In 2022, Apple widened the gap between Pro and non-Pro by putting different chipsets in the iPhone; in 2024, Apple appears to be closing the gap between the models in two small but important ways.

According to a research note by analyst Jeff Pu spotted by MacRumors, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models will be comparable to the Pro models in both RAM and Wi-Fi technology.

In other words, the iPhone 16 will have 8GB RAM. This year's iPhone 16 Pro will stick with 8GB, Pu adds, thus we will again have parity on memory. Notably, this is the second time Pu has made this claim, so he seems pretty sure. [Wi-Fi 6E is a standard that allows access to the 6 GHz band, which will increase speed and reduce interference (assuming you are connected to a compatible router). It was introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and will be included in the iPhone 16.

Speaking of hand-me-downs, the iPhone 16 will also feature the Action button that debuted on last year's Pro iPhone, and we're told that it already includes the dynamic island that was previously exclusive to the Pro.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro are rumored to have the same chip for the first time since 2021, so can Apple fans skip the Pro in 2024?

While these features are certainly a welcome upgrade for iPhone buyers who can't justify adding $200 to a Pro model, there are two clear reasons why the premium smartphones will still appeal.

Photography is most obvious to the layman visiting an Apple store. iPhone 15 Pro has an additional camera lens on the back that allows for true 3x optical zoom, rather than the digital approximation achieved by cropping the image. iPhone 15 Pro Max is even more powerful, offering 5x magnification, and some sources say the regular iPhone 16 Pro will rival it in 2024.

And then there's screen technology. The resolution is the same for Pro and non-Pro models, but the experience is very different: since the iPhone 13 Pro in 2021, Apple has been using 120Hz screens, or ProMotion as the company calls it, on its premium smartphones. This makes everything feel buttery smooth, which is hard to describe in writing, but after experiencing it in everyday use, it's hard to go back to 60Hz. The regular model is not expected to be upgraded until after 2025 at the earliest.

The iPhone 16 is still in its infancy, and in the coming weeks and months we will learn more about how Apple will make the Pro version even more attractive. With nine months until the scheduled release, there is a lot of work ahead.