iPhone 16 tipped for two significant upgrades as base models continue comeback — 8GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 6E could build on stellar 2023

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A new report on Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has revealed that both could get a significant boost in RAM and a Wi-Fi upgrade, as the company continues to boost the profile of its lower-end iPhone models. 

Insider and analyst Jeff Pu revealed over the weekend that “all iPhone 16 models will be equipped with 8GB of RAM,” and Wi-Fi 6E,  according to a report seen by MacRumors.  

That would see both base model iPhones get a significant boost of 33% to their overall RAM capacity over the current models, allowing for better multitasking and a smoother experience when running multiple apps at the same time. It would also bring the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus in line with Apple’s current best iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro. 

Alongside this upgrade, Apple is also touted to add Wi-Fi 6E, another feature inherited from the current generation of Pro iPhones. The standard would bring a new 6Ghz band into play, offering real-world testing speeds of around 1 Gbps when used in conjunction with a Wi-Fi 6E router. 

The regular iPhone gets ever more serious 

For 2024, Apple looks set to continue the trend of adopting tech from its powerful Pro iPhones in its regular iPhone the following year. Most recently, this brought us the 48MP camera and the Dynamic Island in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. Having reviewed both phones, I can happily report that they’re two stellar upgrades that really highlight how bad the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models actually were. 

It’s great to see Apple continuing to invest in adding higher-end features to these cheaper models and will make the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus more viable upgrade options for customers later this year. Conversely, 8GB of RAM across the lineup will give users one less reason to choose the more expensive iPhone 16 Pro. Thankfully, there are reports that Wi-Fi 7 could debut in the iPhone 16 Pro, pushing the envelope further when it comes to connectivity and ensuring there are still exclusive premium features in the more expensive models. 

This week, Pu has also reported that Apple is set to upgrade the iPhone 16 Pro with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem, in a year that’s shaping up to be a great one for iPhone connectivity. 

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Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9