A drawback that iPhone 15 Pro users encountered last year should be adjusted by Apple in this year's iPhone 16 Pro version.
All of this is based on what the new OLED iPad Pro users have been getting. Depending on the size, the OLED iPad Pro starts at $999 or $1,299, a $200 increase over the 2022 models, but well worth it.
The iPad Pro OLED starts at 256GB of storage.
For an extra $200, you get an iPad Pro with a new OLED display, an M4 chip with faster memory, and double the storage. That’s not a bad deal, although you could probably use that money to buy a new MacBook for the same price.
Doubling the storage means you get 256GB of storage instead of 128GB, which is a nice upgrade. It makes me hope the iPhone 16 Pro does the same with the 256GB starting storage, which Apple limited to the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year. Considering the 256GB number, it's a good upgrade for the iPad Pro M4 for two reasons.
First, Apple pitched the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, a device that can handle all of a user’s needs, including professional productivity scenarios. Having enough storage is a key aspect of that experience. Along with the fast Thunderbolt-enabled USB-C port, users can always plug in a high-speed external SSD to speed up the transfer of their digital content.
256 GB is expected to be the starting storage level of the iPhone 16 Pro.
Second, we’re in the early days of the era of creative AI. RAM and storage specs are going to matter for all devices, not just the iPad Pro or iPhone 16 models. On-device AI processing will be a big concern, especially with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and future updates. If you buy any Apple computer with a “Pro” in its name, you’re going to want to have plenty of RAM and storage on board.
Moving on to the iPhones, Apple has increased the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, although that's not really the case. The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 instead of $1,099, but it offers 256GB of storage instead of 128GB. The 256GB iPhone 14 Pro Max also started at $1,199, so technically there's no price increase.
Apple will likely keep the same price/storage structure for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the same for the iPhone 16 Pro. This will certainly appeal to many buyers, especially those who decide to go with the 256GB iPhone 15 Pro instead of the 128GB. In fact, 256GB is the starting storage level that has been rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro for some time now.
256GB would be a more suitable starting storage level for the iPhone 16 Pro.
Finally, Apple could go even further and offer 256GB as the standard storage level for all iPhone models. As smartphones become more and more popular, storage can become an issue as camera resolutions increase and file sizes in general continue to grow.
Moving from 128GB to 256GB would be a nice upgrade for the non-Pro iPhone 16 models, but there’s no indication that it’s happening this year. In fact, the recently launched iPad Air M2 is the clearest reference, as it starts at 128GB of storage — an upgrade from the previous 64GB standard. In this case, you’ll have to shell out an extra $100 for the 256GB version.
Kuo points out that Sunway is a supplier of stainless steel battery cases and is a big beneficiary of Apple's new business. According to Kuo, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is likely to be the first iPhone to benefit from the new battery case.
The EU is reportedly requiring users to be able to replace their smartphone batteries themselves by 2025, meaning all phones will eventually adopt a new, easier way to replace batteries.
Additionally, a report says that Apple and Google are said to be using Samsung 's latest M14 OLED panels , which are brighter and more durable than the current best panel on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. A report from Korean news site ETNews details Samsung Display's plans to supply M14 OLED panels for the iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, as well as the Pixel 9 series expected to launch in the second half of this year.
