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 recent iPad Pro OLED users have received. Depending on size, iPad Pro OLED is sold for 999 USD (25.39 million VND) or 1,299 USD, an increase of 200 USD (5 million VND) compared to 2022 models but completely worth it.
For an additional $200, users get an iPad Pro with a new OLED display, an M4 chip with faster memory, and twice the storage. That's not a bad deal, although users could use that money to buy a new MacBook for the same price.
Doubling the storage capacity means users get 256GB of internal memory instead of 128GB, making it a great upgrade. It makes many people hope the same thing happens with the iPhone 16 Pro with a starting internal memory of 256 GB, something Apple limited to the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year. Considering the 256GB figure, it's a good upgrade to the iPad Pro M4 for two reasons.
Apple first introduced the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, a device that could satisfy all user needs, including professional productivity scenarios. Having enough storage is an important aspect of that experience. Along with the fast Thunderbolt-enabled USB-C port, users can always connect a high-speed external SSD to accelerate the transfer of their digital content.
Second, we are in the early days of the age of creative AI. RAM and internal memory specifications become important for all devices, not just iPad Pro or iPhone 16 models. AI processing on devices will be a matter of concern, especially for with iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and future updates. If you buy any Apple computer with the name "Pro", you will definitely want to have enough RAM and internal memory on the device.
Moving on to the iPhone, Apple has increased the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, even though that is not the case. iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at 1,199 USD instead of 1,099 USD but offers 256 GB internal memory instead of 128 GB. iPhone 14 Pro Max 256 GB also cost 1,199 USD when launched, so technically there is no price increase.
Apple will likely keep the price/storage structure the same for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but it wouldn't be surprising if the same applies to the iPhone 16 Pro. This certainly attracts many buyers, especially those who decide to choose the 256 GB iPhone 15 Pro instead of 128 GB. In fact, 256 GB is the starting level of internal memory that has been predicted for the iPhone 16 Pro recently.
Finally, Apple could go even further by offering 256GB as the standard internal storage level for all iPhone models. As smartphones are increasingly used, storage can become an issue as camera resolutions increase and file sizes in general continue to increase.
Moving from 128GB to 256GB would be a nice upgrade for non-Pro iPhone 16 models, but there's no sign of that happening this year. In fact, the recently launched iPad Air M2 is the clearest reference as they come with 128GB of internal storage starting - an upgrade from the previous 64GB standard. In this case, users will have to accept spending an additional 100 USD for the 256 GB version.