iPhone 14 Pro base storage might start at 256GB

Get any new flagship smartphone and it’ll probably come with at least 128GB of storage onboard. The only odd exception is the 2022 iPhone SE refresh, which starts at 64GB. From 128GB, you can bump the flash memory to 256GB on most devices. Some flagships go even higher, offering 512GB and 1TB storage tiers. And some Android devices take microSD cards that let you expand available local storage even more. With that in mind, we expect the iPhone 14 phones to launch with at least 128GB onboard. But one rumor says that iPhone 14 Pro storage might start at double that amount, or 256GB.

How much storage will the iPhone 14 have?

Android vendors moved to 128GB of base storage before Apple. Then, the 128GB tier became the base storage for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro models. Last year, all iPhone 13 models in Apple’s lineup got the 128GB upgrade.

Buy the cheapest iPhone 13 mini right now and you end up with 128GB of memory, which is a significant upgrade.

With that in mind, it’s easy to assume that the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max will each feature at least 128GB of storage come September. Apple can’t go back to the 64GB tier, of course. We consume and store more data than ever, and smartphone vendors like Apple are partly at fault.

The iPhone cameras can record ProRes 4K video, but only the iPhone 13 Pro models support 4K at 30 fps, and only as long as you have 256GB or more. Otherwise, you’re downgraded to Full HD at 30 fps for ProRes video — and again, only if you’re on a Pro model. Storage can be a limitation in this case.

Add to that all the content we consume and share on mobile devices, including complex games that take up a lot of storage, and that 128GB tier might not be enough for some users.

256GB upgrade for iPhone 14 Pro models

Leaker LeaksApplePro claims that Apple is considering making 256GB the starting storage tier for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The leaker recapped the hardware he expects from Apple this September, going over some of the most recent rumors. He reiterated one of his previous reports that the iPhone 14 Pro might start at $1,099. That’s $100 more than the previous 6.1-inch Pro models. The Pro Max will apparently start at $1,199.

But, the regular and Pro models might not be as similar as they have been in the past. The iPhone 14 Pro versions will get a new pill-and-hole display design, the A16 Bionic chip, a third telephoto lens, and a 48-megapixel primary camera.

These upgrades would let Apple get away with raising the prices of the Pros. The cheaper iPhone 14 should still start at $799, however. Bumping the storage to 256GB on the base iPhone 14 Pro models might be the kind of upgrade that could further sweeten the deal.

More iPhone coverage: For more iPhone news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.