The latest rumors, features and everything we know so far

It’s only been a few months since Apple launched the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series, but as is often the case with leak cycles, rumors are already swirling about the upcoming iPhone 16 series. The iPhone 16 series is expected to bring some major changes to the series, including a larger display for the Pro model, a redesigned back for the standard model, the introduction of a new “shoot button” and more. Here’s what we know so far about the 2024 iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro:

Design and display

Starting from the design, Apple will reportedly adopt a vertical camera lens arrangement on non-Pro iPhone 16 models. Unlike the diagonal layout the company has been using since the iPhone 13, the iPhone 16’s main and ultrawide camera sensors will have a vertical layout. The change is likely aimed at enabling spatial video capture for Apple Vision Pro, a feature that requires a vertical camera setup.

Additionally, on the base model, Apple reportedly intends to replace the mute switch with the action button first introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, one major new addition will be the capture button, which is expected to be located on the right side of the device, where the millimeter wave antenna currently resides. Use this button to make it easier to take photos in landscape orientation.

As for the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, no major design changes are expected this year. However, both models are expected to come with larger displays compared to their respective predecessors. The iPhone 16 Pro is rumored to have a 6.3-inch display, up from the current generation’s 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to have a 6.9-inch display, up from the iPhone 15 Pro’s 6.7-inch maximum. \

As a result, both phones will be larger, taller and wider than the current models. Although the thickness may remain the same, the overall weight may increase due to the larger size. Apart from that, the Pro model is likely to retain its titanium body and the same durability as the current model.

Here’s a quick comparison chart showing the dimensions of the iPhone 15 Pro versus the rumored iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max versus the rumored iPhone 16 Pro Max (via mike rumor):

Unfortunately for those curious about the ProMotion 120Hz display on the base model, it appears that the iPhone 16 base model will still stick with a 60Hz screen. However, for the Pro models, rumors suggest they may feature brighter displays that consume less power. Rumor has it that Apple will use a new mechanism to minimize internal reflections to increase brightness without using up more power.

Processor and internal hardware

Before the iPhone 15 series, Apple usually used the previous generation’s high-end chipsets on the base models and launched newer high-end chipsets for the Pro models. However, with the emergence of the iPhone 16 series, this pattern may change. The latest rumors indicate that both Pro and non-Pro iPhone 16 models will use the A18 chipset, which will be divided into standard version A18 and Pro version A18 Pro.

The A18 Pro is expected to offer superior performance compared to the standard A18 chipset. Additionally, reports indicate that the A18 Pro chipset may have an enhanced Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores to improve AI and ML tasks. The base iPhone 16 model may also come with 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB on the iPhone 15 model) for better performance. The Pro model already comes with 8GB of RAM.

The big improvement for the iPhone 16 series could be in thermal management. The upcoming model will reportedly introduce a redesigned graphene-based thermal system to address overheating issues. Currently, Apple uses copper-based heat sinks on iPhones, but graphene has better thermal conductivity and could prove to be a solution for iPhone overheating. iPhone 16 Pro models are also expected to feature a metal battery casing for better heat dissipation.

While Apple won’t be transitioning to its in-house modem in the iPhone 16 – which still looks to be in the distant future – it will be using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem for faster, more efficient 5G connectivity. The modem supports “5G Advanced,” which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to further improve 5G connectivity – a branding Apple could use on the iPhone 16 series. Additionally, all new models are expected to support Wi-Fi 7, offering speeds of up to 40Gbps.

Software and Artificial Intelligence

All iPhone 16 models are expected to run iOS 18 out of the box. iOS 18 is expected to bring many new AI features to the iPhone operating system, including many new Siri features powered by LLM. It is believed that AI features will be available offline (on-device) on iPhone 16 models, while other iPhones may need to rely on the cloud for some AI features.

camera

Speaking of the cameras, there are some major upgrades. Although Apple introduced a 48MP main lens in the iPhone 14 Pro series, the ultra-wide-angle lens remains at 12MP. However, with the launch of iPhone 16 Pro, Apple is also expected to upgrade the ultra-wide-angle lens to 48MP. This change will result in sharper ultra-wide shots and less noisy, more detailed video, especially in Movie Mode, which defaults to 0.5x when enabled.

It is reported that, similar to the main lens, Apple may use pixel binning to combine the data of four pixels into a single “super pixel” to improve image quality. The iPhone 16 Pro is also expected to receive an additional upgrade, as it will now feature a 5x telephoto optical zoom lens, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x lens. There are reports that Apple will add a “super zoom” feature to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but there is no concrete news yet.

Battery

In terms of batteries, there is news that the iPhone 16 models will use new stacked battery technology, with larger capacity and longer life. Therefore, it is reported that the iPhone 16 Pro may have a capacity of 3355mAh. Additionally, faster wired and wireless charging speeds are expected, including 40W wired and 20W MagSafe charging for iPhone 16 Pro models.

Estimated price and availability date

Similar to the iPhone 15 series, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 16 series in September 2024. The company usually holds special iPhone events in September, so this time should be no different. In terms of pricing, the iPhone 16 series may be more expensive than previous generations. The production cost of the iPhone 15 series is about 15% higher than that of the previous generation. Although Apple has not officially raised the price of the iPhone 15 series, the iPhone 16 series seems likely to increase in price.

This is the latest news about the iPhone 16 series. What feature are you most interested in? Are you willing to spend more money on the latest iPhone? Let us know in the comments section below!

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  iPhone 15

  iPhone 15 features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a new dynamic island, dual camera setup, new colors, and USB Type-C port. Powered by the Apple A16 Bionic chip, it’s the most affordable high-end iPhone you can buy right now.

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  iPhone 15 Pro

  iPhone 15 Pro is Apple’s new Pro series flagship phone. It comes with the new Apple A17 Pro chipset and 8GB RAM. It comes in new colors and has a more powerful camera setup and refined design.

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  iPhone 15 Pro Max

  The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest and greatest smartphone in Apple’s lineup. The smartphone is powered by the latest Apple A17 Pro chipset and comes with 8GB of RAM. It has a more refined titanium chassis, making it lighter and more comfortable, and features a new periscope telephoto camera.