The iPhone 15 series launched with new features, such as the Action button, titanium body, better cameras, and A17 Pro chipset, and received a good reception among the public. As a result, everyone is waiting for the upcoming iPhone 16.
As usual, there’s no news from Apple, but rumors start floating around. According to some sources, the iPhone 16 series won’t be a big leap like the 15 but will feature substantial upgrades for the display, camera, and more. I have gathered all the rumors and expected features of iPhone 16, including its release date, price, and specs.
When will iPhone 16 be released?
Looking at a decade’s history, Apple should announce the iPhone 16 series in September 2024. Apple did launch a few models or variants in October, but that doesn’t affect iPhone’s announcements.
Apple launched the new iPhone and Apple Watch series together, and the event took place on the second Tuesday of September. Considering that you can expect the iPhone 16 series to be announced on September 10, 2024, alongside the Apple Watch.
Following that, you can expect the pre-orders to start between September 13 and 15, and a few variants will start shipping from September 20 onwards, like we saw last year with the iPhone 15 lineup.
What is the expected price of iPhone 16?
The iPhone 15 series didn’t see a price increase, except Apple dropped the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 128GB variant. As a result, the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1199. It’s not a price increase, but you can consider it one.
Apple didn’t increase the prices of the iPhone 15 lineup, even though the component prices were increased by 16 percent. Although the surplus value was absorbed, it may or may not continue the same strategy with the iPhone 16 series to avoid revenue impact.
Currently, there are no rumors regarding the pricing of the iPhone 16 models. I can only assume that Apple will maintain the starting price of $799 for standard iPhone 16 variants and $999 and $1199 for the iPhone 16 Pro models.
If you see a price increase, it’d not be 16 percent, in my opinion. Nonetheless, prepare yourself for a price increase so you don’t have to wait until the iPhone 16 is revealed in September.
iPhone 16 specs and features
Per the rumors, the iPhone 16 lineup should bring substantial upgrades over the iPhone 15 series. According to Unknownz21, the iPhone 16 Pro will be wider, receiving a display size increase, which hasn’t happened in years.
Moreover, we’ll see a new A-series chipset, camera improvement, and a few design changes.
That said, here’s a roundup of every change the iPhone 16 can feature based on the current rumors. iPhone 16’s launch is afar, and Apple may turn the tables and change its decisions anytime before announcing them.
1. Improved display
As mentioned above, the iPhone 16 Pro models will see an increase in their display sizes. The iPhone 16 Pro is said to feature a 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch panel, resulting in unwieldiness in your hands. The iPhone hasn’t seen an increase in display size in four years since the iPhone 12 series.
On the contrary, the standard models of the iPhone 16 series won’t feature any screen size bump. Their display sizes will remain the same as their predecessors. To sum it up, here are the rumored display sizes of the iPhone 16 series:
- iPhone 16: 6.1-inches
- iPhone 16 Plus: 6.7-inches
- iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inches
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inches
Besides the screen size, the iPhone 16 OLED panels could use the MLA (micro-lens array) technology to improve its brightness and reduce the battery drain. If you didn’t know, MLA uses billions of lenses in a uniform pattern to reduce internal reflection.
Apart from these changes, there’s no information about the screen resolution or the brightness of the displays in the iPhone 16 series.
2. Capture button
Apple introduced the Action button with the iPhone 15 series, but was limited to the Pro models. It replaced the mute switch using the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action, which lets you perform various tasks, including Shortcuts.
According to a MacRumors report, the Action button will be expanded to the standard models. If that wasn’t enough, a Weibo leaker named Instant Digital claimed that there’s a high chance that the iPhone 16 will be featuring an additional button.
It’s rumored to be the Capture button and will be on the same side as the Power button, replacing the space occupied by the mmWave antenna in the US. Meanwhile, the mmWave cutout will move to the left side of the iPhone.
3. Better cameras
The iPhone 16 Pro models will feature improvements to the 48MP camera, taking better images in low lighting conditions. The 48MP wide-angle iPhone 16 Pro Max lens will reportedly have an eight-part hybrid lens (two glass and six plastic elements).
The 16 Pro Max could have 5x capabilities in the telephoto lens and could feature a periscope camera for better optical zoom. This information is from a Digital Chat Station, a reliable source, but it still needs backing from other reliable sources.
On the other hand, the non-pro iPhone 16 models are expected to have a vertical camera layout, similar to the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 and 14 featured diagonal cameras, but this change might allow them to record spatial videos, similar to iPhone 15 Pro models.
The cameras in the iPhone 15 series are adequately good for now. And you’ll only see subtle improvements to the ultra-wide and the primary lens.
4. Chipset and hardware improvements
While Apple surprised us by including the Pro series chipset in the iPhone 15 Pro models, we can expect to see it following the same trend. As a result, one can expect that the iPhone 16 models will feature an A17 chip while the 16 Pro models will feature an A18 Pro chipset.
However, analyst Jeff Pu thinks Apple will use A18 and A18 Pro names for the new chips. Both will feature TSMC’s N3E process, but the A18 Pro might feature more GPUs.
It’s rumored that after seeing the overheating issues of the 15 Pro Max models, Apple plans to work on a new thermal system for better heat dissipation. Currently, Apple is using copper for thermal conductivity, but it could be a graphene thermal system for the iPhone 16 models.
Furthermore, the RAM on the non-Pro iPhone 16 models could see an upgrade to 8GB from the 6GB in the iPhone 15. I don’t know why Apple is decreasing the difference between Pro and non-Pro models, but you’ll see 8GB of RAM throughout the iPhone 16 series.
The iPhone 16 Pro models could feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 5G mode, which allows faster and more efficient 5G connectivity. It’ll also improve carrier aggregation, taking 25 percent less space on the circuit board and consuming 20 percent less power.
In contrast, the non-Pro iPhone 16 models will feature Qualcomm’s X70 chip, the same as the iPhone 15 models. As reported by Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is expected to start using its own modem chip in 2025, meaning we won’t see it until the iPhone 17 series.
Lastly, you’ll see iPhone 16 Pro models adopting the Wi-Fi 7 technology for better speeds, low latency, and reliable connectivity. On the contrary, the iPhone 16 will feature Wi-Fi 6E models, supporting the 6GHz band. The USB-C port will see no changes, and the iPhone 16 lineup will adopt the same.
5. AI features
Regarding the software part, it should be obvious that Apple will introduce the iPhone 16 models with iOS 18. According to leaks, iOS 18 will feature many AI features and RCS (Rich Communication Services).
You’ll see AI throughout the operating system, including Siri, Messages, Apple Music, Voice Notes, and other Apple apps.
6. Increased battery life
Rumor has it that the iPhone 16 Pro models will use stacked batteries, resulting in higher capacity and longer battery life. These are common in smartphones, electric vehicles, and medical equipment.
Moreover, the battery will have a new design and an updated connector. The best part is that Apple could “finally” allow a faster 40W wired and 20W MagSafe charging.
Is iPhone 16 Ultra confirmed?
Rumors were floating around stating that Apple would launch an Ultra model. But I don’t think it’s happening anytime soon, as no traces of it were found in the early iOS 18 code.
Looks like Apple is sticking to the four-models lineup like always, meaning the iPhone 16 series would consist of iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max models. Again, these are early leaks, and this information can change in the future when more rumors are released.
Are you planning to buy the iPhone 16?
We haven’t seen a big overhaul of the iPhone since the iPhone 12 series. And it looks like the iPhone 16 series will follow the same path. Again, these are early rumors; we can’t be sure of them as they could change.
If you’re waiting to get the iPhone 16, these substantial upgrades will make a big difference if you come from iPhone 13 and older phones. What features do you want to see in the iPhone 16? Let me know in the comments below.
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