iPhone 16: Every little thing we all know thus far

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By Calvin S. Nelson


We’re getting nearer to the launch of the iPhone 16 sequence. The brand new handsets will likely be introduced throughout Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” occasion on September 9, 2024, and they’ll succeed the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Professional fashions.

The iPhone 16 is anticipated to have extra important adjustments than the iPhone 15 and ought to be an thrilling launch certainly. We’ve gathered all the most important information, leaks, and reviews for you right here. Let’s dive in.

iPhone 16: launch date

Apple

Apple has formally introduced its subsequent occasion, “It’s Glowtime,” for September 9, 2024. That is once we count on the iPhone 16 line, the Apple Watch Sequence 10, and extra to be introduced.

Traditionally, preorders for the brand new telephones will open up early Friday morning, with the telephones launched the next Friday. The September 9 announcement date probably means September 13 for preorders and September 20 for normal availability.

Apple is anticipating large issues from the iPhone 16. After seeing iPhone gross sales slide 10% earlier this yr, it’s hoping to see a rebound for the remainder of 2024. The explanation? Every new cellphone will probably ship with a number of the introduced Apple Intelligence options in iOS 18.

iPhone 16: potential worth

A natural titanium iPhone 15 Pro (left) and a green iPhone 15 on a Haunted Mansion wallpaper placemat.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Tendencies

Although it was anticipated that the iPhone 15 lineup would have a worth improve, that didn’t occur apart from the iPhone 15 Professional Max mannequin, which now begins at $1,200 for the 256GB model (there isn’t any longer a 128GB variant). That was the one one within the iPhone 15 lineup that noticed a “worth improve,” if you wish to name it that.

Apple’s iPhone 15 part costs have been the very best, although it absorbed these elevated manufacturing prices. Nevertheless, that won’t occur in 2024, so we may even see a slight improve for all iPhone 16 fashions.

How a lot of a potential improve has but to be seen.

iPhone 16: design

iPhone 16 dummy units.
iPhone 16 dummy fashions Sonny Dickson

There will likely be some large adjustments coming for the iPhone 16 lineup, most notably the usual iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

Earlier reviews from MacRumors advised three completely different prototype designs for the iPhone 16, however the newest leak appears to verify which one we’re getting.

For the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, Apple is departing from the diagonal digital camera structure that it has been utilizing for the previous few years. As a substitute, it’s going with the vertical pill-shaped digital camera island, much like what we first noticed on the iPhone X, besides a bit greater as a result of lenses and sensors.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max renders based on design documentation.
MacRumors

Any design adjustments for the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max could also be much less drastic, as Apple appears to be fairly content material with the adjustments it launched with the iPhone 15 Professional. Nevertheless, a more moderen leak from dependable tipster Ice Universe means that the iPhone 16 Professional will scale back the bezel much more drastically, making it an excellent narrower bezel cellphone than the Samsung Galaxy S24. This may occasionally translate to 1.2mm bezels on the iPhone 16 Professional and 1.15mm bezels on the iPhone 16 Professional Max.

My good friend confirmed that iPhone 16 Professional will scale back bezel, surpassing Galaxy S24 to develop into the world's narrowest bezel cell phone, which appears to be very near the dream kind.

— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) June 2, 2024

Studies have advised that the brand new Seize button will likely be capacitive slightly than bodily, and it’ll sit flush with the cellphone’s body. Since it’s rumored to be a Seize button, it is going to almost certainly be capable to act as a digital camera shutter button, although it may be customizable, just like the Motion button. Since it’s prone to be touch-based, it may carry out completely different actions by means of gestures like swiping. The Seize button may be utilized by third-party builders for their very own digital camera apps.

This rumor might have simply been confirmed by leaker Majin Bu, who uploaded two pictures of the iPhone 16 Professional case, displaying bigger digital camera cutouts. The bigger digital camera sensor would correspond with the rumor that the 12MP ultrawide digital camera is ready to get replaced with a bigger 48MP Sony IMX903 sensor (extra on that under).

Within the iPhone 16 Professional case the digital camera module is large pic.twitter.com/i847JqKSwt

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) Could 28, 2024

The wi-fi antenna will likely be relocated to the opposite aspect of the iPhone to accommodate this new capacitive button. The Motion button can also be bigger on the iPhone 16 Professional fashions than on the present iPhone 15 Professional.

Though iPhone design adjustments are by no means confirmed till Apple exhibits off the cellphone itself, it appears to be like like these rumors have some weight to them. In early April, well-known Apple leaker Sonny Dickson shared pictures of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional dummy fashions — reiterating all the design adjustments talked about above.

iPhone 16 lineup dummy models.
SonnyDickson / X

A YouTube channel referred to as EFTM acquired some steel dummy items of what seems to be the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Professional, and iPhone 16 Professional Max. Dummy items are essential for case and accent producers as a result of they make their equipment primarily based on these items in order that they’re accessible in time for the precise product launch. The dummy items that EFTM has acquired seem to verify the vertical digital camera modules for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

EXCLUSIVE – iPhone 16 – New Digital camera button throughout the vary!

Nevertheless, there’s a notable element on all the dummy items: the Motion and Seize buttons. Each of those buttons may present up throughout your entire iPhone 16 lineup. Earlier rumors hinted on the Motion button coming to the usual iPhone 16 fashions, however the Seize button was beforehand reported to be solely on the Professional fashions. Assuming these fashions are correct, that seems to be altering.

Side view of the iPhone 16 dummy models showing Action buttons and Capture buttons.
SonnyDickson / X

Because the Seize button will likely be positioned on the telephones’ backside proper edge, it’s one other indication that Apple may take away the bodily SIM card utterly in different nations. Apple moved to eSIM-only within the U.S., beginning with the iPhone 14 line, and now it appears to be like like that change could possibly be coming to different components of the globe.

A photo showing four dummy models of the iPhone 16 series.
Sonny Dickson / X

Talking of dummy items, extra leaked in late April when Sonny Dickson uploaded the above photograph to X (previously Twitter). These specific dummies are extra complete-looking and supply an excellent clearer view of what this yr’s iPhone lineup ought to appear to be.

Extra lately, some leaked molds appeared on-line from ShopSystem. The molds present the MagSafe charging ring being barely smaller within the iPhone 16 fashions when positioned side-by-side with the iPhone 15 fashions. If correct, it means that Apple has tried to slim down the MagSafe parts to cut back the magnetic materials required, although the general place of the magnets hasn’t modified. That’s a great factor as a result of it implies that older MagSafe equipment ought to proceed to work with the brand new fashions.

iPhone 16 Pro dummy units.
iPhone 16 Professional dummy items Sonny Dickson

So far as colours go, it appears to be like like the bottom mannequin iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 plus will likely be coming in 5 colours as a substitute of seven as was beforehand rumored. The 5 colours look like white, black, blue, inexperienced, and pink. Nevertheless, it’s essential to notice that the colours seem rather more saturated than the earlier iPhone 15 lineup, which will be seen as a great factor.

For the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max, it seems to have 4 potential colours: white titanium, black titanium, pure titanium, and an all-new bronze coloration that could possibly be referred to as “desert titanium.” This new coloration would substitute the blue titanium possibility that the iPhone 15 Professional got here in, nevertheless it appears to be like like a far cry from the rose gold that was initially rumored. One other leak from Majin Bu on X appears to verify this new darkish gold coloration with a close-up of the digital camera ring.

The iphone 16 and 16 Pro Camera Rings.
Majin Bu on X

Apple can be upgrading the microphones on the iPhone 16 lineup to have a better signal-to-noise ratio than earlier iterations. This implies the gadget will be capable to hear you extra clearly, which may assist with Siri requests. With reviews suggesting iOS 18 can have extra generative AI options, a extra correct Siri could be a lot wanted.

iPhone 16: shows

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max larger displays.
MacRumors

There could also be some adjustments coming for the show sizes of the iPhone 16 Professional fashions. Nevertheless, the usual iPhone 16 variants will keep the identical.

The iPhone 16 Professional show could also be elevated to six.3 inches, up from the present 6.1 inches. The bigger iPhone 16 Professional Max will likely be 6.9 inches slightly than 6.7 inches.

With the smaller iPhone 16 Professional getting a bump in measurement, this can make it potential to suit a bigger telephoto digital camera lens in it, permitting for the 5x optical zoom that debuted within the iPhone 15 Professional Max. Attributable to measurement constraints of the 6.1-inch measurement, the tetraprism lens wasn’t in a position to match, however a 6.3-inch chassis can change that.

Apple will likely be shrinking bezels throughout the board, although the true advantages will likely be extra apparent on the Professional fashions. A brand new report has surfaced revealing that Apple is utilizing a brand new show know-how referred to as Border Discount Construction (BRS), which lets suppliers scale back the scale of these black borders across the display screen.

We may additionally get brighter shows and extra environment friendly energy consumption, as Apple is reportedly utilizing microlens know-how within the iPhone 16 OLED panels.

A report from The Elec means that the iPhone 17 line will mark the primary time that every one fashions, together with the bottom ones, will use LTPO OLED panels with ProMotion and always-on screens. Sadly, the bottom iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus ought to nonetheless have a 60Hz refresh price show.

Additionally from The Elec, mass manufacturing of the OLED display screen for the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and 16 Professional are set to start following Apple’s remaining approval. The iPhone 16 Professional Max OLED display screen remains to be being tweaked by Apple and will not get remaining approval for manufacturing till the tip of June. The panels ought to be manufactured by three OLED suppliers, together with Samsung Show, which can make panels for all 4 iPhone 16 fashions; LG, which can make panels for the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max; and BOE, which will likely be accountable for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

iPhone 16: specs

Presenting the A17 Pro silicon on stage at Apple Event.
Apple

For the bottom mannequin iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, we must always see an A17 chip. Nevertheless, this will not be the identical A17 Professional chip that’s presently contained in the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max. Apple will probably use a lower-cost course of for the standard “A17” chip that would attain the usual iPhone 16 fashions.

Analyst Jeff Pu thinks Apple will go a distinct route and easily use the A18 and A18 Professional names for the brand new chips. This might imply that every one iPhone 16 fashions would have some variation of an A18 chip slightly than going with an A17, which could possibly be seen as a “last-generation” chip.

This information appeared to have been confirmed with the same report from one other supply in July.

Whereas overheating was a problem with launch-day iPhone 15 fashions, it’s stated that Apple has labored on a brand new thermal design to assist with warmth dissipation. This could possibly be within the type of a graphene thermal system for the bottom iPhone 16 fashions, whereas the iPhone 16 Professional might need a steel battery casing. Proper now, the iPhone makes use of copper for the warmth sinks, however graphene has greater thermal conductivity.

There have been rumors that Apple has been working by itself in-house 5G modem chips, however that received’t occur in 2024. As a substitute, the iPhone 16 Professional might use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem for quicker and extra environment friendly 5G connectivity. Nevertheless, the base-model iPhone 16 will proceed to make use of the Qualcomm X70 chip that’s presently within the iPhone 15. The iPhone 16 may even have Wi-Fi 7 know-how that would get at the very least 30 gigabits per second, as much as 40Gb/s.

iPhone 16: cameras

The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera and logo.
Andy Boxall / Digital Tendencies

As talked about earlier, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus can have a dual-camera structure offered in a vertical pill-shaped digital camera island. The iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max seem to have the identical triple-lens digital camera structure as has been used previously few years.

A latest leak has given us all the small print on the digital camera specs for each the usual iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional fashions.

For the iPhone 16’s dual-camera system, we’ve a 48MP major large digital camera with f/1.6 aperture and optical high quality 2x zoom. The ultrawide lens will nonetheless have 0.5x zoom, however the aperture will likely be improved to f/2.2 from f/2.4. This might imply higher lowlight photographs with the ultrawide digital camera. And Apple seems to be including in a macro pictures mode for the common iPhone 16 fashions for the primary time.

With the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max, the triple-lens digital camera system will include a 48MP major large digital camera with f/1.78 aperture, a 12MP telephoto lens with f/2.8 aperture and 5x optical zoom (together with the smaller Professional), and a brand new 48MP ultrawide digital camera with f/2.2 aperture (up from f/2.4) for higher lowlight efficiency.

iPhone 16: battery life

Battery settings on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Joe Maring / Digital Tendencies

We might lastly see higher battery life with the iPhone 16 Professional sequence, because it’s rumored to make use of stacked battery know-how. With stacked batteries, it can lead to greater capability and longer lifespans. This may occasionally additionally carry quicker 40W wired and 20W MagSafe charging speeds.

Apple has lengthy lacked in charging pace. If the iPhone 16 actually addresses this, we could possibly be in for a correct deal with.

In accordance with @MajinBuOfficial, we even have a good suggestion of what to anticipate from the batteries in your entire iPhone 16 lineup, with adjustments throughout the board. The leaker claims that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional Max can have bigger batteries than their predecessors. Nevertheless, the iPhone 16 Plus will get the quick finish of the stick and really have much less battery capability than earlier than. The Professional Max mannequin may even not use the L-shaped battery design and can return to an oblong form like on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.

In accordance with an earlier leak by @MajinBuOfficial, who has a blended file with Apple leaks, the usual iPhone 16 can have 3,561mAh (up from the iPhone 15’s 3,349mAh), the iPhone 16 Plus battery will are available in at 4,006mAh (down from the iPhone 15 Plus’ 4,383mAh), and the iPhone 16 Professional Max will likely be 4,747mAh (up from the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s 4,422mAh). It additionally seems that the iPhone 16 Professional can have 3,577mAh (up from iPhone 15 Professional’s 3,274mAh), based on a report on MacRumors.

iPhone 16 professional battery mh3577and iPhone 16 professional max 4747mh https://t.co/vqyUGfwSSX pic.twitter.com/i7JBLUJ7Nl

— repair Apple 🍏 (@lipilipsi) Could 29, 2024

In July, we heard information iPhone Professional customers have been ready for. This yr’s Professional fashions may get a charging improve, with each the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max supporting 40-watt wired charging and 20W MagSafe charging. This might be the primary important battery charging change in a few years.

iPhone 16: software program and updates

An iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18, showing its home screen.
Joe Maring / Digital Tendencies

On the extremely anticipated Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC) in June, Apple unveiled the groundbreaking iOS 18. One of the crucial eagerly awaited options of iOS 18 is the introduction of Apple Intelligence, an progressive AI replace to revolutionize how we work together with our units. From remodeling how we compose messages and emails to enhancing how we handle our photograph libraries and talk with Siri, Apple Intelligence guarantees to raise the consumer expertise to unparalleled heights.

Past the combination of Apple Intelligence, iOS 18 is ready to ship many new and enhanced options. These embrace an array of recent customization instruments to personalize the consumer expertise, an overhauled Management Heart designed to supply even higher comfort, and a revitalized Pictures app that guarantees to make organizing and reliving reminiscences extra charming than ever earlier than. With iOS 18, Apple is not only introducing an replace — it’s shaping the way forward for consumer interplay with know-how.

The primary official model of iOS 18 is anticipated to be launched for older appropriate iPhones just a few days earlier than the official launch of the iPhone 16 fashions.




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