It’s almost “Glowtime”. In exactly a week, Apple will pull the cloak of the latest iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max at the tech giant’s annual iPhone event, confirmed to take place on 9 September in Cupertino.
The latest iPhone will be jam-packed with AI smarts, with the invitation’s tagline referencing the all-new AI-powered Siri, which takes over the entire screen with a glowing effect in iOS 18. Apple already gave us a peek at how the software running on the latest smartphones will differ from iOS 17 at WWDC in June.
Questions have been raised, however, as to whether the iPhone 16 will launch with the Apple Intelligence features which use machine learning to connect every app on your phone so that they can talk to each other, or whether they’ll be delayed until October when Apple rolls out iOS 18.1.
Along with the iPhone 16 line-up, Apple is expected to launch two new AirPods and a new Apple Watch Series 10. All will be revealed on 9 September, but until then, we’ve detailed 21 of the biggest iPhone 16 rumours, including release date, potential specs, price, software and design.
Apple iPhone 16 release date: When will the new smartphones launch?
Apple will be hosting its next Apple event on Monday 9 September at 6pm BST, breaking from its usual tradition of hosting its major iPhone event on Tuesdays. While the tech giant is expected to unveil the iPhone in full on this date, when will you be able to pre-order one of the handsets?
Historically, the iPhone is always available to pre-order on the Friday following Apple’s iPhone event and is then released on general sale a week later. So, we’re expecting Apple to set pre-orders for the iPhone 16 live on Friday 13 September (spooky!) this year and put them on general sale on Friday 20 September.
As mentioned above, the iPhone 16 might not launch with fancy AI features. Analysts suggest that consumers may have to wait until October to download the Apple Intelligence software update.
Apple iPhone 16 price: How much could the handsets cost?
Every single year, the rumour mill predicts that the iPhone will be going up in price. In 2022, leakers predicted that the iPhone 14 would be going up by a significant amount ahead of the launch – it only went up in the UK.
The analysts made the same prediction for the iPhone 15 last year, and it turned out that the iPhone 15 would actually be receiving a chunky price cut in the UK, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max staying the same price as last year’s model.
While there aren’t any leaks about the iPhone 16’s potential price tag right now, there is speculation (as there always is) that the price may go up – eventually.
Nikkei Asia, in collaboration with Tokyo-based research firm Fomalhaut Techno Solutions, claimed that the cost to produce the iPhone 15 was a lot higher than the cost of producing the iPhone 14, with Apple absorbing the added cost, rather than passing it onto the consumer.
Nikkei Asia says that the standard iPhone 15’s components were 16 per cent more expensive compared to the iPhone 14, while the iPhone 15 Plus was 10 per cent more expensive, the iPhone 15 Pro was 8 per cent more expensive and the iPhone 15 Pro Max was 12 per cent more expensive compared to their predecessors.
If Apple continues to pass on its increased costs to consumers, “the company’s bottom line will eventually take a hit”, the publication said, with Fomalhaut’s chief executive officer Minatake Kashio adding that “Apple might try to raise prices next year with models other than the Pro Max”.
Will it go up this year? No one knows, but with the continued cost of living crisis, we expect Apple to keep its iPhone prices the same and continue to absorb the cost of production. If the prices do stay the same, the iPhone 16 could start from £799, and the iPhone 16 Plus from £899. The iPhone 16 Pro could start from £999 and the iPhone 16 Pro Max could start from £1,199.
Apple iPhone 16 design and display
With that out of the way, let’s get to the meat and potatoes, starting with the iPhone 16 line-up’s design. First up – the display.
1. The iPhone 16 will gain a new DSLR-like camera button
This is the biggest design change coming to the latest iPhones. It has been widely reported that every new iPhone 16 will feature a new camera button. At the end of last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed that this new button would be designed to take both videos and pictures, though didn’t expand further.
In a report published on 11 August 2024, Gurman revealed more about how the camera button would work. He stated that the button, which sits on the right side of the phone (on the Pro handsets, at least), will work like a capture button on a DSLR camera. You’ll be able to press in slightly to trigger autofocus, while a harder press will take the picture. You’ll also be able to swipe along the edge of the button to zoom in and out while shooting photos and videos.
On 22 August, Apple Insider leaked even more details about the camera button. The publication revealed that it will sit on the lower right-hand side, so that when you turn your phone landscape, it’ll sit in the same orientation as a traditional camera, with your finger resting on the button. It’ll also be capacitive, so it won’t be accidentally triggered in your pocket, and you’ll be able to perform half-presses to lock in the focus, as Gurman mentioned, and slide across the edge to zoom in.
We’re interested to see how this works in practice as zooming across a trackpad of sorts can be overly sensitive, reducing accuracy. App developers will also be able to customise the button using API tools, so the sliding gesture could theoretically be used for swiping between filters on Snapchat, or similar.
2. Every iPhone 16 will feature a more powerful action button
The entire iPhone 16 line-up is also expected to gain the action button found on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – something that replaced the mute switch. MacRumors claims it has seen internal documentation suggesting that the action button will go from a mechanical button to a capacitive touch button, allowing for more functionality.
MacRumors says that the new action button will “feature a force sensor, which detects changes in pressure, as well as tact-switching functionality”. While we aren’t quite clear on what that means, we assume you’ll be able to use the button to perform multiple actions instead of just one programmed action as it is currently.
3. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are about to get even bigger displays
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are rumoured to be getting even bigger displays when they’re unveiled in the autumn. Multiple reports from reliable leakers surfaced last May and re-emerged again this April.
On 16 May 2023, reliable leaker Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro would be getting a slightly larger display to accommodate a new periscope camera, as seen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. A few weeks earlier, on 9 May 2023, Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants claimed that the aspect ratio of the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max would be increasing in size to 6.3in and 6.9in, giving users bigger displays and (inevitably) bigger batteries.
On 22 May 2023, 9to5Mac released CADs of the rumoured iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the outlet claimed that it will have a 6.9in display, with a larger body. It will be taller, but only slightly wider. The website also suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could ditch its Max moniker and opt to call it the iPhone 16 Pro Ultra, in line with the Apple Watch Ultra’s branding.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, however, are expected to remain the same size. That’s 6.1in for the iPhone 16 and 6.7in for the iPhone 15 Plus.
Fast forward to 2024. On 29 April, Apple insider Sonny Dickson released dummy images of the upcoming rumoured iPhone 16 models, which reportedly feature bigger displays on the pro models and the same-sized displays on the non-pro models.
4. iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could have thinner bezels
The upcoming line of iPhone 16 models could also have thinner bezels. According to the Korean publication The Elec, The report, shared by MacRumors, claims that the iPhone’s display manufacturers have developed a new type of border structure technology that can reduce the size of the bezels, letting companies make displays with smaller inside circuitry. The publication also reports that the iPhone 16’s OLED displays could use micro-lens technology for better power consumption and brightness.
On 5 June 2024, reliable leaker UniverseIce revealed the full dimensions of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, showing it to be much bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, though with even thinner bezels. According to the leaker, the iPhone 16 Pro Max dimensions will be 163mm x 77.5mm x 8mm. Here it is compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max:
|
iPhone 16 Pro Max |
iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|
|
Width |
77.5 mm |
76.7mm |
|
Height |
163mm |
159.9mm |
|
Thickness |
8.26mm |
8.25mm |
|
Screen size |
6.9in |
6.7in |
|
Screen bezel |
1.15mm |
1.55mm |
5. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could be the brightest iPhones ever
In May 2024, Weibo leaker Instant Digital claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will boast a display with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits – that’s 20 per cent higher than the 1,000 nits on the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone’s SDR hasn’t changed since the iPhone 13, so a 20 per cent jump in brightness should be very noticeable (if true).
6. The iPhone 16 Plus could be the last 6.7in base model iPhone
On 17 April 2024, Apple tipster Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants revealed that the iPhone 16 Plus could be the last base model iPhone to boast a nice 6.7in screen. According to Young, the iPhone 17 Plus will have a smaller display that will be sized somewhere between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. That would mean the iPhone 17 Plus display could shrink to a smaller 6.5in.
7. The camera array on the iPhone 16 rear will be arranged differently to assist with spatial videos
Apple is also reportedly changing the camera array on the rear of the base model iPhone 16 devices. Apple Insider published alleged dummy leaks of the iPhone 16, and the new cameras may be oriented in a vertical stack rather than diagonally. The iPhone 15 Pro currently uses stacked cameras for spatial video.
8. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will come in a bronze “desert titanium” colourway
In mid-May, reliable Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro max would be available in black, white, silver or grey (basically “natural titanium” in Apple talk and a new rose colour, meaning that Apple could discontinue the blue titanium colour from the iPhone 15 Pro line-up, replacing it with the new rose colour.
On 31 July 2024, Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital claimed that the new iPhone 16 Pro Max colourway had a “bronze hue”. Now, evidence is mounting that the new colourway is actually bronze, rather than gold or rose.
On 23 August 2024, Apple leaker Majin Bu referenced the marketing name of the new iPhone 16 Pro shade, calling it “desert titanium”. He said it was like a “dark gold” colour, and posted pictures of the potential colourways.
On 29 August 2024, a hands-on video of the new shade surfaced online. While this is likely a dummy iPhone, rather than a real device, it still gives us an idea of the hue. And it definitely looks more brown than gold. A mock-up of the desert titanium was also released by 9to5Mac on 31 August, and again it looks pretty brown.
9. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will come in seven different colours
We always get a lot of iPhone tips from the Chinese social media site Weibo, and the latest comes from Fixed Focus Digital. The leaker claims that the base iPhone 16 will come in seven different colours this year. As well as the yellow, blue, green, black and pink seen on the iPhone 15, white and purple are rumoured to be added to the line-up.
Apple iPhone 16 specs
While we’ve had a number of reports on the design of the iPhone 16, leaks about the iPhone 16’s specs are still fairly thin on the ground.
10. Every iPhone 16 model will receive an A18 chip
One interesting rumour comes from a research note from Haitong International Securities’ analyst Jeff Pu, who stated in March 2024 that all four models of the iPhone 16 will receive the new A18 chip. Usually, Apple reserves its latest processor for the Pro model smartphones, and it gives the base models last year’s processor.
There will be differences, however. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will allegedly run on the A18, while the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could get an A18 Pro chip. The A16 Pro will reportedly have more cores and an upgraded neural engine, allowing for more AI features (we’ll expand on that below).
11. Apple could fix any iPhone overheating problems
A lot of people also complained about their iPhone 15 overheating when they first got their hands on it last year. Apple is reportedly looking at the problem of heat, with Apple insider Kosutami claiming that the company could use a graphene thermal system to fix this issue in the iPhone 16.
12. Every new iPhone 16 will get an upgraded wifi chip
There will also reportedly be an upgraded wifi chip in both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro line of smartphones. According to ever-reliable Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 16 Pro will gain wifi 7 support, while the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will gain wifi 6E, which is currently available on the iPhone 15 Pro.
13. There could be a new stacked iPhone 16 battery, making battery life longer than ever
In terms of battery, Jeff Pu also claims that the iPhone 16 handsets will use stacked battery technology, something that’s currently used in the EV market. This could provide a larger battery capacity, giving even faster charging speeds and higher capacity wireless charging capabilities.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is also predicted to get the longest battery life of any iPhone ever made, according to a new report published by reliable Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo. The leaker claims that the battery inside the 16 Pro Max will see an increase in its energy density while maintaining the current size of the battery cell. That means the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have a longer battery life than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, without taking up any more room on the inside.
Apple iPhone 16 features
We got the most informed look at the iPhone 16’s features yet when Apple hosted its WWDC event in June and unveiled iOS 18 to the public. While we don’t know what will be exclusive to the iPhone 16 yet, we do know that only the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16 will be getting Apple Intelligence features (AI). That’s because the devices that will support Apple Intelligence require an iPhone with an A17 Pro chip.
14. iPhone 16 will have system-wide rewriting, proofreading and summarising text tools
The iPhone 16 with iOS 18’s Apple Intelligence will feature brand-new systemwide writing tools that will let users rewrite, proofread and summarise text almost everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages and third-party apps. From the keynote, it seems like it’ll be Grammarly for your iPhone.
15. You’ll be able to generate your own images via text
Apple Intelligence will also bring onboard something called Image Playground, letting you generate fun images in seconds using your own text prompts. You’ll be able to choose from three different image styles – animation, illustration or sketch. Image Playground will be built directly into apps including messages and in a dedicated app. We presume this will be a feature reserved for iPhone 15 Pro devices and up, including the iPhone 16.
16. You’ll be able to make photo movie memories using AI
A new Photos feature for iOS 18 and iPhone 16 includes photo memories in movies. You’ll be able to type out a description of what you want and Apple Intelligence will pull out the photos, arranging them into a movie with its own narrative and arc. Another Photos feature mimics the Google eraser tool found on Google Pixel, letting you remove distractions and people in the background from images.
17. Siri is finally getting smarter
Siri, once considered the dumbest voice assistant, is finally getting an AI boost to power. It will become more natural, contextually relevant and personal, having full-fledged conversations that understand what you meant from previous prompts. It will pull together lots of different bits of information from different parts of your iPhone to bring you the information you need, searching your Calendar and Mail to surface when your mate’s birthday is.
18. AI features will work on-device until it needs to use server-based models
iOS 18 will be smart enough to switch between on-device and server-based models, mostly relying on on-device AI to complete tasks that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers. Apple says that when requests are routed to Private Cloud Compute, data will not be stored or made accessible to Apple and is only used to fulfil the user’s requests.
19. These Apple Intelligence features may not launch until October
Apple Intelligence was not part of the initial iOS 18 update. In fact, it’s only been added to the iOS 18.1 beta, which isn’t expected to roll out until October. That means those who purchase a new iPhone 16 in September may not get all of its AI features until October. Worse, it appears to only be available in the beta for US users, meaning that those in the UK might not get it until even later than October.
Apple iPhone 16 cameras
Cameras always see a big spec bump with each new iPhone. So beyond the new vertical camera array on the base iPhone 16 models, what else is rumoured?
20. iPhone 16 Pro will feature a better ultra-wide-camera and telephoto lens
According to a research note from Jeff Pu, obtained by 9to5Mac, the iPhone 16 Pro will feature a 48MP ultra-wide camera, a leap from the 12MP ultra-wide camera found on the iPhone 15 Pro. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could also get the 12x telephoto lens, instead of just the Pro Max handset.
MacRumors also alleges that both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature the new advanced tetraprism telephoto lens. While the iPhone 15 Pro Max uses a tetra prism lens, letting users zoom in up to 5x, the iPhone 15 Pro does not include this lens. With a bigger iPhone on the cards, Apple will reportedly be able to add this 5x tetraprism lens to both handsets with the iPhone 16 Pro line-up.
21. Apple is working on lens glare
On 15 April, a Korean news aggregator claimed on the Naver blog that Apple is currently testing an anti-reflective optical coating for the cameras on its future iPhones. This coating, which will use “atomic layer deposition” to place an extremely thin layer onto components, will allegedly let Apple cut out lens flare and glare from images. The user claims that the coating will be implemented on the next line of Apple’s pro devices, though this could mean the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, rather than the iPhone 16 Pro.
The verdict: Apple iPhone 16 rumours
While everything (barring the iOS 18 features announced at WWDC) should be taken with a pinch of salt, the upcoming iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max look like very promising upgrades over their predecessors. The action button will be improved, there will be a new capture button for recording video (maybe even spatial videos) and there will be fancy new AI features that will make Siri smarter than ever before. The cameras could get hefty improvements, and the entire line-up will be faster and more powerful. Overall, it looks like an exciting upgrade, but we’ll get a real look at the devices on 9 September.
Apple iPhone 17 rumours
The iPhone 16 line-up hasn’t even launched yet and the rumour mill is already going into overdrive about the iPhone 17. On 17 June, Mark Gurman claimed that Apple was working on developing an ultra-slim iPhone 17 that would replace Apple’s Plus line of smartphones.
Dubbed the iPhone 17 Air, it wouldn’t be as powerful as the iPhone 17 Pro in terms of specs but would offer something cooler in terms of design. More a status symbol than a smartphone powerhouse. We’ll update this article with more iPhone 17 rumours as they come in.
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