Apple is speculated to double the base storage on its upcoming iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max phones in exchange for the rumored price hike.
- What’s happening? Some folks are nodding at a June report by TrendForce in which the research firm predicted that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will ship with 256 gigabytes of base storage instead of 128.
- Why care? Because TrendForce has a decent track record and because analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suspects Apple could raise the prices of the iPhone 14 Pros.
- What to do? Enjoy your usual programming until September. That’s when we’ll know for sure whether the iPhone 14 Pro models will cost more and whether Apple might offer increased storage in exchange for the rumored price hike.
How much base storage will the iPhone 14 Pros have?
The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 start at 128 gigabytes of base storage, with 256 and 512-gigabyte models available. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are offered with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB of storage. So, what are the chances of Apple offering even more base storage with the iPhone 14 Pro family?
Well, the basis for this speculation is a June TrendForce report which predicted that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max would offer twice the base storage. One caveat: The chart which accompanies that report notes that exact storage amounts were to be determined (TBD) later. Read: How to move multiple apps at once
A price hike for the iPhone 14 Pro models
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that the average selling price of the iPhone 14 Pro models will increase by about fifteen percent overall.
As a result, consumers might be faced with sticker shock if the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max start at $1,099 and $1,199 with 256GB of storage. By comparison, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max with 128GB of storage start at $999 and $1,099 while their 256-gigabyte counterparts are $1,099 and $1,199.
Our take: A classic Apple move
You could argue that if the iPhone 14 Pros start at $1099 with 256GB of storage, then it’s not really a price hike because that’s the same amount of money you’re paying today when getting a 256GB model of the iPhone 13 Pro.
And if 256GB will become the new base storage tier, then that’s the minimum amount of money shoppers will be expected to pay because you just killed the more affordable 128GB version. From the perspective of Tim Cook and his lieutenants, however, eliminating the 128GB base storage tier is a great way to raise the price.
How about a 2TB model?
Assuming TrendForce is right and the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max do indeed start with 256 gigabytes of storage, then perhaps they will top out at two terabytes of storage instead of one? On the other hand, Apple could raise the iPhone 14 Pro price without raising the amount of base storage.
That would be very bad news for consumers, who are seeing their buying power diminish because of inflation. And inflation, coupled with supply and logistical issues, could be why Apple is rumored to jack up prices of the iPhone 14 Pro models. Read: 10 free ways to send large videos and files from iPhone
When will Apple announce the iPhone 14 family?
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 14 family in September.
The Apple community is expecting four models this year, two with 6.1-inch screens and two with 6.7-inch ones, but no iPhone mini this time around.
The iPhone 14 Pros are rumored to differentiate even more from their non-Pro counterparts with exclusive features such as an A16 Bionic chip, a 48-megapixel rear camera with 8K video recording, an always-on display and other perks.