Apple might finally be preparing to upgrade the base storage on its high-end iPhones with the launch of the iPhone 17 Pro. According to a reports, the Pro models in Apple’s upcoming lineup are expected to ditch the long-standing 128GB base configuration in favor of 256GB. If true, this would mark a meaningful shift in the tech giant’s approach to storage tiers for premium devices.
Currently, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max start at 128GB, with upgrades available at steep price jumps. With ProRes video and other storage-intensive features now standard on Pro models, users have often found 128GB limiting. A move to 256GB as the starting point would better reflect modern usage patterns while offering more value out of the box. It would also further differentiate the Pro models from the non-Pro variants, which are likely to continue starting at 128GB for now.
The decision may also be tied to Apple’s evolving strategy in global markets. As competitors increasingly offer higher storage capacities at similar price points, Apple could use the iPhone 17 Pro base storage upgrade as a way to strengthen its competitive edge without necessarily altering the retail price. TrendForce reports that pricing is expected to remain the same, meaning buyers would essentially get double the storage for the same entry-level cost.
The rumor also aligns with Apple’s recent trend of gradually increasing base storage on select products. In 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro Max dropped the 128GB tier altogether, starting at 256GB. That move was justified at the time by the inclusion of features like 4K60 ProRes recording when saving directly to an external drive. Carrying that upgrade over to the smaller Pro model in 2025 would be consistent with Apple’s direction.
If the iPhone 17 Pro starts at 256GB, this would signal a long-awaited shift for power users who rely heavily on local storage for video, apps, and games. It could also help justify the premium pricing of the Pro lineup at a time when year-over-year hardware upgrades are becoming more incremental. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series in September 2025, with production and component leaks likely to ramp up in the months ahead.
(via Instant Digital)
