Both iPhone 16 Pro Models to Feature 256GB Base Storage, Claims Sketchy Rumor [Update: Retracted]

Update: The Mac Observer has since retracted its article with an apology and stopped collaborating with the source of the rumor, which turned out to be fake.


Apple will allegedly offer both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with a minimum 256GB of storage, doing away with the 128GB starting option on its smaller Pro model for the first time.

iPhone 16 Pro Front Feature
Currently, Apple's 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 and comes with the minimum 128GB of storage, while the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 with a minimum 256GB of storage.

However, according to The Mac Observer, Apple will bump up the base storage of the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro to 256GB to match the minimum capacity of the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max, while the starting price of Apple's smaller Pro model will remain at $999.

The source of the alleged "leak" has no recent track record for accurate Apple rumors, so we are filing this one under sketchy. Having said that, the claim is not outside the realm of possibility. If Apple drops 128GB as the base on the iPhone 16 Pro, that will leave three Pro storage options across the board: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

In 2018, Apple's iPhone X came with 64GB, an entry-level storage tier that persisted in successive premium device generations until the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020, when Apple adopted 128GB as the new baseline. The next year saw all iPhone 13 models offered with a minimum 128GB. If Apple makes 256GB the new minimum across its premium devices this year, we could well see it reach all models in 2025.

At the other end of the scale, a rumor in January out of Korea claimed that both iPhone 16 Pro models will be available with double the maximum storage capacity as the iPhone 15 Pro devices, increasing from 1TB to 2TB.

The maximum storage increase is said to be a result of Apple's switch to higher-density Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND flash for higher storage models. Apple's use of QLC NAND could allow Apple to fit more storage into a smaller space and it is less expensive than Triple-Level Cell (TLC) NAND, which current iPhones use.

This year's iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are rumored to be getting bigger display sizes, increasing to 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. For comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are equipped with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively. The new display sizes will be the largest ever for the iPhone, and should also increase the physical space for internal components and parts.

Article corrected to reflect iPhone 12 Pro jump to 128GB base storage. Apologies for the original error.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16 Pro

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Top Rated Comments

ric22 Avatar
13 months ago
Why's it a "sketchy" rumour? It should have 256GB minimum anyway. Apple can afford the extra 50 cents it costs...
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NachoNoir Avatar
13 months ago
Wouldn't it be fun if Pro phones got 256GB base storage before Macs got 512GB (or 1TB in Pro models)?

Apple's policy for base SSD sizes has always been greedy; with this, it'd be just laughable.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Radeon85 Avatar
13 months ago
Should have had 256GB as the base the moment ProRes wouldn't work with the 128GB capacity, but as usual Apple wanted to penny pinch instead and screw over their customers.

Wondering if this will be the year of the 2TB iPhone.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
branca Avatar
13 months ago
Why not with computers?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
currocj Avatar
13 months ago


Why's it a "sketchy" rumour? It should have 256GB minimum anyway. Apple can afford the extra 50 cents it costs...
Let’s be real, they are simply deleting the $999 128gb pro and forcing everyone up to the $1099 256gb pro and not making the $999 price point 256gb.

Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
magicschoolbus Avatar
13 months ago
It’s about time really.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)