Apple has confirmed that its annual fall event will take place on Monday, September 9, implying that the iPhone 16 will be available just a few days later. This year's lineup, like the iPhone 15 series, is projected to have four models: the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, though there will be numerous design differences and new features to consider. To get you ready for Apple's "It's Glowtime" event, we've compiled a list of the most important iPhone 16 rumors covered In Below Information.
- Increased Display Size:
This year's iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to have larger display sizes, measuring 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. For comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively. The new display sizes would be the largest ever for an iPhone.
- Camera Layout: Vertical:
Apple's iPhone 16 basic models will have a vertical camera layout with a pill-shaped raised surface, as opposed to the diagonal camera arrangement seen on the iPhone 15. The redesigned camera bump includes two distinct camera rings for the Wide and Ultra Wide cameras. The vertical camera configuration is believed to allow for spatial video recording, which is presently only available on iPhone 15 Pro versions.
- Changes in Battery:
Rumors say that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have larger batteries than their predecessors, albeit the smaller iPhone 16 Pro gadget may see the most improvement, while the iPhone 16 Plus may have less capacity. The iPhone 16 is claimed to have a 6% increase over the iPhone 15, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max gains 5% and the iPhone 16 Pro gains 9%. In comparison, the iPhone 16 Plus is expected to have a 9% reduction in capacity. On the other hand, Apple may adopt stacked battery technology to boost energy density and extend longevity throughout the lineup.
- The Capture Button:
All iPhone 16 models will feature a new "Capture Button" for triggering image or video capture. The button will have capabilities such as the ability to zoom in and out by swiping left and right, focus on a subject with a gentle tap, and start a recording with a more strong press. The Capture Button will be situated on the bottom right side of the iPhone 16, replacing the mmWave antenna on US iPhone models, which will be relocated to the left side of the device, below the volume and Action buttons.
- Upgrade to Ultra-Wide Lens:
The iPhone 16 Pro versions are expected to sport an enhanced 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera lens, which could allow for better photographs while shooting in 0.5× mode, especially in low-light conditions. This also implies that iPhone 16 Pro models will be able to capture 48-megapixel ProRAW images in Ultra Wide mode. These photographs maintain more detail in the image file, allowing for greater editing freedom and the ability to print at big sizes. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is also expected to include a larger main camera with an advanced bespoke 48-megapixel Sony IMX903 sensor.
- Super Telephoto Cameras:
The iPhone 16 Pro Max could be the first to include a super telephoto periscope camera with significantly improved optical zoom. The terms "super" or "ultra" telephoto usually refer to cameras with focal lengths greater than 300mm. The existing telephoto lens is equivalent to a 77mm lens, therefore if accurate, zoom capabilities might be significantly increased. Super telephoto cameras are typically used for sports and wildlife photography, but the exceptionally soft backgrounds they produce make them ideal for portrait photography, as long as there is adequate space between the subject and the camera.
- Faster Wi-Fi Support:
Apple's 2024 iPhone Pro models are projected to include Wi-Fi 7, which will allow data transfer over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously. This should lead to better Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more consistent connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 is predicted to provide peak data transfer speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4x improvement from Wi-Fi 6E, thanks to technologies like 4K QAM. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to offer Wi-Fi 6E, which operates on the 6 GHz band, allowing for faster wireless connections and fewer signal interference.
- New A18 Series Chips:
Apple's next-generation A18 Pro processor is believed to be produced using TSMC's second-generation 3nm technology, known as N3E. According to rumors, all four iPhone 16 models will be equipped with A18-branded CPUs, but Apple may differentiate between the basic and Pro models by giving the chips individual A18 and A18 Pro names. Because of the Apple Intelligence features that will be included in iOS 18, it makes sense for all four iPhone 16 models to employ the same A18 chip. Apple Intelligence requires a powerful CPU to run its AI functions on-device. Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max may use Apple Intelligence.
- 5G Qualcomm Modem:
Apple is anticipated to adopt Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X75 modem in this year's Pro and Pro Max versions. The Snapdragon X75 has enhanced carrier aggregation and other technological breakthroughs for quicker 5G download and upload rates than the X70, which is featured in iPhone 15 models. The modem's integrated mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G transceiver requires 25% less circuit board area and is estimated to consume up to 20% less power. The basic iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to keep the Snapdragon X70 modem.
- Tetraprism Lenses:
Both iPhone 16 Pro versions are rumored to include 5x optical zoom, which is currently limited to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple's tetraprism lens system has a "folded" design that allows it to fit inside the smartphone while providing up to 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom. In contrast, the current smaller iPhone 15 Pro has a maximum optical zoom of 3x, which is consistent with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
- Micro-Lens Technology:
Apple is reportedly considering using micro-lens technology to maintain or boost the brightness of OLED panels on next year's iPhone 16 models while potentially reducing power usage. MLA lowers internal reflections by creating a consistent pattern of billions of lenses within the panel. These lenses redirect the path of light reflected backwards from the inside of the panel towards the screen, which can either increase perceived brightness while maintaining the same level of power consumption, or maintain brightness levels while using less power than conventional OLED panels at the same luminance.
- Action Button:
The Action Button is available on the iPhone 15 Pro models, and it is scheduled to be expanded to the ordinary iPhone 16 models by 2024. The Action Button used throughout the iPhone 16 lineup will be identical to the iPhone 15 Pro Action Button. The Action button, which substitutes the standard mute switch, may activate the Flashlight, turn on the Camera, launch a Shortcut, enable or disable a Focus mode, use Translate, toggle Silent Mode, and more.
- 40W Fast Charging and 20W MagSafe:
A persistent rumor claims that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will enable 40W wired fast charging and 20W MagSafe charging. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models can currently charge at up to 27W peak with an appropriate USB-C power adapter, while approved MagSafe chargers from Apple and authorized third parties can charge the iPhone 15 models wirelessly at up to 15W. The charging boost is expected to balance and address the problem of longer charging times caused by increased battery capacity.
- Upgraded Microphone:
Apple is rumored to be considering a big microphone improvement for the iPhone 16 to better the new Siri experience, which will include contextual awareness, semantic indexing, app control, and on-screen awareness. Apple's Siri AI goals will be heavily reliant on improved speech input processing, and the new microphone is likely to provide a much improved signal-to-noise ratio.
- New Thermal Design:
Apple is rumored to be developing a graphene cooling system for the iPhone 16 series, and the iPhone 16 Pro variants may include metal battery shells to avoid overheating. Graphene is more thermally conductive than copper, which is currently used in iPhone heatsinks. Another source claims that iPhone 16 models will include a "larger graphite sheet" inside the device's casing to prevent overheating. The move could be in response to widely reported overheating difficulties with the iPhone 15 Pro, which Apple resolved via a software update.
- Expanded Storage:
According to one rumor, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max would have double the maximum storage capacity of the iPhone 15 Pro models, up from 1TB to 2TB. The change is claimed to be the result of Apple's transition to greater-density Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND memory for higher storage models. Apple's use of QLC NAND may allow it to squeeze more storage into a smaller space while also being less expensive than Triple-Level Cell (TLC) NAND, which is used in current iPhones. On the negative, QLC has slower read and write rates.
- Increased Memory:
Apple's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are expected to include 8GB of RAM each, up from 6GB in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. More working memory should lead to better multitasking performance on the iPhone. Apple has stated that plenty of RAM is essential for Apple Intelligence capabilities, so it's no surprise that all iPhone 16 handsets will have at least 8GB of memory.
- Upgraded Neural Engine:
According to a Taiwanese report, Apple's next-generation A18 chips will have an improved Neural Engine with "significantly" more cores. An improved Neural Engine should boost the performance of Apple Intelligence features and machine learning workloads. Apple's iPhone 12 through iPhone 15 models all have a 16-core Neural Engine. Despite little difference in core count across generations, Apple has managed to enhance performance in subsequent models.
- Ultra-Thin Bezel Technology:
According to one rumor, Apple intends to maximize the display size on the iPhone 16 series by implementing a new ultra-thin bezel technology. Apple will use Border Reduction Structure (BRS) technology to reduce the bezel at the bottom of the display. BRS accomplishes this by rolling up the internal copper wiring into a smaller package. Apple is apparently planning to use borderless display technology on all four iPhone 16 models, but the Pro models will have the tiniest bezels of any smartphone, surpassing the screen border thinness of even its most recent iPhone 15 Pro smartphones.
- New polished titanium finish:
According to one rumor, Apple will improve the finishing process for the titanium chassis on the iPhone 16 Pro versions. The new procedure will purportedly make the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max appear more polished than the iPhone 15 Pro models, which have a brushed surface. The upgraded manufacturing technique will produce a glossy finish similar to the heavily polished stainless steel material used in prior Pro iPhones. However, the new titanium coating will be less prone to scratches than stainless steel.
- Reduced lens flare
Apple is reportedly researching a new anti-reflective optical coating technology for its iPhone cameras, which might improve photo quality by minimizing artefacts such as lens flare and ghosting. Apple intends to include new atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology into the iPhone camera lens production process to apply the coating. ALD-applied materials can also shield the camera lens system from environmental damage while maintaining the sensor's capacity to record light properly.
- New Color:
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are rumored to come in black, white, or silver, grey or "Natural Titanium," and rose. This means that the Blue Titanium option for the iPhone 15 Pro will be phased out in favor of a new rose or rose gold titanium color, which may even seem bronze in some lighting settings. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to be released in black, green, pink, blue, and white. Compared to the iPhone 15, this indicates that white will replace yellow, while the other colors will stay same.
- 256GB Base Storage:
Apple is expected to offer both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with a minimum of 256GB storage, eliminating the 128GB starting option on its smaller Pro model for the first time, according to TrendForce. TrendForce believes Apple will use the same strategy for the iPhone 16 Pro model to cover the added cost of the new periscope lens.