The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to hit store shelves in September 2024, but despite being in the distant future, leaks of the next-generation flagship line have been flooding in – even before the iPhone 15 was announced.
Although it’s early days, we’re already hearing whispers about a memory boost for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, on the other hand, are reportedly getting some striking upgrades to the cameras that may dazzle the masses. Here’s a compilation of everything we know so far about the iPhone 15’s successor.
iPhone 16 release date
The iPhone 16 release date is expected to be September of next year. After Apple has its whole shebang of an event showcasing the next-generation handsets, the iPhones ship about a week or two later.
iPhone 15 Credit: AppleIn the past, Apple has deviated from this cadence due to reported production hindrances (e.g., supply chain issues). For example, the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 14 Plus shipped in October, but typically, iPhones roll out in September every year.
iPhone 16 design
Let’s dive into arguably the most important aspect of the iPhone’s design: the screen. There haven’t been any significant changes to the display sizes since the iPhone 12, but according to reliable leaker Unknownz21, the upper-tier iPhone 16 models are going to be a little bit more unwieldy in your hands.
Display
The iPhone 16 Pro will reportedly have a 6.3-inch display while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will pack a 6.9-inch panel. You may be wondering, “What about the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus? Will they get a screen size bump, too?” The answer is likely no. The lower-tier models will reportedly have the same display sizes as their predecessors.
iPhone 15 screen sizes
iPhone 15 - 6.1 inches
iPhone 15 Plus - 6.7 inches
iPhone 15 Pro - 6.1 inches
iPhone 15 Pro Max - 6.7 inches
iPhone 16 screen sizes (rumored)
iPhone 16 - 6.1 inches
iPhone 16 Plus - 6.7 inches
iPhone 16 Pro - 6.3 inches
iPhone 16 Pro Max - 6.9 inches
Ross Young, a well-known display analyst and Apple leaker, was the first to claim that the iPhone 16 Pro models will have larger screens.
However, he offered slightly different numbers: 6.2 inches and 6.8 inches. What could be the reason behind the discrepancy? According to MacRumors, it’s "likely due to the difference between actual display area and viewable display area."
Solid-state buttons
Apple reportedly planned on introducing solid-state buttons with the iPhone 15 Pro models, but instead, we got a customizable action button. For the uninitiated, solid-state buttons aren’t buttons per se – they’re panels that feature haptic feedback sensations that simulate real button presses (Think of the iPhone SE series' Home button). On the plus side, the solid-state buttons aren’t totally out of the picture. According to respected Apple leaker and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on debuting solid-state buttons on the iPhone 16 Pro models instead.
Kuo added that these solid-state buttons will add two additional Taptic Engines, which will help fire off tangible feedback to users. (If this is true, the number of Taptic Engines in the iPhone 16 will increase to three — up from one.)
iPhone 16 cameras
Apple debuted a new zoom lens with a "tetra-prism" design on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which simply means that engineers found a way to "fold" the shooter so that it still has telephoto capabilities without taking up too much space. This new camera increases the Pro Max’s optical zoom from 3x to 5x.
iPhone 15 Pro Credit: AppleHowever, according to Digital Chat Station (DCS), a bean-spiller on the Chinese social media site Weibo, both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will get the new tetra-prism telephoto camera.
According to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst from Haitong International Securities (a Hong Kong investment firm), the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models will also feature a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera with better light gathering. As such, camera performance in dimmer environments should improve. As it stands now, the iPhone 16 Pro models have a 12MP ultrawide camera. The ultrawide camera is perfect for taking landscape photos, allowing you to capture more scenery. However, compared to the main camera, the ultrawide lens tends to deliver a slight drop in crispness and sharpness. If this rumor is true, the new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera may ameliorate this minor foible.
Finally, Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple will upgrade the rear cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro models, introducing a stacked design. What will a stacked design do? According to Apple Insider, it increases light capture and provides wider dynamic range, so Night Mode should get a sweet boost.
iPhone 16 specs
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are equipped with 8GB of RAM while the lower-tier models, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max, are stuck with their predecessors’ 6GB of RAM. If that bums you out, don’t worry. According to Pu, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to join the 8GB of RAM bandwagon, too.
iPhone 15 lineup Credit: AppleAs for the chip, you may not be happy to read this, but Pu added that the A17 Pro’s successor will reportedly be less efficient. In other words, the iPhone 16 models equipped with this chip may take a battery life hit. This is because the next-generation chip will offer tremendous performance gains at the expense of power efficiency. We certainly hope this rumor isn’t true, but time will tell.
The iPhone 16 Pro models will also reportedly support Wi-Fi 7 (current models support WiFi 6E). Wi-Fi 7 should offer zippy transfer speeds that exceed 40 Gbps, quadrupling what WiFi 6E can do.
We’ll periodically update this rumor hub as new iPhone 16 leaks trickle in, so be sure to bookmark this page.
