Previous rumors suggested that Apple would increase the base storage capacity in the iPhone 16 Pro, eliminating the 128GB option and starting at 256GB instead. This move could potentially lower the cost for consumers opting for higher storage variants. However, while aspirations may be lofty, reality often brings a different story, and this rumor is likely just that—a rumor.
The source of this speculation stems from a tweet by "LeaksApplePro" posted on X, claiming that the storage capacity of the iPhone 16 Pro would start from 256GB. "LeaksApplePro" expanded on this through a post on "Mac Observer," further supported by insights from industry insiders.
Unfortunately, the accuracy of the information provided by the two sources mentioned above is quite low compared to the reliability of leakers who obtain information through the supply chain. After all, most of the well-known leakers derive their data from investigations with suppliers or the supply chain. The circle of individuals closely related to the industry is too large, to the extent that even the relative of a worker in an assembly plant's sister could be considered a relevant person.
According to the latest reports, Mac Observer retracted their rumor post at 1:53 PM Eastern Time on April 16th. Therefore, the credibility of this information seems hardly worth mentioning.
While the rumor of storage upgrades has been debunked, the idea of upgrading storage is quite reasonable, and Apple has every reason to do so. In the iPhone 15 series, only the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at 256GB, while the other three models start at 128GB. 128GB of storage is evidently not suitable for the high-end positioning of the iPhone 15 Pro, and the reason Apple provides this version may simply be for pricing purposes.
For the current smartphone market, 128GB of storage space should be phased out of the high-end market. In the new models launched in 2024, even phones starting at 1999 yuan have eliminated the low storage of 128GB. After all, it is widely understood that 128GB of storage is too low and can no longer meet consumers' long-term usage needs.
However, Apple generates profits through storage space. Even though upgrading storage is a logical move, Apple may continue to stimulate consumers to purchase high-end versions or spend money on Apple's cloud storage services by maintaining a base storage of 128GB.
