It’s just a matter of weeks until Apple is finally expected to unveil its latest smartphone, the iPhone 16.
And according to a fresh leak, the tech giant is preparing a brand new colour for one of its models.
The leaked photo, posted to X, reveals four dummy iPhone 16 Pro units, each in a different shade.
The white, black and silver colours are recognisable from the iPhone 15 Pro, released last year, but the fourth unit is a surprising ‘bronze’.
However, not all fans are convinced by the new shade, with some even comparing it to poop.
The white, black and silver colours are recognisable from the iPhone 15 Pro, but the fourth unit is a surprising ‘bronze’ shade
The leaked photo was posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Apple reviewer Sonny Dickson before being published by 9to5Mac.
The new colour got a bit of a mixed response, with one saying it ‘looks awful’ before adding ‘it may [be] better IRL [in real life]’.
Other commentators described it as ‘hideous’, ‘atrocious’ and ‘disgusting’, with many comparing it to ‘poop’.
One person said ‘it looks like diarrhea’ while another simply replied, ‘iPhone 16 Pro Poop’.
However, a few seemed to like it, with one saying they were ‘kinda feeling the bronze’.
Someone else chipped in: ‘It’s almost a coffee color, doesn’t look bad actually, still would have preferred red or yellow.’
On X (Twitter), the new bronze colour got a bit of a mixed response, with one describing it as ‘hideous’
However other social media commentators were more positive, with this one saying they were ‘kinda feeling the bronze’
Someone else chipped in: ‘It’s almost a coffee color, doesn’t look bad actually, still would have preferred red or yellow’
It’s unclear where Dickson took the photo, but it reportedly shows four ‘dummy models’ – meaning they are identical to the real product except they don’t actually work.
Dummy smartphones are sent out by phone makers to third-party case manufacturers in the run-up to a device’s release.
MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment, although the tech giant is notoriously secretive about any upcoming products.
If the photo is genuine, the bronze will replace the ‘blue titanium’ colour available to customers purchasing 2023’s iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Last year, iPhone 15 Pro was released in four colours, pictured here – ‘black titanium’, ‘white titanium’, ‘blue titanium’ and ‘natural titanium’
Just like last year, the iPhone 16 is expected to be released in four different models – iPhone 16 (the standard model), iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
According to another earlier leak, the standard iPhone 16 model will be available in five colours – blue, green, white, black and pink.
Compared to last year’s shades – black, blue, yellow, green and pink – these new colours for the standard model are much brighter.
Apple is likely to unveil the iPhone 16’s various models at an unveiling event near the start of September, although the date is yet to be confirmed.
Prices for the new iPhone 16 family are expected to surpass the iPhone 15, which starts at £799/$799 for the standard model, while the most expensive variation, the Pro Max, starts at £1,199/$1,199 and goes up to £1,599/$1,599 for 1TB of storage.
Pictured, leaked shades for the upcoming iPhone 16 (standard model) – blue, green, white, black and pink
While Apple opted for more muted shades in the iPhone 15 range (pictured), the leak suggests that this year’s flagship will come in brighter tones
iPhone 16 is expected to have a new button located on the right hand side, which could be a game-changer for selfie fans.
And according to MacRumours, the screen size of the two Pro models – the two most expensive options – will get bigger compared to the iPhone 15 equivalents.
An expert has claimed that the tech giant’s new AI platform, known as Apple Intelligence, could be delayed until at least October – one month after the iPhone 16 hits the market.
It follows the reveal of new AI-powered handsets from rival Google, including a foldable costing a whopping £1,749.
What is Apple Intelligence?
At its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple heralded a new era of technology, dubbed ‘Apple Intelligence’.
Apple Intelligence is essentially a snazzy brand name for Apple’s new-found focus on AI, triggered by the huge success of the ChatGPT chatbot 18 months ago.
The tech giant announced Apple Intelligence with great reverence as ‘the personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence’.
To put it more simply, it’s an umbrella term for all the jobs AI will be able to do on your iPhone, iPad and Mac computer – as long as it has the upcoming iOS 18 software and an all-important AI chip inside the device.
Surely the biggest part of Apple Intelligence is the integration of OpenAI’s hugely popular chatbot ChatGPT with Siri, Apple’s in-built virtual assistant.
iOS 18 users will be asked before any questions are sent to ChatGPT, along with any documents or photos, and Siri then presents the answer
Before WWDC, it was rumoured that Apple would be creating its own AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT, but instead it’s partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to Apple devices.
It also includes tools like AI-generated emoji, an image generator and a ‘Clean Up tool’ that makes subtle edits to photos.
According to Apple’s website, Apple Intelligence needs an up-to-date AI chip in a device to run – the A17 Pro (in iPhones) or the M1 or later (in iPads and Macs).
Therefore, as it stands, the only two iPhones that will get Apple Intelligence are the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – but not iPhone 15 standard version.
Although it will be available on the upcoming iPhone 16, an expert has claimed that Apple Intelligence could be delayed until at least October – one month after the iPhone 16 hits the market.