A new report suggests that Apple's iPhone could have 2TB of storage capacity by 2026, thanks to improved technology.

The report, courtesy of Taiwanese research firm TrendForce (discovered by MacRumors), states that Apple will begin releasing iPhones with quad-level cell (QLC) storage by 2026.

Currently, iPhones utilize triple-level (TLC) technology for their storage chips; QLC is denser and allows for greater storage capacity without expanding the physical footprint of the chip.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the iPhone 16 may replace current TLC NAND flash memory with QLC in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB models.

TLC memory is more expensive, but more reliable and faster. However, QLC NAND is reportedly less durable and reliable, but less expensive. This may mean that iPhones with QLC may face performance degradation or long-term problems as the chip is used.

TrendForce's prediction means that Apple may begin integrating QLC memory in this year's iPhone 16, next year's iPhone 17, or perhaps the iPhone 18 lineup.

Their report claims that Chinese handset makers will also begin integrating QLC later this year. Therefore, we may see QLC in phones from manufacturers such as Huawei and Honor starting in 2025, and then we will see how manufacturers overcome the supposed limitations of QLC technology.

Apple is reluctant to increase the RAM in its iPhones, and the iPhone 16 Pro is expected to have 8 GB of RAM. Competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro have 12GB RAM, which could alleviate speed issues that may exist with QLC devices.

Nevertheless, Apple draws a lot from its chips, so the forthcoming A18 Pro and future chips may be able to handle more demanding tasks without additional RAM.