This article was updated on 5/28/2024 to mention a new main sensor and ultra wide-angle camera lens coming to the Pro Max version of the iPhone. There is also information on what you can expect to see in iOS 18, with WWDC fast approaching.
You’ve probably already upgraded to the iPhone 15. But now that Samsung has its flagship fanfare for the Galaxy S24 series, it’s time to start talking about what’s next. The next major smartphone we expect from Apple is the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro series.
The rumors on this iPhone 16 began almost as soon as the iPhone 14 launched in late 2022. Back then, the gossip was that Apple would do away with the notch entirely in favor of a more seamless design. But then the regular iPhone 15 adopted it, so we’re left wondering what could be coming in the design pipeline.
Current rumors are trending toward a new stacked design for the rear-facing camera lenses on the regular iPhone 16. There may even be some help cutting down on lens flare, plus a better zoom to rival Samsung’s Galaxy Ultra. The iPhone 16 Pro could also have an additional input as a camera button. The iPhone 16 display sizes might come in four disparate offerings, the idea being there’s a little more something for everyone in the Pro tier. We won’t know anything until Apple reveals the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. But it’s fun to speculate about it all.
Timeline
When will the iPhone 16 arrive?
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are expected to arrive around the same time as the last decade of iPhone launches. There is an unspoken understanding that Apple refreshes the iPhone every fall with an upgraded look and new features. People still line up at the Apple Store for the iPhone launches.
Apple’s latest cadence has been to launch the iPhone after Labor Day, which is mid-September. If you’re keen on pre-ordering the day the iPhone 16 is announced, I’d hold off on making plans around then.
Display
How big will the iPhone 16 be?
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are expected to all have vastly different screen size offerings than previous generations. In the last few years, the Pro and regular models offered the same sized medium and large configurations. But this time, Apple is expected to make the Pro variants bigger than the regular phones.
The iPhone 16 is expected to be similar in size to the iPhone 15: a 6.1-inch display for the purported iPhone 16 and a 6.7-inch display for the iPhone 16 Plus. The iPhone 16 Pros will be bigger: 6.2 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro and “over” 6.8 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max—if the screen goes this big, it’s living up to its “max” name.
A report from overseas manufacturing suggests the iPhone’s display technology will incorporate a new OLED utilizing a micro-lens array (MLA). The new screens are expected to be brighter and more energy efficient.
iPhone 16 Design
Prepare to get more buttons in the next generation of the iPhone. The iPhone 16 is purported to get the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button. That’s the quick-press switch on the left side of the iPhone that replaces what used to be a physical mute switch. By default, the button mutes the system just like in old times, or you can go into the iOS settings to reconfigure the shortcut.
The haptic button that’s been rumored about for years may finally find a home in the iPhone 16 Pro. There are rumblings of a capture button located on the right side of the iPhone where cellular antennas typically reside. This could be the haptic area, called the Capture Button, with the ability to tap to snap a photo or slide up and down to zoom in and out. It would give the iPhone a more camera-like feel, and it’s not unlike the extra programmable button many Android manufacturers have tried before.
Expect the iPhone 16 to have a stacked camera array rather than the stove-top design that’s been around for what seems like eons. Some renders have depicted it in a pill shape, but it will likely stay square, as that has become the iPhone’s signature backside. A case design leak on China’s social network, Weibo, confirms the pill-shaped camera system on the regular iPhone 16.
Most recently, a convincing set of machined blanks appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, giving credence to the rumors. The blanks show three buttons on the same side as the volume rocker, insinuating that the Action Button is sure to come to all models. Everyone supposes the taptic Capture Button is on the other edge of the devices.
iPhone 16 Performance Rumors
A cooler Apple Bionic
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will probably follow in the footsteps of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Apple bumped up those phones to an A16 Bionic with ✨performance tweaks✨, and the iPhone 16 will likely do the same with the 15 Pro’s A17 Bionic. The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro will probably introduce us to the A18 Bionic.
There is a smattering of evidence suggesting Apple will stick to a conventional naming schematic and instead debut the A18 and A18 Pro Bionic, with the pro version offering an extra GPU core.
The iPhone 16 should run cooler after complaints that the iPhone 15 was doing too much in the heat department. A graphene heat sink could help mitigate the relative warmth of the iPhone chassis that caused so much stir last fall.
Improved cameras across the board
As I mentioned, the stacked cameras are coming to the back of the iPhone 16. There’s a reason for the layout: that particular camera array is best for recording spatial video content. It’s not hard to believe this as it seems like something that Apple would want to help justify the existence of its exorbitantly priced developer-centric AR headset, the Apple Vision Pro.
The iPhone 16 Pro will improve its far-away shooting capabilities. A super telephoto periscope camera could be on the way, which would help stabilize your hand as you attempt to shoot that bird in the sky on a nature hike.
According to a Weibo user scoped out by MacRumors, the main camera will improve over its predecessor, though it’s still labeled as a 48-MP sensor. The ultra-wide camera may also bump up with a higher resolution sensor and a larger aperture for clearer shots in wide-angle mode.
Have you ever been plagued by lens flare when shooting a sunset with your iPhone? Apple may be cutting down on that in the iPhone 16 Pro. Reports began percolating in April 2024 that Apple was working on a new lens coating that would help reduce the piercing effect that’s often a byproduct of having only a camera phone on hand.
iPhone 16 Software Rumors
iOS 18
With every new iPhone comes a new version of iOS. This year, iOS 18 will launch alongside the iPhone 16 series. We will know more once WWDC takes place on June 10. But, like the hardware, there’s plenty of conjecture to draw from.
The initial gossip was that iOS 18 would borrow some of its DNA from visionOS. MacRumors received a supposed iOS 18 design resource that offers some evidence around this notion. Even though the image is alleged, it aligns with other recent rumors about what iOS 18 will look like.
iOS 18 will likely have a bit of AI infusion than predicted. According to Bloomberg, Apple will couple “practical” AI features into iOS 18, including Safari, Photos, and Notes. There may also be “enhanced notifications” that summarize what someone said or the mood. Other AI features could include summarization of news posts, documents, and notes.
iOS 18 will supposedly feature a revamped home screen, but don’t go claiming it’s like Android just yet. Bloomberg reports that Apple will let users change the color of app icons and move them wherever rather than play around with custom widgets and spacers to achieve a designed look.
Generative emoji
The AI feature likely to be the most like the competition will likely be generative emojis. Apple has already hit a hit with its Memoji, and the company will likely develop software that generates a custom avatar with a few keywords.
Better Siri is on the way
If you were frustrated over Siri’s inability to understand you, hope may be on the horizon. The iPhone 16 is expected to have a better microphone for all your Siri queries—although I just whispered the name while typing it, the iPhone 15 Pro Max picked it up surprisingly quickly.
Trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a few AI-related predictions for the iPhone 16, including the fact that it will have a better signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio. With Google and Samsung positioning AI as the reason to buy their devices, it makes sense that Apple would pursue a similar route, at least for marketing purposes.
Wi-Fi 7 for all
That is goodnews for speed demons. The iPhone 16 Pro may have Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, a first for Apple’s mobile devices. The jump from Wi-Fi 6/6E to Wi-Fi 7 brings major bandwidth improvements, but it will only matter if you have the networking hardware at home to reach those speeds.
What you want from the iPhone 16
We asked Gizmodo readers what they want from the next iPhone release. Most of you plead for better battery life, smaller phones, and as little AI weaved into the software as possible.
Wait until the iPhone 17?
A report from The Elec suggests it might be worth the wait for the iPhone 17. The whispers from the manufacturing line indicate that 2025’s starting iPhone will usher in a better OLED display technology than what the big and small iPhone 15 uses and what will likely be on the iPhone 16. It will also have all the camera improvements mentioned here but applied to all three rear-facing sensors rather than a portion of them.
We’ll update this page periodically with new rumors about Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
Want more of Gizmodo’s consumer electronics picks? Check out our guides to the best laptops, best TVs, and best headphones. If you want to learn about the next big thing, see our guide to everything we know about the iPhone 16.
