apple Silicon chipset. The current iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max use the new A17 Pro, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone have the older and slower A16. The main camera now has a telephoto lens, a 120Hz refresh screen, and of course the use of titanium.
The addition of a more powerful 5G modem with 5G Advanced support will increase the perceived value of next year’s Pro iPhone. The X75 continues to set apart his two major flavors of iPhone, offering faster connectivity and more efficient use of battery life than the X70.
Until Apple can tout its line of modems (perhaps “connectivity in a way that only Apple can”), a partnership with Qualcomm could give the company the flexibility it demands across its line. You can
Read the latest iPhone, iPad, and Mac headlines with Forbes’ Apple Headlines weekly news digest…
