The iPhone 16 might be just as powerful as the iPhone 16 Pro Max

And there’s no sign of an iPhone 16 Ultra

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

There’s good news for anyone who doesn’t want to shell out on a pricey (rumored) iPhone 16 Pro oriPhone 16 Pro Max, as the latest leak suggests all fouriPhone 16models will have the same chipset.

MacRumorshas received information about early development versions ofiOS 18, and it includes references to all four expected iPhone 16 models, namely the iPhone 16 itself, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. And all four of them are listed as using the Tahiti chipset, which is reportedlyApple’s internal name for the A18.

In the last couple of years, only the Pro iPhones have received the latest chipset, with the standard and Plus models getting the chipset from the previous year. So for example, theiPhone 15 ProandiPhone 15 Pro Maxhave an A17 Pro chipset, while theiPhone 15andiPhone 15 Plushave an A16 Bionic, a chipset that you’ll also find in the olderiPhone 14 Proand Pro Max.

Peak power at a palatable price

But if this leak is accurate, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will get a brand-new chipset, and the same one as the Pro models. That would mean a big, two-generation leap in power from the A16 Bionic-powered iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

It would also mean you’d be able to get the most powerful iPhone chipset without buying one of the most expensive models. Though it’s possible the Pro models will have more RAM, which could give them an edge.

MacRumors notes that it’s also possible that there will be two versions of the A18, such as an A18 and an A18 Pro, with the Pro phones getting the latter. In which case these phones might not all get exactly the same chipset after all.

In any case, one other interesting detail in this leak is that there’s no mention of an iPhone 16 Ultra, which some reports suggest might land instead of, or as well as, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, as an even more premium option.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

All that said, it’s still early days for iPhone 16 leaks, as these phones probably won’t land until September, so we’d take all of this with a pinch of salt. In the meantime, there are loads of great Apple options among thebest iPhones.

You might also like

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

A newly reported iPhone phenomenon could be bad news for both cops and robbers

The iPhone 18 series could include a variable aperture, ‘significantly enhancing’ the camera

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, November 10 (game #252)