Markerman recently reported that Apple might schedule this year’s iPhone event for September 10th. This means that we’re less than one month away from the iPhone 16 announcement.
iPhone 16 lineup
Starting off, Apple is expected to release four different models, just like in previous years: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. The company is also expected to increase the size of the iPhone 16 Pro to 6.3 inches and the Pro Max to 6.9 inches. To give you a better idea of the size difference, the iPhone 15 Pro has a 6.1-inch display, and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display.
With that said, the size and weight of these iPhones are also going to increase a little, which unfortunately means that we won’t be able to use our iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max cases on the new ones. As for the base models, they’re likely going to remain the same size-wise.
iPhone 16 display
Apple might be able to increase the screen size on the iPhone 16 series by using a new ultra-thin bezel technology, according to a rumor. They plan to use border reduction structure tech to shrink the bottom bezel, which works by tightly packing the internal copper wiring. The rumor suggests that all four iPhone 16 models will have this borderless display, but the Pro models will have the thinnest bezels, even slimmer than the iPhone 15 Pro.
Additionally, Apple is reportedly considering using microlens technology in the iPhone 16 models to maintain or boost the brightness of their OLED displays while possibly lowering power use. This technology works by adding billions of tiny lenses inside the screen, which reduce internal reflections. These lenses redirect light that would normally bounce back, either making the screen look brighter without using more power or keeping the same brightness while using less energy compared to regular OLED panels.
iPhone 16 camera features
The iPhone 16 base models will have a vertical camera setup with a pill-shaped bump, replacing the diagonal camera layout found on the iPhone 15. This new design includes two distinct camera rings for the wide and ultra-wide lenses. The vertical arrangement is anticipated to support spatial video recording, a feature currently only available on the iPhone 15 Pro models.
Additionally, all iPhone 16 models might feature a new capture button for taking photos and videos. This button will allow you to zoom by swiping left or right, focus on a subject with a light tap, and start a recording with a firmer press. The capture button will be located on the bottom right side of the iPhone 16, replacing the millimeter wave antenna on US models, which will be moved to the left side, below the volume and action buttons.
iPhone users are always happy to hear about camera upgrades, and yes, the new iPhone 16 Pro models might have an improved 48MP ultra-wide lens for better low-light photography. It would work similarly to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 48MP wide camera, which combines data from four pixels into one superpixel to improve image quality. But what I’m most excited about is that both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max might have 5x telephoto lenses in 2024, not just the bigger Pro Max. The iPhone 16 Pro Max might also be the first to include a super telephoto periscope camera, offering significantly more zoom. Super or ultra-telephoto typically refers to cameras with a focal length over 300mm. Currently, the regular telephoto lens is equivalent to a 77mm lens, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max telephoto lens is equivalent to a 120mm lens. So this could mean a substantial boost in zoom.
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus get an action button
This year, there’s no new feature coming to Action Button, unfortunately. But it’s likely going to be available on all base models as well this year. The action button replaces the mute switch and allows users to configure it to turn on the flashlight, open the camera, launch a shortcut, enable a focus mode, enable or disable silent mode, and much more.
iPhone 16 battery life
The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are rumored to come with larger batteries than their predecessors, with the smaller iPhone 16 Pro likely seeing the biggest boost. According to the Weibo leaker Instant Digital, the iPhone 16 Pro will feature a 3,577mAh battery, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 4,676mAh battery. The iPhone 16 Pro shows the most significant jump in battery capacity compared to the previous Pro model, with an increase of over 9%, while the 16 Pro Max, though not as significant, still sees a boost of over 5%. Combined with efficiency enhancements, these increases should allow both devices to provide longer usage times on a single charge.
Additionally, both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are expected to feature stacked battery technology, which increases energy density and extends battery life.
Still talking about batteries, another report claims that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will support 40W wired charging and 20W MagSafe charging. The iPhones 15 Pro and Pro Max currently charge at up to 27W with a USB-C cable.
Next, according to the information, the iPhone 16 models will have a larger graphite sheet inside the chassis to reduce overheating. This aligns with information previously shared by the leaker Kosutami, who said that Apple is working on a graphene thermal system for the iPhone 16 to solve the heating problem.
iPhone 16 colors
The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are expected to come in darker black, white or silver, gray or natural titanium, and a new rose color, which might look bronze in some lighting. This indicates that the blue titanium option from the iPhone 15 Pro could be discontinued. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are rumored to be available in black, green, pink, blue, and white.
According to a rumor, Apple plans to improve the titanium finish on the iPhone 16 Pro models. This new process will give the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max a shinier appearance compared to the brushed finish on the iPhone 15 Pro models. The result will be a glossy look, similar to the polished stainless steel on earlier Pro iPhones, but the titanium finish will be more resistant to scratches than stainless steel.
Now, how do you feel about this change? I do love the brushed titanium, and I’m not sure how I feel about the glossy look coming back yet, but let me know your thoughts down below in the comments.
iPhone 16 processors: A18 chip for all
As always, Apple is developing new chips for the newest iPhones, and this year, Apple is expected to release the latest A-series chips produced with the 3nm process, likely bringing efficiency and performance improvements. All four iPhone 16 models are likely going to come with an A18 chip, but Apple might still distinguish between the standard and Pro models by naming them A18 and A18 Pro. It’s logical for all iPhone 16 models to share the A18 chip, as the upcoming Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18 will need powerful hardware for on-device AI processing. Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can utilize Apple Intelligence.
iPhone 16 storage capacity
The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max might offer up to 2TB of storage, which is double the 1TB amount available on the iPhone 15 Pro models. This increase could be due to Apple’s switch to quad-level cell storage, which is a denser storage technology that would allow for higher storage capacity. As for memory, Apple’s next-generation iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models could both feature 8GB of RAM, which is an increase over the 6GB of RAM in the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. This means that all four models might have 8GB of RAM.
Next-generation Wi-Fi 7 technology
Last but not least, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, it’s possible that the iPhone 16 Pro models might use next-generation Wi-Fi 7 technology. This tech is anticipated to offer speeds of at least 30Gbps, with the potential to reach up to 40Gbps.
That’s everything you can expect for the iPhone 16 release for now. iPhone 16 event would be Sept. 10 this year. Definitely check in for more Apple updates.