More than nine months have passed since the launch of the iPhone 15 and as Apple Worldwide Developers Conference As June 10 approaches, we’re wondering what goodies the next iPhone will bring.
We’ve heard whispers about the iPhone 16’s features, which are said to range from a new energy-efficient display to bigger screens, better zoom lenses, an action button and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a host of new AI-powered features.
Read more: The best iPhone of 2024
However, the iPhone 16 is still likely four months away, and nothing will be confirmed until Apple’s iPhone event in the fall. Still, these rumors can give us an idea of what to expect from the next iPhone.
Here are the most credible iPhone 16 rumors.
Will the iPhone 16 be foldable?
Probably not. The latest rumors suggest that Apple is working on iPhone Flip models in two different sizes, although there have been difficulties in making the devices to Apple’s standards. The company could also be working on a foldable tablet with a screen the size of the iPad Mini. While virtually every major phone maker — from Google to Oppo to OnePlus and Samsung — has released their own bendable phones, Apple has been typically tight-lipped about whether it will ever have an iPhone Flip or an iPhone Fold.
Watch this: We review the iPhone 15 Pro Max, 7 months after its launch
Previous rumors said that Apple might not release its own device with a flexible screen until 2025. Samsung hasn’t let phone fans forget it — by releasing an app that will let Apple phone owners experience a Z Fold-style experience , by placing two iPhones side by side.
iPhone 16 design with thinner bezels
Rumors of larger screen sizes are piling up, at least for select iPhone 16 models. The latest comes from Korean publication Elec, which published an April report saying that select iPhone 16 models are set to adopt innovative screen technology, which results in thinner bezels or bezel around the phone screen. This development could lead to a slightly larger screen area for some iPhone 16 models, although it’s not clear which models.
In the past, Apple has introduced display upgrades to its professional line of products, before sometimes relegating them to lower-priced models. The report says that display makers have introduced a new structure technology to reduce borders, enabling a more compact control scheme and ultimately leading to thinner bezels.
iPhone 16 Pro models with larger screens
Speaking of screen sizes, Apple has maintained both screen sizes for the iPhone Pro models since 2020 when it released the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, this is rumored to change with the iPhone 16 Pro models, which may get larger screens.
Display analyst Ross Young speculated earlier this year that the iPhone 16 Pro models would have larger screens, with the sizes being 6.3 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. That rumor was later confirmed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said the iPhone 16 Pro models could grow by “a few tenths of an inch diagonally.”
Read more: How the iPhone 16 design could change
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are believed to stick to the current 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes. If the size increase is accurate, it would be another move by Apple to differentiate its Pro iPhone models from the regular ones.
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
Rumored iPhone 16 screen sizes
- iPhone 16: 6.1 inches
- iPhone 16 Plus: 6.7 inches
- iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3 inches
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9 inches
iPhone 16 will have more AI tricks
AI is perhaps the hottest tech buzzword this year, and Apple is expected to follow in the footsteps of rivals Samsung and Google, who have each announced new AI tips and tricks on their flagship phones. Earlier in May, CEO Tim Cook went as far as to say that he expects Apple to have an edge in AI, even though the company is widely seen as a laggard in the AI race.
Apple’s iOS 18 could certainly bring the “biggest” software update in iPhone history, according to the January edition of Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter. Gurman also reported that iOS 18 will include generative AI technology that “should improve the way both Siri and the Messages app can ask questions and autocomplete sentences.”
A September report from Information said that Apple plans to use large language models, a crucial part of generative AI, to make Siri smarter. The report says that this feature is expected to be released with an iPhone software update next year.
Read more: iPhone iOS 18: Big leap in AI possible
iPhone 16 design: New action button?
In March, AppleInsider published a collection of photos purported to show 3D printed dummies of the rumored iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. The images revealed that the iPhone 16 could have a vertical camera stack, as opposed to a diagonal one, and an action button similar to last year’s iPhone 15 Pro.
Could this iPhone 16 have a more energy efficient display
Another change that could make its way to iPhone 16 displays is greater energy efficiency. Samsung Display is apparently developing a new set of materials called M14 specifically for Apple, according to a report from TheElec, which says the new technology should arrive on iPhones to be released next year. The M14 will replace the blue fluorescent technology used now with blue phosphorescent technology, creating an even more energy-efficient screen than the current LTPO used in the Pro models, the report said.
iPhone 16 cameras may get a longer zoom
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max may have 5x telephoto lenses next year. According to Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, a tetraprism lens will make its way to both Pro models next year, as opposed to just the Pro Max model. Apple equips the iPhone 15 Pro with a 12-megapixel 3x optical zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 12-megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom, which is the equivalent of a 120mm lens on a full-frame camera.
If this rumor is true, it could mark a design breakthrough. When Apple released the 15 Pro Max with its 5x telephoto lens, it cited the phone’s larger body as the reason the Pro Max had it, but the Pro didn’t.
Read more: iPhone 16 camera: What Apple might change
iPhone 16 Pro: Less lens flare?
According to a recent leak discovered by MacRumors, Apple may be exploring a new approach to improving photo quality. The rumor suggests that the company may add anti-reflective technology to its camera manufacturing process. If successful, this could potentially eliminate unwanted artifacts such as lens flare, resulting in more realistic photos.
iPhone 16 processors: A18 chip for all models?
In a break from the past two years, all four iPhone 16 models will apparently get Apple’s next-generation chipset, which will be branded A18. According to a MacRumors report citing Jeff Pu, an executive analyst at Haitong International Securities, all four models will have an A18 series chip, with the Pro iPhone models getting the A18 Bionic Pro and the base models getting a regular A18.
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus currently have the A16 Bionic, which will debut on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max from 2022, while the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are powered by the A17 Pro processor. Pu says the A18 chip will be manufactured using TSMC’s cutting-edge 3-nanometer process.
Read more: Apple iPhone SE 4 rumors: iPhone 14 design, Face ID and more
Tim Cook unveils iPhone 13 in 2021
Will the iPhone 16 get new colors?
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has color predictions for the iPhone 16 lineup. In an X post in May, he said that the blue color option on the iPhone 15 Pro will be discontinued and replaced with a new pink model that will be available for iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. He also predicted that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in white, replacing the yellow model.
When will the iPhone 16 be released?
Apple holds its annual iPhone event in September almost every year, so we would expect the timeline to remain the same for the iPhone 16. The new iPhones are usually released soon after, usually Friday of the following week. Sometimes Apple will change the release dates of specific models, especially when it introduces a new design or size. So it’s possible that the iPhone 16 lineup will have more than one release date.
What we know so far
Apple tends to hold its events on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. The iPhone 15 event was held on Tuesday, September 7. The iPhone 14 event took place on Wednesday, September 7. And the iPhone 13 event was held on Tuesday, September 14.
iPhone release dates are usually a week and a half after Apple’s announcements.
Generally, new iPhones are released on Fridays, around the third week of September. For the iPhone 13, pre-orders began on September 17 and the phones went on sale on September 24.
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