Apple’s rumored iPhone 16 is likely less than a month away from making its debut. The next iPhone is expected to arrive in September on the heels of the new Pixel 9 series which was announced at the Made by Google event. Add in recent drops of the third public beta for iOS 18 and the second developer beta for iOS 18.1, complete with Apple Intelligence, and the iPhone 16 has a lot to live up to.
But if rumors are true, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro will each get a number of significant updates from new power-efficient displays and larger screens to better zoom lenses and the inclusion of an action button for all 2024 iPhone models.
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The iPhone 16 series will be as much about revamped hardware as it is a platform for Apple’s suite of new AI-powered features. All this comes at a time when rival phone makers like Samsung and Google have phones full of AI and generative AI to make everything from writing messages and removing objects and people from photos super easy.
That’s not to say that the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro will just be about AI and Apple Intelligence. Expect new colors, upgraded cameras and larger screens.
Here are the most credible rumors for the iPhone 16.
Watch this: iPhone 16: A New Button for the Biggest Upgrade Year Yet
iPhone 16 release date
Apple holds its annual iPhone event in September almost every year, so we’d expect the timeline to remain the same for the iPhone 16. The Cupertino company hasn’t announced a date for this year’s iPhone event. Historically depending when Labor Day falls, the event has been held on the Tuesday in the second week of September which would mean that the iPhone 16 event would be Sept. 10 this year. (The iPhone 15 event was held on Tuesday, Sept. 7.)
There’s only been two times where Apple held the event on a Wednesday, the most recent was the iPhone 14 event that was held on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
New iPhones typically get released shortly after the event, usually the Friday of the following week. That would mean the iPhone 16 would release on Friday Sept. 20. (For the iPhone 13, preorders began Sept. 17 and the phones went on sale Sept. 24.)
Again, all of this could change and we’ll have to wait until Apple sends out the formal event invites to know for sure. Sometimes Apple will stagger release dates for specific models, especially when introducing a new design or size. So it’s possible that the iPhone 16 lineup will have more than one release date.
iPhone 16 design
The rumors of larger screen sizes are piling in, at least for select iPhone 16 models. The latest is from Korean publication, the Elec, which published an April report saying select iPhone 16 models are poised to adopt an innovative screen technology, resulting in thinner bezels or the frame around the phone’s screen. This development could translate to a slightly larger screen area for some iPhone 16 models, although it’s not clear which models.
Apple has historically introduced display upgrades in its pro line of products, before sometimes trickling them down to lower-cost models afterwards. The report says display manufacturers have introduced a novel border reduction structure technology, enabling more compact control circuitry and ultimately leading to slimmer bezels.
The last iPhone Plus
The iPhone 16 Plus maybe be the last of Apple’s larger regular iPhone. Apple is reportedly planning to cut the larger-screened flavor, Plus model, of its standard iPhone from its lineup next year and will instead introduce a new ultra-thin premium iPhone said to be called the iPhone 17 Slim. That’s according to reports from two analysts known for their Apple predictions: TF International Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo and Haitong International Securities’ Jeff Pu (as 9to5Mac reported).
iPhone 16 colors
All the different colors for the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus.
Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has color predictions for the iPhone 16 lineup. In a post on X in May, he said that the blue color option of the iPhone 15 Pro would be discontinued and replaced with a new rose model, which would be available for 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 iPhone 16 series colors
| iPhone 16 | Black, blue, green, pink, white |
|---|---|
| iPhone 16 Plus | Black, blue, green, pink, white |
| iPhone 16 Pro | Black, natural, pink, white titanium finishes |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | Black, natural, pink, white titanium finishes |
iPhone 16 Pro screen size
Since 2022, the iPhone lineup has had a regular and Pro 6.1-inch models and Plus and Pro Max 6.7-inch versions
Speaking of screen sizes, Apple has maintained the two screen sizes for iPhone Pro models since 2020 when it launched the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, that’s rumored to change with the iPhone 16 Pro models, which might get bigger screens.
Display analyst Ross Young suggested earlier this year that the iPhone 16 Pro models will have larger screens, putting the sizes at 6.3 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. That rumor was later corroborated by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said the iPhone 16 Pro models could grow by “a couple tenths of an inch diagonally.”
Read more: How the iPhone 16’s Design May Change
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are believed to be sticking with the current 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes. If the size increase is accurate, it would be yet another move from Apple to distinguish its Pro iPhone models from its regular ones.
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 iPhone 16 screen sizes
- 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 make its way to iPhone 16 displays is greater power efficiency. Samsung Display is apparently developing a new material set, dubbed M14, specifically for Apple, according to a TheElec report, which says the new technology should arrive on iPhones launching next year. M14 will replace the blue fluorescent technology that’s used now with blue phosphorescence technology, creating an even more power-efficient screen than the current LTPO ones used on Pro models, the report says.
iPhone 16 will have more AI tricks
Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi introduced Apple’s AI push as “Apple Intelligence” during WWDC 2024.
AI is perhaps the biggest tech buzzword this year, and Apple followed in the footsteps of rivals, Samsung and Google, which each trumpeted 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 brings ChatGPT integration, tools for proofreading and rewriting text in a different tone, new Siri features for getting tech support and answering more personalized requests, and the ability to generate images and emojis, among other features. These new AI features are expected to ship on all the models of the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup with iOS 18 right out of the box.
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus get an action button
The action button on iPhone 15 Pro models can do more than just mute and unmute your phone.
In March, AppleInsider published a collection of photographs purportedly displaying 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 as opposed to a diagonal one and an action button, similar the one on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro.
iPhone 16 camera features
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have 5x telephoto lenses next year. According to Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, a tetraprism lens will make its way to both Pro models next year, as opposed to just the Pro Max model. Apple equipped the iPhone 15 Pro with a 12-megapixel 3x optical zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 12-megapixel 5x optical zoom camera, which is the equivalent of 120mm lens on a full-frame camera.
If this rumor is true, it could mark a breakthrough in design. When Apple launched the 15 Pro Max with its 5x telephoto lens, it cited the phone’s bigger body as to why the Pro Max had it, but the Pro didn’t.
Read more: iPhone 16 Camera: What Apple Could Change
According to a recent leak discovered by MacRumors, Apple might be exploring a novel approach to enhance photo quality. The rumor suggests that the company could add an anti-reflective technology to its camera manufacturing process. If successful, this could potentially eliminate unwanted artifacts like lens flare, resulting in more realistic photos.
iPhone 16 processors: A18 chip for all
In a break with the past two years, all four iPhone 16 models will apparently get a next-generation Apple chipset, which will all receive A18 branding. According to a MacRumors report citing Jeff Pu, an executive analyst for Haitong International Securities, all four models will have an A18 series chip with Pro iPhone models getting an A18 Bionic Pro and base models getting a regular A18.
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus currently have an A16 Bionic, which debuted on the 2022 iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, while the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max run on the A17 Pro processor. Pu says the A18 chip will be manufactured with TSMC’s cutting-edge 3-nanometer process.
Read more: Apple iPhone SE 4 Rumors: iPhone 14 Design, Face ID and More
Tim Cook unveiling the iPhone 13 in 2021.
Will the iPhone 16 be foldable?
Probably not. Virtually every major phone-maker — from Google to Oppo to OnePlus and Samsung — has launched several generations of bendable handsets, but Apple has been characteristically quiet about whether there will ever be a foldable iPhone. The latest rumors suggest Apple is working on a “clamshell” design iPhone, which could be ready as early as 2026 according to a report last Tuesday from The Information.
The new design will coincide with Apple’s plans to also release newly improved camera technologies, including a variable aperture, the report added. It isn’t clear what’s kept Apple from releasing a folding iPhone in the past few years. The company has reportedly been working on folding iPhone designs since at least 2019
Read more: iPhone 17 Slim: The Biggest Leaks About Apple’s Rumored Super Thin Phone