Apple has just released the public beta of iOS 18, which means we’re getting closer to the iPhone 16’s release date, which is expected in the fall. Apple gave a sneak peek of iOS 18 during its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and the launch of the public beta has us wondering what additional benefits the next iPhone will bring – beyond Apple Intelligence.
Rumors abound about the iPhone 16’s features, which are said to range from a new power-efficient display to larger screens, better zoom lenses, an action button, and, unsurprisingly, a suite of new AI-powered features.
Learn more: Best iPhone of 2024
However, the iPhone 16 is likely still two months away and nothing will be confirmed until Apple’s iPhone event in the fall. Still, these rumors could give us an idea of what to expect from the next iPhone.
Here are the most credible rumors about the iPhone 16.
Check this out: Everything Announced at Apple’s WWDC 2024
Will the iPhone 16 be foldable?
Probably not. Recent rumors suggest that Apple is working on iPhone Flip models in two different sizes, though there have been challenges manufacturing the devices to Apple’s standards. The company may also be working on a foldable tablet with a screen the size of an iPad Mini. While virtually every major phone maker — from Google to Oppo to OnePlus to Samsung — has launched its own foldable phones, Apple has remained silent on whether there will ever be an iPhone Flip or an iPhone Fold.
Earlier rumors suggested that Apple might not launch its own flexible-screen device until 2025. Samsung hasn’t let phone fans forget that – releasing an app that will let Apple phone owners have a Z Fold-like experience by placing two iPhones side by side.
iPhone 16 design with thinner bezels
Rumors of larger screen sizes are growing, at least for some iPhone 16 models. The latest comes from Korean publication Elec, which published a report in April indicating that some iPhone 16 models are set to adopt innovative screen technology, which will result in thinner bezels or bezels around the phone’s display. This development could result in slightly larger screen real estate for some iPhone 16 models, though it’s unclear which models exactly.
Apple has a history of introducing display improvements to its professional product line, and then sometimes rolling them out to cheaper models. The report says display makers have introduced new bezel-reducing structure technology, allowing for more compact control circuits and ultimately leading to thinner bezels.
iPhone 16 Pro models with larger screens
Speaking of screen sizes, Apple has stuck with the two screen sizes for the iPhone Pro models since 2020, when it launched the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, that is rumored to change with the iPhone 16 Pro models, which could feature larger displays.
Analyst Ross Young suggested earlier this year that the iPhone 16 Pro models will have larger displays, at 6.3 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This rumor was later corroborated by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said the iPhone 16 Pro models could grow by “a few tenths of an inch diagonally.”
Learn more: How the iPhone 16 design could change
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are expected to retain the current sizes of 6.1 and 6.7 inches. If the size increase is accurate, it would be another move by Apple to distinguish its Pro iPhone models from its regular models.
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 rumored 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
Artificial intelligence may be the buzzword of the year, and Apple has followed in the footsteps of rivals Samsung and Google, both of which have touted new AI tricks and tricks on their flagship phones. Apple Intelligence debuted at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June, bringing ChatGPT integration, tools for proofreading and rewriting text in a different tone, new Siri capabilities for getting technical assistance and responding to more personalized requests, and the ability to generate images and emojis, among other features. These new AI features are expected to ship to all models of the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup with iOS 18 right out of the box.
iPhone 16 Design: New Action Button?
In March, AppleInsider published a series of photographs showing 3D-printed dummy models of the rumored iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. The images revealed that the iPhone 16 could feature a vertical rather than diagonal camera array and an action button, similar to last year’s iPhone 15 Pro.
Could the iPhone 16 have a more power-efficient display?
Another change that could make its way to the iPhone 16’s displays is improved power efficiency. Samsung Display is reportedly developing a new set of materials, dubbed M14, specifically for Apple, according to a report from TheElec , which says the new technology is expected to arrive on iPhones launching next year. M14 will replace the blue fluorescent technology currently used with blue phosphorescence technology, creating an even more power-efficient display than the current LTPO panels used on the Pro models, the report says.
iPhone 16 cameras could get longer zoom
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could both get a 5x telephoto camera next year. According to Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, a tetraprism lens will be coming to both Pro models next year, rather than just the Pro Max. Apple has equipped the iPhone 15 Pro with a 12-megapixel 3x optical zoom camera, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 12-megapixel 5x optical zoom camera, which is equivalent to a 120mm lens on a full-frame camera.
If this rumor is true, it could mark a major design leap. When Apple launched the 15 Pro Max with its 5x telephoto lens, it cited the phone’s larger body as the reason why the Pro Max had it but the Pro didn’t.
Learn more: iPhone 16 camera: What Apple could change
iPhone 16 Pro: less reflections on the lens?
According to a recent leak discovered by MacRumors, Apple is reportedly exploring a new approach to improving photo quality. The rumor suggests that the company could add anti-reflective technology to its camera manufacturing process. If successful, this could potentially eliminate unwanted artifacts like lens flare, resulting in more realistic photos.
iPhone 16 processors: A18 chip for all models?
In a departure from the past two years, all four iPhone 16 models will feature a next-generation Apple chipset, all branded with the A18. According to a report from MacRumors citing Jeff Pu, an executive analyst at Haitong International Securities, all four models will feature an A18 series chip, with the iPhone Pro models featuring an A18 Bionic Pro chip and the base models featuring a regular A18 chip.
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus currently feature an A16 Bionic processor, which debuted on the 2022 iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, while the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max run on the A17 Pro processor. Pu claims that the A18 chip will be manufactured using TSMC’s cutting-edge 3-nanometer process.
Learn more: Apple iPhone SE 4 Rumors: iPhone 14 Design, Face ID, and More
Tim Cook unveils iPhone 13 in 2021.
Will the iPhone 16 have new colors?
Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has some color predictions for the iPhone 16 lineup. In a May post on X, he said that the blue color option for the iPhone 15 Pro would be discontinued and replaced with a new pink model, which would be available for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. He also predicted that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus would 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 expect the schedule to remain the same for the iPhone 16. New iPhones typically come out shortly after, usually on the Friday of the following week. Sometimes, Apple staggers the release dates of certain models, especially when introducing 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 took place on Tuesday, September 7th. The iPhone 14 event took place on Wednesday, September 7th. And the iPhone 13 event took place on Tuesday, September 14th.
iPhone release dates typically come a week and a half after Apple’s announcements.
Typically, 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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