Apple is set to reveal its latest products in a keynote on Monday, September 9 and a new report suggests that everything is on schedule. The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro are expected to be unveiled, then go on sale on Friday, September 20. But you don’t have to wait for the keynote, here’s everything we know so far about the more affordable phones in the range, the iPhone 16 and its larger sibling, iPhone 16 Plus.
Apple iPhone 15—how will iPhone 16 be different?
iPhone 16 And iPhone 16 Plus: The New Report
The latest indication that things are going to plan comes from a report that says iPhone models are already having the software, iOS 18 installed, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
In a post on X, he said, “I’m expecting iOS 18.1 beta 3 with Apple Intelligence as well as iOS 18.0 beta 8/RC (without visible changes, as I previously said, from beta 7) to arrive later this week (Wednesday is the target). iOS 18 is already being flashed on iPhone 16s being shipped from the factory.”
That deadline came and went, with Gurman later confirming on X that the beta software releases had indeed gone ahead as planned. Note that the first post mentions that iPhone 16 handsets are being shipped from the factory already. That bodes well to reach with the onsale date mentioned above of September 20.
While it’s no surprise that iOS 18 will be pre-installed, the fact that there have been no visible changes between versions 7 and 8 may mean that Apple is confident the software is in good enough shape, and there won’t be the specter of day-one updates on release day, as has happened with some products in the past.
And of course if the software’s ready, the hardware definitely is.
iPhone 16 And iPhone 16 Plus Design
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will at first glance resemble the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, at least from the front. Turn them round, though, and the most noticeable change seems set to be a reorientation of the two rear cameras, which will probably be vertical, not diagonal. This will mean, among other things, that users can shoot spatial video, that gorgeous 3D format you can play back on the Apple Vision Pro. Right now, only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can tackle this.
Then there’s the Action Button, which will replace the mute/ring switch that has been on every iPhone up to the iPhone 15, apart from the 15 Pro and Pro Max. The Action Button is configurable so it can be used for different purposes, not just muting the ring.
On the opposite edge, there may be an all-new Capture Button, designed to snap photos and shoot video. It looks like it will be a capacitive button so you can use it to zoom in and out of shots, for instance. Some analysts think it could be for the iPhone 16 Pro only, but I think Apple will put it on the 16 and 16 Plus, too.
The display sizes are likely to match the current 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens but may adopt a new OLED material that’s more power-efficient.
And the colors will doubtless change, as well. The keynote invite has yellow, pink, blue, black and white in its animation. These could be the colors.
Some reports have suggested a change to the battery technology that could result in longer battery life or, more likely, the same battery life despite more capabilities demanding more energy.
iPhone 16 And iPhone 16 Plus Cameras
No change here. The next iPhones are expected to have cameras similar to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus—that is, one 48-megapixel sensor and a 12-megapixel ultrawide. There’s also a telephoto image created by cropping the central 12 megapixels on the 48-megapixel sensor.
iPhone 16 And iPhone 16 Plus Processor
While current models have different processors for the Pro and non-Pro handsets, it looks like Apple will put the A18 chip in all the class-of-2024 phones.
That’s because of one of the big advances this year: Apple Intelligence, the company’s artificial intelligence platform, which needs a fast chip to work.
It’s also thought that the next chips will double down on avoiding thermal issues and overheating, which—briefly—dogged the current iPhone 15 Pro.
Release Date
Things will be confirmed on September 9, but expect the new iPhones to be on sale on Friday, September 20, with pre-orders opening a week before.