It seems like just yesterday that Tim Cook and Apple announced the iPhone 15. But in all reality, that was back in September, and it is now December 2023. That means iPhone 16 rumors and leaks are running wild already.
Despite keeping a relatively similar design, the iPhone 16 is expected to bring in some pretty significant changes for the iPhone. Some of those changes include new, larger sizes for the iPhone 16. The lineup will also get new 3nm processors and new cameras, at least on the Pro models.
In this article, we will be rounding up all of the latest leaks, pricing, specs, and other features to expect on the new iPhone 16 series when it launches in September 2024. It’s hard to imagine that we are already on iPhone 16.
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iPhone 16 Release Date
At this point, it’d be very surprising to see the iPhone 16 launch at any other time than in September. Apple has been releasing the iPhone in the fall every year since the iPhone 4s in 2011. For the iPhone 16, it is expected to remain in September. Apple typically announces the iPhone in the second week of September. So far, 2022 was really the only exception, where it was announced the Wednesday after Labor Day. Most of the time, it is the week after, however.
Typically, Apple will announce the new iPhone on a Tuesday. Pre-orders start on Friday, with the iPhone being available in store the following Friday, basically ten days after the announcement. Sometimes, Apple makes announcements on Wednesdays, so it is possible that it could be a Wednesday announcement for the iPhone 16.
Price rumors
In the past few years, there have been many rumors about the price of the iPhone going up, at least in the US. Now the pricing has gone up in other regions, but in the US, it has mostly stayed the same since the iPhone X. The iPhone 15 Pro Max did technically get a price bump, however Apple ditched the 128GB model. So, the starting price is higher, but the 256GB Pro Max is the same price as before.
Currently, analysts are in disagreement over the pricing of the iPhone 16 series. Some analysts believe that the iPhone 16 could actually be cheaper than the iPhone 15. That’s because Apple is reportedly planning to switch the process it uses to manufacture iPhone chipsets in 2024, and that would impact iPhone prices for the end consumer. However, it could also be more expensive due to rising production costs and inflation. The iPhone 15 Pro Max actually cost Apple $588 to produce, which is a 12% increase over the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Pricing on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max (or Ultra) could also go up in 2024, with the two phones getting larger displays and new cameras. It also wouldn’t be that crazy to see the Pro models ditch the 128GB storage variant altogether. At this point, that would only mean the iPhone 16 Pro ditching it, though.
Currently, the pricing for the iPhone 15 series starts at $799. The iPhone 15 Plus is $899, the iPhone 15 Pro is $999, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max is $1,099 in the US. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see each one jump by $100. After all, these prices have not changed much in the past five years. They have also gone up in other regions over the past few years.
iPhone 16 to get larger Displays
The iPhone 16 series is set to finally get some different-size displays. Apple has stuck with these same sizes since around the iPhone 11, with a 6.1-inch and a 6.7-inch model in both the Pro and non-Pro. Of course, we didn’t have a non-Pro 6.7-inch iPhone until 2022 with the iPhone 14 Plus.
But in 2024, it looks pretty certain that the iPhone 16 Pro will jump up to a 6.3-inch display, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will move to a 6.9-inch display. Display analyst Ross Young is also reporting that the iPhone 16 Pro models will also get a taller aspect ratio, 19.6:9, which is still wider than most Android phones, but it will be narrower than previous iPhones. But not by much. The current iPhone 15 Pro Max has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.
9to5Mac has created some mock-ups to show us the difference between an iPhone 15 Pro Max with a 6.7-inch display and an iPhone 16 Pro Max with a 6.9-inch display.
Apple Track has also now posted concept renders of what the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will look like with these larger displays, as you can see below.
The iPhone 16 Pro models are set to get larger displays so more components can fit inside the phones. Both models are expected to see some pretty major camera upgrades. And Apple needs a bit more internal space to make these possible. And it’s rumored that Apple will rely almost solely on Samsung for panels for iPhone 16, as BOE is facing a setback right now.
For the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, we’re expecting that the displays will stick to the same sizes as previously. That means a 6.12-inch display for iPhone 16 and a 6.69-inch display for the iPhone 16 Plus. Both of these would stick with the same 19.5:9 aspect ratio and also stick with a 60Hz refresh rate. Something that got tech Twitter up in arms during the iPhone 15 launch earlier this year.
However, recently we have seen CADs come out for the new iPhone 16, which show a different design, almost a throwback. Thanks to Majin Bu on Twitter/X, we’ve seen a CAD of the iPhone 16 with vertical cameras. Similar to what the iPhone X and XS sported a few years ago. It’s been said that having the two cameras in vertical orientation would allow for better spatial video. Something that Apple is really touting now that the Vision Pro is out.
New design rumors
The iPhone has kept relatively the same design since the iPhone 11; some might argue the iPhone 12 is when Apple went to the flat side. And that’s perfectly fine. No smartphone company needs to do a complete redesign every year or even every couple of years. And that looks to be the same this year with the iPhone 16. The most significant design change we’re talking about is the camera module on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
Apple is rumored to be moving the cameras again on the non-Pro iPhones next year. So it’ll look more like the iPhone 12, where the cameras were lined up versus horizontally. The reason for this is actually for Spatial Video. A feature Apple added to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max this past year as they gear up for Vision Pro’s release. Spatial Videos are basically 3D videos that you can watch in virtual reality on the Vision Pro. And bringing the feature to all iPhone models is a big deal. Putting the cameras next to each other will result in better Spatial Videos versus the way they are set on the iPhone 15.
Another design rumor, which seems a bit far-fetched right now, is that the Face ID components could be hidden under the display. It would be very similar to the fingerprint sensors that are under-display on most Android phones (not foldables of course). This is supposedly going to be a stop-gap for Apple, whose goal is to create a completely uninterrupted, cut-out-less iPhone display.
This one does seem pretty far-fetched and something I wouldn’t expect to see on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max next year. These rumors come out of Korea, including from Ming-Chi Kuo, who is typically spot on, but sometimes his timelines are wrong since he gets info so early.
The last rumor so far is about a new button being added. Apple could be adding a Capture button to the side of the iPhone, in addition to the Action Button. Apple is also set to include the Action Button across the entire iPhone 16 lineup next year. This button is reportedly going to respond to touch and pressure for zooming and focusing. Making it an all-in-one button for taking photos.
iPhone 16 Camera rumors
For the iPhone 15 series, the Pro Max model got the big camera upgrades, including a new tetraprism sensor. But with the iPhone 16 series, that sensor is set to debut on the smaller iPhone 16 Pro. That tetraprism sensor that enables 5x zoom will be available on the smaller iPhone in 2024. At the same time, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is set to get a “super-telephoto” sensor.
The term “super-telephoto” is used to describe lenses that are over 300mm in focal length. These are the types of cameras that you see used at sporting events or when trying to capture wildlife. For comparison, Apple’s current tetraprism lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is capable of 5x zoom, is only 120mm. At the same time, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra with 10x zoom is only a focal length of 230mm. So this could likely be a 12x zoom that Apple is looking to add on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Both of the Pro models are also expected to see nice upgrades to the ultrawide cameras. It is going from 12 megapixels up to 48 megapixels. This would be a big deal for those macro shots that are using the ultrawide sensor. Giving it more detail that it can pull in, as well as more light.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are set to get basically the same cameras as the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. That includes the 48-megapixel primary sensor, as well as the 12-megapixel ultrawide.
Other iPhone 16 Features
It’s pretty much set in stone that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max/Ultra will be using the A18 Pro chipset. Apple moved to the “Pro” moniker with the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro chipset. Typically, Apple will change these monikers based on the process that they are using. So moving to 4nm saw the change to Bionic, and now 3nm saw the change to Pro.
So far, we don’t know a ton about this new chipset, but we do believe that it will be built on the N3E 3-nanometer node, which should improve efficiency and performance even more. Other than that, we don’t really know what to expect with this new chipset just yet. That will come in the next few months, however.
Apple is also expected to support WiFi 7 and add a new 5G modem on the iPhone 16 Pro models. WiFi 7 isn’t a big deal, as the standard is only just now getting finalized. This means that WiFi 7 routers are still a few months out, and they will remain at a pretty high price tag for quite some time. However, a new 5G modem would help with speed and efficiency.
For battery capacities, we have seen some batteries leak out over Twitter in the past month or so. It looks like the iPhone 16 Pro is getting a 3555mAh capacity battery – that’s about a 3% increase. This is generally about the increase we see in year-to-year upgrades. So it’s not that big of a surprise. But this year, it appears that the battery is going to be using a metal enclosure, which will help with heat and also help the battery’s health last longer.
So, with the iPhone 16 series, we aren’t expecting incredible updates to the lineup, but there are going to be lots of smaller upgrades, which will make for an attractive upgrade, especially for those with an iPhone 13 or older.
