mvayaskWe are steadily approaching the launch of the iPhone 16 series. It is slated to be announced during Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9, 2024. This event will mark the debut of the new handsets, which will succeed the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models.
The iPhone 16 is anticipated to bring about more significant changes compared to its predecessors and is sure to be an exciting release. We have gathered all the latest news, leaks, and reports regarding this highly anticipated device. Let’s delve into the details.
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iPhone 16: Release Date
Apple
Apple has officially announced its next event, “It’s Glowtime,” for September 9, 2024. This is when we expect the iPhone 16 line, the Apple Watch Series 10, and more to be unveiled. Historically, preorders for the new phones typically open up early on a Friday morning, with the phones being released the following Friday. The September 9 announcement date could potentially lead to preorders opening on September 13 and general availability on September 20.
Apple is expecting great things from the iPhone 16. After experiencing a decline in iPhone sales by 10% earlier this year, it hopes to see a rebound in the latter part of 2024. The reason? Each new phone is likely to come with some of the announced Apple Intelligence features included in iOS 18.
iPhone 16: Possible Price
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
Although it was expected that the iPhone 15 lineup would experience a price increase, this didn’t happen with the exception of the iPhone 15 Pro Max model, which now starts at $1,200 for the 256GB version (there is no longer a 128GB variant). This was the only model in the iPhone 15 lineup to see a so-called “price increase.”
Apple’s iPhone 15 component prices were the highest, but it absorbed those increased production costs. However, this may not be the case in 2024, so we could potentially see a slight increase for all iPhone 16 models. The extent of any possible increase remains to be seen.
iPhone 16: Design
iPhone 16 dummy models
Sonny Dickson
There will be significant design changes for the iPhone 16 lineup, particularly for the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Earlier reports from MacRumors suggested there were three different prototype designs for the iPhone 16, but the most recent leak seems to confirm which one we can expect.
For the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, Apple is departing from the diagonal camera layout it has been using in the past few years and opting for a vertical pill-shaped camera island, similar to what we first saw on the iPhone X, but with slightly larger lenses and sensors.
MacRumors
Any design changes for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max may not be as drastic as Apple seems content with the changes introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro. However, a more recent leak from reliable tipster Ice Universe suggests that the iPhone 16 Pro will have an even more significant reduction in the bezel, making it an even narrower bezel phone than the Samsung Galaxy S24. This could translate to 1.2mm bezels on the iPhone 16 Pro and 1.15mm bezels on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
My friend confirmed that iPhone 16 Pro will reduce bezel, surpassing Galaxy S24 to become the world’s narrowest bezel mobile phone, which seems to be very close to the dream form.
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) June 2, 2024
Reports indicate that the new Capture button will be capacitive rather than physical and will sit flush with the phone’s frame. Since it is rumored to be a Capture button, it is likely to function as a camera shutter button, although it could also be customizable like the Action button. Since it is likely to be touch-based, it could perform different actions through gestures such as swiping. The Capture button could also be utilized by third-party developers for their own camera apps.
This rumor may have been just confirmed by leaker Majin Bu, who uploaded two photos of the iPhone 16 Pro case, showing larger camera cutouts. The larger camera sensor would correspond with the rumor that the 12MP ultrawide camera is set to be replaced with a larger 48MP Sony IMX903 sensor (more on that below).
In the iPhone 16 Pro case the camera module is huge pic.twitter.com/i847JqKSwt
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) May 28, 2024
The wireless antenna will be relocated to the other side of the iPhone to accommodate this new capacitive button. The Action button may also be larger on the iPhone 16 Pro models compared to the current iPhone 15 Pro.
Although iPhone design changes are not officially confirmed until Apple showcases the phone itself, it appears that these rumors have some credibility. In early April, well-known Apple leaker Sonny Dickson shared photos of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro dummy models – reaffirming all of the design changes mentioned above.
SonnyDickson / X
A YouTube channel called EFTM received some metal dummy units of what appears to be the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Dummy units are crucial for case and accessory manufacturers as they base their accessories on these units to ensure they are available when the actual product launches. The dummy units received by EFTM seem to confirm the vertical camera modules for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
However, there is a notable detail on all of the dummy units: the Action and Capture buttons. Both of these buttons could potentially be present across the entire iPhone 16 lineup. Previous rumors hinted at the Action button coming to the standard iPhone 16 models, but the Capture button was previously reported to be exclusive to the Pro models. Assuming these models are accurate, it appears this is changing.
SonnyDickson / X
Since the Capture button will be located on the right edge of the phone, it further indicates that Apple could potentially remove the physical SIM card completely in other countries. Apple made the move to eSIM-only in the US starting with the iPhone 14 line, and now it seems this change could be coming to other parts of the globe.
Sonny Dickson / X
Speaking of dummy units, more leaked in late April when Sonny Dickson uploaded the above photo to X (formerly Twitter). These particular dummies appear more complete and provide a clearer view of what this year’s iPhone lineup is expected to look like.
More recently, some leaked molds appeared online from ShopSystem. The molds show that the MagSafe charging ring in the iPhone 16 models is slightly smaller when compared to the iPhone 15 models. If accurate, it suggests that Apple has attempted to slim down the MagSafe components to reduce the required magnetic material, although the overall position of the magnets has not changed. This is a good thing as it means that older MagSafe accessories should continue to work with the new models.
iPhone 16 Pro dummy units
Sonny Dickson
As far as colors are concerned, it seems that the base model iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in five colors instead of seven as previously rumored. The five colors are likely to be white, black, blue, green, and pink. It is important to note that these colors appear to be more saturated compared to the previous iPhone 15 lineup, which can be seen as a positive aspect.
For the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, it appears to have four possible colors: white titanium, black titanium, natural titanium, and a brand new bronze color that could be called “desert titanium.” This new color will replace the blue titanium option from the iPhone 15 Pro, but it looks quite different from the rose gold that was initially rumored. Another leak from Majin Bu on X seems to confirm this new dark gold color with a close-up of the camera ring.
Majin Bu on X
Apple is also upgrading the microphones on the iPhone 16 lineup to have a higher signal-to-noise ratio than previous iterations. This means the device will be able to better hear you, which could be beneficial for Siri requests. With reports suggesting iOS 18 will have more advanced generative AI features, a more accurate Siri would be highly desirable.
iPhone 16: Displays
MacRumors
There may be some changes to the display sizes for the iPhone 16 Pro models, while the standard iPhone 16 variants will remain the same. The iPhone 16 Pro display is expected to increase to 6.3 inches from the current 6.1 inches, and the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max will be 6.9 inches instead of 6.7 inches.
With the smaller iPhone 16 Pro getting a size bump, this will allow for a larger telephoto camera lens to be fitted, enabling the 5x optical zoom that debuted in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Due to the size constraints of the 6.1-inch chassis, the tetraprism lens couldn’t be accommodated, but a 6.3-inch chassis can make it possible. Apple will be reducing bezels across the board, although the most significant benefits will be seen on the Pro models. A new report has surfaced indicating that Apple is using a new display technology called Border Reduction Structure (BRS), which enables suppliers to reduce the size of the black borders around the screen.
We could also expect brighter displays and more efficient power consumption, as Apple is reportedly using microlens technology in the iPhone 16 OLED panels. A report from The Elec suggests that the iPhone 17 line will be the first time that all models, including the base ones, will feature LTPO OLED panels with ProMotion and always-on screens. Unfortunately, the base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are still likely to have a 60Hz refresh rate display.
Also from The Elec, mass production of the OLED screen for the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and 16 Pro is set to begin after Apple’s final approval. The iPhone 16 Pro Max OLED screen is still being tweaked by Apple and may not receive final approval for production until the end of June. The panels will be manufactured by three OLED suppliers, including Samsung Display, which will make panels for all four iPhone 16 models; LG, which will make panels for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max; and BOE, which will be responsible for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
iPhone 16: Specs
Apple
For the base model iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, we are likely to see an A17 chip. However, this may not be the same A17 Pro chip currently inside the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple is likely to use a lower-cost process for a standard “A17” chip that could be suitable for the standard iPhone 16 models.
Analyst Jeff Pu thinks Apple will take a different approach and simply use the A18 and A18 Pro names for the new chips. This would mean that all iPhone 16 models will have some variation of an A18 chip rather than using an A17, which could be seen as a “last-generation” chip. This news seemed to be confirmed with a similar report from another source in July.
While overheating was an issue with the launch-day iPhone 15 models, it is said that Apple has worked on a new thermal design to help with heat dissipation. This could take the form of a graphene thermal system for the base iPhone 16 models, while the iPhone 16 Pro might have a metal battery casing. Currently, the iPhone uses copper for the heat sinks, but graphene has higher thermal conductivity.
There have been rumors that Apple has been working on its own in-house 5G modem chips, but this won’t happen in 2024. Instead, the iPhone 16 Pro may use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem for faster and more efficient 5G connectivity. However, the base-model iPhone 16 will continue to use the Qualcomm X70 chip currently in the iPhone 15. The iPhone 16 could also have Wi-Fi 7 technology that could reach at least 30 gigabits per second, up to 40Gb/s.
iPhone 16: Cameras
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
As mentioned earlier, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will have a dual-camera layout presented in a vertical pill-shaped camera island. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max appear to have the same triple-lens camera layout as used in previous years.
A recent leak has provided us with all the details on the camera specs for both the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models.
For the iPhone 16’s dual-camera system, we have a 48MP primary wide camera with an f/1.6 aperture and optical quality 2x zoom. The ultrawide lens will still have 0.5x zoom, but the aperture will be improved from f/2.4 to f/2.2, which should result in better low-light images for the ultrawide camera. And Apple appears to be adding a macro photography mode for the regular iPhone 16 models for the first time.
With the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the triple-lens camera system will consist of a 48MP primary wide camera with an f
