iPhone 15 Pro users will probably be stuck with a paltry amount of RAM (Update)

Update, August 11, 2023 (12:11 PM ET): The tipster known as URedditor now claims Apple tested 6GB and 8GB RAM configurations for the A17 Bionic chip, but it’s unclear which configuration Apple settled on.

Original, August 9, 2023 (3:54 PM ET): The iPhone 15 Pro line are expected to get the brand new A17 Bionic processor. However, little is known about Apple’s next SoC. But a new rumor has given us some interesting details, including the amount of RAM it may come with.

On X (formerly Twitter), a tipster who goes by URedditor shared some rumors about Apple’s A17 Bionic chip. According to the post, it seems that there will be no upgrade in RAM as Apple may stick to its paltry 6GB. This would contradict earlier rumors that hinted at 8GB of RAM. The tipster further adds in a later post that they’ve “only seen 6GB; 8GB seems unlikely (but maybe not impossible).”

Where the chip may improve, however, appears to be in the fabrication process, the number of GPU cores, and clock speed. The rumor claims that the A17 chip could have six CPU and GPU cores, use a TSMC 3nm process, and run at a maximum of 3.70GHz. In comparison, the A16 Bionic processor has six CPU cores and five GPU cores, uses a TSMC 4nm process, and runs at a maximum of 3.46GHz.

This would make sense based on everything we know so far about the A17 Bionic chip. These factors all influence the cost, performance, and efficiency of the chip. Apple insider Mark Gurman has said that Apple’s next chip is “noticeably snappier” and we’ve heard rumors that it could have 35% reduced power consumption. However, rumors have also claimed that Apple could switch from TSMC’s 3nm N3B process to its 3nm N3E process in 2024 to save on costs, which would negatively impact efficiency.