Planning To Buy An iPhone 16? These iPhone 17 Upgrades Will Give You Pause
In case you missed it, Apple recently revealed a launch date for its upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which will take place during its Glowtime event on September 9, 2024 starting at 10:00am PT (1:00pm ET). That's exciting for iPhone fans, especially for those who frequently upgrade their hardware, as well anyone else who is planning to upgrade to the next-gen handset. If you don't tend to upgrade all that often, however, some rumored iPhone 17 features might compel you to skip the iPhone 16.
There have been a bunch of leaks and rumors related to the iPhone 17 already, though the latest one comes from a more reliable source—Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known Apple analyst. On his X/Twitter account, Kuo posted a couple of purported upgrades that are headed to the iPhone 17, one of which is a sizable bump in the handset's memory, at least at the top end.
"12GB DRAM (while the ultra-thin iPhone, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and SE4 will all have 8GB). Enhanced on-device AI capabilities will likely be a major selling point for the iPhone 17 Pro Max," Kuo wrote.
As we've pointed out in the past, Apple is notoriously stingy with RAM and storage allotments, not just on its iPhone but all of its devices. But just as Apple is rumored to be bumping up the base RAM (to 16GB) on its M4 Macs, it seems the top iPhone SKU will also get a much-needed RAM upgrade, just not this round.
For reference, the current-generation iPhone 15 Pro Max only has 8GB of RAM. Meanwhile, Android competitors offer quite a bit more than that, with Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra wielding 12GB of RAM (same with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6), and Google's Pixel 9 XL touting 16GB of RAM. And then there are devices like the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro that flex a whopping 24GB of RAM.
A jump from 8GB to 12GB on the iPhone 17 Pro Max would be a 50% increase in RAM. There are a couple or reasons why that could matter. For one, having more RAM should lead to less instances of apps having to reload when juggling back and forth between different ones. An example this editor has shared in the past is having FanDuel or DraftKings open, and looking up player stats on StatMuse while putting together a parlay. Switching back and forth can sometimes trigger FanDuel or DraftKings to reload, which prompts another login, and that can be frustrating.
There are other examples that extend beyond this author's degenerate gambling habits, but you get the idea. The other reason an increase matters is because like other companies, Apple is making a big push into AI experiences with its Apple Intelligence branding. We're really just on the cusp of on-device AI (and even off-device AI) right now, but by the time the iPhone 17 ships, AI could play a bigger role.
Beyond the RAM upgrade, Kuo says the iPhone 17 will introduce an upgraded cooling system that combines vapor chamber technology with graphite sheets. This will also be exclusive to the flagship iPhone 17 Pro Max, whereas the rest of the lineup will skip the vapor chamber element.
"Pro Max currently accounts for nearly 40% of new model shipments, making the most significant contribution to Apple's revenue and profit among hardware products. The differentiation strategy of providing the best specifications (beyond a larger display size than Pro) for Pro Max is expected to continue," Kuo states.
If you gravitate towards the flagship iPhone models, those features could be worth waiting for, rather than pouncing on the iPhone 16. Of course, the waiting game can be never-ending, as there will also be something newer, faster, and better on the horizon.
