New Details Emerge about iPhone 16: RAM Boost & Surprising Battery Price Hike
- Think the iPhone 16 is just a prettier screen? Think again—there’s some wallet-shaking news inside.
- Apple just quietly hiked a key price, and no, it’s not what you think.
- The iPhone 16's new AI tricks are cool, but there’s a catch you’ll want to know before upgrading.
Apple’s latest iPhone 16 lineup has revealed two key new details that have caught the attention of tech enthusiasts:
- Battery Replacement Price Increase: Apple has raised the cost of battery replacement for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max to $119, a $20 increase from previous models. However, this increase does not affect the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
- Increased RAM for Apple Intelligence: All iPhone 16 models now come equipped with 8GB of RAM, marking a significant upgrade that allows for enhanced performance, particularly for Apple’s new AI-driven Apple Intelligence features.
Battery Replacement Price Hike
Apple has quietly increased the cost of replacing batteries for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, now charging $119 per service—a $20 jump from prior models. This new fee structure does not apply to the standard iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus, nor does it affect older iPhones at this time.
Photo via 9to5Mac // Apple has raised the battery replacement cost for the iPhone 16 Pro models—what does this mean for users?
While the increase might not come as a surprise to those following Apple’s pricing trends, it does add to a history of rising battery replacement costs. In 2022, Apple raised the fee for iPhone 14 battery replacements by $30, and similar price bumps followed for other devices like the iPad, MacBook, and Apple Watch. Though some users lament these changes, citing earlier “$29 battery replacements” as a golden age, Apple continues to adjust service fees based on demand and inflation.
It’s also worth noting that defective batteries still fall under Apple’s one-year warranty and are replaced for free under AppleCare+ if capacity falls below 80%. For users outside that scope, alternatives like third-party repairs or DIY kits using official Apple parts remain viable options.
More Power with 8GB of RAM
In an exciting development, Apple has confirmed that all models of the iPhone 16—including the base model and 16 Plus—are equipped with 8GB of RAM, a leap from previous models. This enhancement is driven by Apple Intelligence, the company's AI-powered technology that demands more memory to function optimally.
Photo via Apple Inc. // Apple’s iPhone 16 introduces 8GB of RAM across all models, enhancing AI performance and gaming.
Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, Johny Srouji, explained the decision in a recent interview with Geekerwan, as spotted by 9to5Mac. Srouji revealed that “DRAM is one aspect” Apple considered when engineering its latest devices, and that the need for 8GB of RAM was largely due to Apple Intelligence. This additional memory isn’t just for AI though—it will also improve gaming performance, especially for high-end AAA titles.
Srouji emphasized Apple’s focus on optimizing both hardware and software, stating that “the software team will optimize not only for compute, they’ll also optimize for the memory footprint of each application.”
The iPhone 16 is the first in Apple’s lineup to universally include 8GB of RAM, marking a departure from last year’s iPhone 15 models, where only the Pro and Pro Max featured that much memory. Interestingly, Apple has confirmed that iOS 18’s Apple Intelligence won’t be available on iPhone 15 models due to their lower RAM, except for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, which also have 8GB RAM.
Additional Insights from Johny Srouji
In the same interview, Srouji provided further insights into Apple’s hardware philosophy, noting that the company prioritizes performance, efficiency, and sustainability. He detailed how Apple considers everything from thermal design to memory capacity when building its devices. Unlike some competitors that focus on increasing core counts, Apple takes a more targeted approach by balancing power with real-world application needs.
“When you look at the single-thread of performance core across all of our silicon, it’s the absolute best in the industry,” said Srouji, highlighting Apple’s dominance in chip performance.
Final Thoughts
These latest revelations further showcase Apple’s careful balance of design, performance, and cost. While the price increase for battery replacements may frustrate some, the RAM upgrade to 8GB across all iPhone 16 models will likely be welcomed by power users, especially those interested in AI and gaming.
Apple's continuous pursuit of innovation is clear, and it will be interesting to see how these hardware upgrades will impact user experience as more features roll out with iOS 18.
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