iPhone 15 Pro’s next-gen chip expected to drive upgrades among current iPhone owners

A new report by DigiTimes (via MacRumors) shows that the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models could spark a “replacement demand” for those waiting longer to upgrade to a new iPhone model. The reason will be the new A17 Bionic processor, which will enable “significant specification upgrades” due to the new 3-nanometer process it will use.

The information comes from suppliers involved in Apple’s supply chain:

TSMC’s N3E (3nm enhanced) technology will enable significant specification upgrades in the upcoming iPhone series, the sources said. Suppliers involved in the iPhone supply chain anticipate replacement demand for the 2023 models.

Over these past weeks, we heard several stories about the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Bionic chip. One of the most interesting comes from Bloomberg, as the publication said TSMC’s 3nm process would offer better performance than its 5nm chips while requiring about 35% less power.

Since battery life is one of the key features users ask for, increasing durability throughout the day will be more than welcome for new iPhone users, mainly because iPhone 14 Pro owners complain about reduced battery life compared to the previous model.

More recently, another report suggested Apple has procured 100% of the initial orders for TSMC’s new 3nm technology. Even with higher costs, the Cupertino firm wants to ensure it will secure all the chips it needs for its upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models.

That said, the regular iPhone 15 models are expected to use the current A16 Bionic chips. While the performance didn’t increase much compared to the A15 Bionic processor, the new Dynamic Island design will likely make people upgrade to these models.

Although this iPhone will lack ProMotion and Always-On display capabilities, Apple will expand the Dynamic Island to more users. In addition, reports suggest the company will also add the 48MP sensor to the main camera of the regular models.

With that in mind, both regular and iPhone 15 Pro models will enjoy significant upgrades, making this generation more enticing for users to upgrade.