The iPhone 16 is expected to be announced in a few weeks. Apple’s new iPhone, a successor to the iPhone 15, will likely launch in September – shortly after Google’s new Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. The iPhone 16 will be a platform for AI and will run Apple Intelligence, which is now available for testing as part of the second developer beta for iOS 18.1.
And if the rumors are true, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro will each receive a number of important updates, from new power-efficient displays and larger screens to better zoom lenses and the integration of an action button on all 2024 iPhone models.
Read more: Best iPhone of 2024
The iPhone 16 series is as much about revamped hardware as it is a platform for Apple’s suite of new AI-powered features. All of this comes at a time when rival phone makers like Samsung and Google have phones packed with AI and generative AI that make everything from writing messages to removing objects and people from photos super easy.
But that doesn’t mean the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro are all about AI and Apple Intelligence. Look forward to new colors, improved cameras, and larger screens.
Here are the most credible rumors about the iPhone 16.
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iPhone 16 release date
Apple holds its annual iPhone event almost every September, so we expect the iPhone 16 schedule to remain the same. The Cupertino company has yet to announce a date for this year’s iPhone event. Historically, the event has taken place on Tuesday in the second week of September depending on Labor Day, which would mean the iPhone 16 event would take place on September 10 this year. (The iPhone 15 event took place on Tuesday, September 7.)
There have only been two cases where Apple has held the event on a Wednesday, the last time being the iPhone 14 event on Wednesday, September 7th.
New iPhones are usually released shortly after the event, usually on the Friday of the following week. That would mean the iPhone 16 would be released on Friday, September 20. (For the iPhone 13, pre-orders began on September 17 and the phones went on sale on September 24.)
Again, this could all still change and we’ll have to wait until Apple sends out the official event invites to know for sure. Sometimes Apple staggers the release dates for certain models, especially when introducing a new design or size, so it’s possible that the iPhone 16 range will have more than one release date.
iPhone 16 design
Rumors of larger screens are piling up, at least for select iPhone 16 models. The latest comes from Korean publication Elec, which published a report in April saying that select iPhone 16 models are close to adopting an innovative screen technology that will result in thinner bezels or frames around the phone’s screen. This development could result in a slightly larger screen area on some iPhone 16 models, though it’s not clear which models.
Apple has introduced display upgrades in its Pro line in the past, before sometimes bringing them to cheaper models later. According to the report, display manufacturers have adopted a novel bezel-reduction technology that allows for more compact control circuits and ultimately leads to narrower bezels.
The last iPhone Plus
The iPhone 16 Plus may be Apple’s last larger standard iPhone. Apple is reportedly planning to discontinue the larger-screen Plus variant of its standard iPhone next year and instead introduce a new ultra-thin premium iPhone, rumored to be called the iPhone 17 Slim, according to reports from two analysts known for their Apple predictions: Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities and Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities (as reported by 9to5Mac).
iPhone 16 Colors
All different colors for the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus.
Well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has color predictions for the iPhone 16 lineup. In a post on X in May, he said that the iPhone 15 Pro’s blue color option would be discontinued and replaced by a new pink model that would be available on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. He also predicted that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in white, replacing the yellow model.
Possible colors of the iPhone 16 series
| iPhone16 | Black, Blue, Green, Pink, White |
|---|---|
| iPhone 16 Plus | Black, Blue, Green, Pink, White |
| iPhone 16 Pro | Black, natural, pink, white titanium surfaces |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | Black, natural, pink, white titanium surfaces |
Screen size of the iPhone 16 Pro
Since 2022, the iPhone range has included a regular and a Pro model with 6.1 inches as well as Plus and Pro Max versions with 6.7 inches
Speaking of screen sizes, Apple has kept the two screen sizes for iPhone Pro models since 2020 when it launched the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, but rumors suggest that this will change with the iPhone 16 Pro models, which may get larger screens.
Display analyst Ross Young suggested earlier this year that the iPhone 16 Pro models will have larger screens, estimating the size at 6.3 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This rumor was later confirmed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said the iPhone 16 Pro models could grow by “a few tenths of an inch” diagonally.
Read more: How the design of the iPhone 16 could change
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models will likely remain at the current 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes. If the size increase is true, it would be another step by Apple to differentiate its Pro iPhone models from the regular models.
iPhone 15 screen sizes
- iPhone 15: 6.1 inches
- iPhone 15 Plus: 6.7 inches
- iPhone 15 Pro: 6.1 inches
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: 6.7 inches
Rumored screen sizes for the iPhone 16
- iPhone 16: 6.1 inches
- iPhone 16 Plus: 6.7 inches
- iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3 inches
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9 inches
Another change that could be reflected in the iPhone 16’s displays is greater energy efficiency. According to a report from TheElec, Samsung Display is apparently developing a new set of materials called M14 specifically for Apple. According to the report, the new technology will be available on iPhones that launch next year. M14 will replace the blue fluorescence technology currently used with blue phosphorescence technology, creating an even more energy efficient screen than the current LTPO screens used on Pro models, the report says.
The iPhone 16 will have more AI tricks
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, introduced Apple’s AI offensive as “Apple Intelligence” during WWDC 2024.
AI is perhaps the biggest buzzword in tech this year, and Apple has followed in the footsteps of its rivals Samsung and Google, all of whom touted the new AI tips and tricks on their flagship phones. Apple Intelligence made its debut during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
It offers ChatGPT integration, tools for proofreading and rewriting texts in a different tone, new Siri features for technical support and answering more personalized queries, and the ability to generate images and emojis, among other things. These new AI features are expected to be available out of the box on all models in the upcoming iPhone 16 range running iOS 18.
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus get an action button
The Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro models does more than just mute and unmute your phone.
In March, AppleInsider published a collection of photos purportedly showing 3D-printed dummy models of the rumored iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. The images revealed that the iPhone 16 may have a vertical camera stack instead of a diagonal one and an action button similar to that of last year’s iPhone 15 Pro.
Camera features of the iPhone 16
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could have 5x telephoto lenses next year. According to Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, a tetraprism lens will come to both Pro models next year, not just the Pro Max model. Apple has equipped the iPhone 15 Pro with a 12-megapixel 3x optical zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 12-megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom, which is equivalent to the 120mm lens of a full-frame camera.
If this rumor is true, it could represent a breakthrough in design. When Apple launched the 15 Pro Max with its 5x telephoto lens, the reason given was that the Pro Max had this lens and the Pro didn’t.
Read more: iPhone 16 camera: What Apple could change
According to a recent leak discovered by MacRumors, Apple could be testing a novel approach to improving photo quality. The rumor suggests that the company could add anti-reflective technology to the manufacturing process of its cameras. If successful, it could potentially eliminate unwanted artifacts like lens flare, resulting in more realistic photos.
iPhone 16 processors: A18 chip for all
Unlike the past two years, all four iPhone 16 models will apparently get a next-generation Apple chipset, all of which will carry the A18 branding. According to a MacRumors report citing Jeff Pu, a senior analyst at Haitong International Securities, all four models will have an A18 series chip, with the Pro iPhone models getting an A18 Bionic Pro and the base models getting a regular A18.
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus currently feature an A16 Bionic, which debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max in 2022, while the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max run on the A17 Pro processor. Pu says the A18 chip will be manufactured using TSMC’s cutting-edge 3-nanometer process.
Read more: Apple iPhone SE 4 rumors: iPhone 14 design, Face ID and more
Tim Cook will unveil the iPhone 13 in 2021.
Will the iPhone 16 be foldable?
Probably not. Nearly every major phone maker – from Google to Oppo to OnePlus to Samsung – has released multiple generations of bendable handsets, but Apple has remained tight-lipped as usual about whether it will ever have a foldable iPhone. The latest rumors suggest that Apple is working on a “clamshell” designed iPhone that could be ready as soon as 2026, according to a report from The Information last Tuesday.
The new design will coincide with Apple’s plans to release new improved camera technologies, including a variable aperture, the report added. It’s not clear what has stopped Apple from releasing a foldable iPhone in recent years. The company has reportedly been working on foldable iPhone designs since at least 2019.
Read more: iPhone 17 Slim: The biggest leaks about Apple’s supposedly super-thin phone
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