Apple iPhone 16 series: what is known so far
Apple usually releases its new iPhone series in the fall. This year, September 10 has already been mentioned as a possible announcement date. That means we are only a month away from the launch of the Apple iPhone 16. As with the iPhone 15 series, this year’s lineup is expected to remain at four models – the iPhone 16, the Plus, the Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, there are many design differences and new features to come. We have summarized the biggest rumors about the new Apple phones.
Larger displays
According to rumors, this year’s iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will get larger displays, growing to 6.27 and 6.86 inches respectively. For comparison: The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are equipped with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays respectively. The new display sizes would be the largest ever for the iPhone.
Vertical camera arrangement on the Apple iPhone 16
Apple’s base iPhone 16 models will feature a vertical camera arrangement with a pill-shaped raised surface, rather than a diagonal camera arrangement like the iPhone 15. The new camera raise features two separate camera rings for the wide and ultra wide cameras. The vertical camera arrangement is said to enable spatial video recording, which is currently limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models.
Battery capacities
Rumors suggest that the Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have larger batteries than their predecessors. The smaller iPhone 16 Pro could see the biggest improvement, while the Plus may have a smaller capacity. The iPhone 16 is said to have a 6% increase over the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 Pro Max a 5% increase, and the iPhone 16 Pro a 9% increase. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Plus is rumored to have a 9% smaller battery. On the other hand, Apple could potentially also use stacked battery technology to increase energy density and extend the lifespan of the entire lineup.
Capture button
All iPhone 16 models will have a new “capture button” that can be used to trigger image or video recording. The button offers features such as the ability to zoom in and out by swiping left and right on the button. A light press brings a subject into focus, a harder press takes a photo. The capture button is located on the bottom right of the iPhone 16 and replaces the mmWave antenna on US iPhone models. This moves to the left side of the device below the volume and action buttons.
New ultra-wide camera
The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to feature an improved 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens that should capture more light, resulting in better photos when shooting in 0.5x mode, especially in low-light conditions. This also means that iPhone 16 Pro models should be able to capture 48-megapixel ProRAW photos in ultra-wide-angle mode. These photos retain more detail in the image file, allowing for more flexibility when editing, and can be printed at large sizes. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is also rumored to have a larger main camera, thanks to an advanced, custom-built 48-megapixel Sony IMX903 sensor.
New telephoto camera on the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro Max could be the first to feature a super-telephoto periscope camera for significantly increased optical zoom. “Super” or “ultra” telephoto usually refers to cameras with a focal length of over 300mm. The current telephoto lens is equivalent to a 77mm lens. So if it’s true, the zoom capabilities could be significantly improved. Super telephoto cameras are often used for sports and wildlife photography. But the extremely soft backgrounds they create make them useful for portrait photography too. Provided there’s enough distance between the subject and the photographer, of course.
Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7
Apple’s 2024 iPhone Pro models are expected to get Wi-Fi 7. This will allow data transfers over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz bands simultaneously. This should result in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency and more reliable connectivity. With technologies like 4K QAM, Wi-Fi 7 is also expected to offer peak data transfer speeds of over 40Gbps. That would be four times faster than Wi-Fi 6E. Rumors say that the Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus only support Wi-Fi 6E. However, the 6 GHz band allows for faster wireless speeds and less signal interference.
All Apple iPhone 16 models with new A18 chipsets
Apple’s next-generation A18 Pro chip is expected to be manufactured using TSMC’s second-generation 3 nm process, also known as N3E. According to reports, all four iPhone 16 models will be equipped with A18 chips. But Apple could still differentiate between a standard A18 and an A18 Pro. It makes sense that all four iPhone 16 models have the same A18 chip. Because it is the basis for the new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18. Apple Intelligence requires a powerful chip for the AI features to run on the device. Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can use Apple Intelligence.
Qualcomm 5G modem
Apple is expected to use Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X75 modem in this year’s Pro and Pro Max models. The Snapdragon X75 includes improved carrier aggregation and other technological advancements for faster 5G download and upload speeds compared to the X70 in the iPhone 15 models. The modem’s combined mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G transceiver also takes up 25% less space on the board. At the same time, power consumption is expected to drop by up to 20%. The standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to keep the Snapdragon X70 modem.
Tetraprism lens on the Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Both iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to have a 5x optical zoom. This is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple’s tetraprism lens system has a “folded” design. It offers up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom in a compact space. In contrast, the current iPhone 15 Pro is limited to up to 3x optical zoom, just like the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Microlens OLED displays
Apple is reportedly considering using microlens technology to maintain or increase the brightness of the OLED displays on next year’s iPhone 16 models while reducing their power consumption. MLA works by using a uniform pattern of billions of lenses inside the panel that reduces internal reflections. These lenses direct the path of light reflected from the inside of the panel back to the screen. This can either increase perceived brightness while maintaining the same power consumption. Or maintain brightness and reduce power consumption compared to traditional OLED panels at the same luminance.
Action button
The iPhone 15 Pro models already have an action button. And in 2024, this will be expanded to all iPhone 16 variants. The Action button used across the iPhone 16 lineup will be the same as the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro. The Action button, which replaces the Mute Switch, can perform multiple functions. These include activating the flashlight, turning on the camera, launching a shortcut, enabling or disabling a focus mode, using Translate, turning silent mode on/off, and more.
40W fast charging and 20W MagSafe on the Apple iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
According to a recurring rumor, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will support 40-watt wired fast charging and 20-watt MagSafe charging. Currently, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro manage a maximum of 27 watts with the appropriate USB-C power adapter. Official MagSafe chargers from Apple and authorized third-party suppliers also deliver 15 watts wirelessly. The charging boost is intended to compensate and improve the problem of longer charging time due to the increased battery capacity.
Better microphone, better Siri
Apple is reportedly planning a major upgrade to the iPhone 16’s microphone to improve interaction with an Apple Intelligence-powered Siri. New features include context awareness, semantic indexing, app control, and “screen awareness.” Apple’s Siri AI ambitions will rely heavily on improved voice input processing. And the new microphone should offer a significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio.
New thermal design with lower heat generation
Apple is rumored to be working on a graphene thermal system for the iPhone 16 series. The iPhone 16 Pro models could also get metal battery casings for heat dissipation. Graphene has a high thermal conductivity that surpasses that of copper, which is currently used in iPhone heat sinks. Another source has claimed that iPhone 16 models will come with a “larger graphite plate” in the casing of the devices. This is also intended to prevent possible overheating. The step could be a reaction to widespread overheating problems with the iPhone 15 Pro, which Apple has fixed with a software update.
More storage for the Apple iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max come with double the maximum storage capacity. In contrast to the iPhone 15 Pro, the storage increases from 1 TB to 2 TB. The move could be a result of Apple’s switch to Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND flash with a higher storage density. At the same time, QLC NAND should be cheaper than Triple-Level Cell (TLC) NAND in the current iPhones. On the other hand, QLC has comparatively slower read and write speeds.
And more RAM on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are rumored to both have 8GB of RAM. That would be a slight increase over the 6GB of RAM on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. More RAM should mean improved performance when multitasking on the iPhone. Apple has already hinted that Apple Intelligence features require a lot of RAM, so it may not be a coincidence that all devices in the iPhone 16 lineup will have at least 8GB of RAM.
Improved Neural Engine
According to a Taiwanese report, Apple’s next-generation A18 chips will feature an improved Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores. An improved Neural Engine should improve the performance of Apple Intelligence features and machine learning tasks. Apple’s iPhone 12 through iPhone 15 models all contain a 16-core Neural Engine. Although there is no difference in the number of cores between generations, Apple has still managed to improve performance in successive models.
Ultra-thin display bezels
According to a rumor, Apple plans to maximize the display size of the iPhone 16 series by using a new ultra-thin bezel technology. Apple will use Border Reduction Structure (BRS) technology to minimize the bezel at the bottom of the display. BRS achieves this by rolling up the internal copper wiring into a more compact package. Apple reportedly plans to apply the edge-to-edge display technology to all four iPhone 16 models, but the Pro models will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone, even surpassing the screen edge thinness of the latest iPhone 15 Pro devices.
Polished titanium finish
According to a rumor, Apple will use an improved finishing process for the titanium body on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The new process is said to make the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max look more polished than the iPhone 15 Pro models, which have a brushed finish. The improved manufacturing process will result in a shiny appearance that is more similar to the highly polished stainless steel material used in previous Pro iPhones. However, the new titanium finish will be less susceptible to scratches compared to stainless steel.
Fewer lens flares
Apple is reportedly testing a new optical anti-reflective coating technology for its iPhone cameras that could improve the quality of photos by reducing artifacts such as lens flares and ghosting. Apple plans to bring new atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment into the iPhone camera lens manufacturing process to apply the coating. ALD-applied materials can also protect the camera lens system from environmental damage without affecting the sensor’s ability to capture light effectively.
New Colors
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max should come in black, white, or silver, gray or “Natural Titanium,” and rose. This suggests that the iPhone 15 Pro’s Blue Titanium option will be discontinued and replaced with a new rose color that could even appear bronze under certain lighting conditions. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to come in black, green, pink, blue, and white. Compared to the iPhone 15, this means white will replace yellow, while the other colors will remain the same.
