Get ready, tech lovers! Apple has just dropped a bombshell that’s shaking up the smartphone world. The iPhone 17 now starts at a whopping 256GB of storage, doubling the previous model’s offering without the hefty price tag. That’s right—no extra $100 charge this time around! With every model in the lineup, including the iPhone Air, kicking off at this generous storage capacity, it’s undeniably a win for consumers who crave more space for their photos, apps, and videos.

But hold on; there’s a twist to this tale. According to reports from China, there’s a hidden catch regarding storage performance. YouTuber DirectorFeng has uncovered that the 256GB tier isn’t packing the same punch as the higher storage options. That’s right—the 256GB models are allegedly equipped with slower flash memory than their 512GB and 1TB counterparts across the iPhone 17 lineup. However, the iPhone Air seems to be the golden child of this generation, sporting the same high-speed storage no matter which option you choose.

When it comes to benchmarks, the 256GB iPhone 17 variants are reportedly scoring between 90,000 and 100,000 points in AnTuTu tests. In contrast, the 512GB and 1TB chips soar to around 150,000 points! While the mighty 2TB storage tier for the iPhone 17 Pro Max hasn’t been tested yet, the disparity raises eyebrows. Are consumers unknowingly settling for slower performance in exchange for more storage?

Moreover, there’s another layer to this storage saga that buyers should be wary of: the USB-C port. The standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone Air operate at USB 2.0 speeds, which max out at 480Mb/s, or about 60MB/s. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are set to unleash data transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, or an impressive 1,250 MB/s! Talk about a speed difference! With all these revelations, it’s clear that while Apple is winning with storage size, there may be some sacrifices in performance.