What to Know
- The iPhone 16 will likely release in late September 2024.
- It is rumored that the iPhone 16 will feature a new "Capture" button, though the exact functionality of this button is unknown.
- The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are said to have slightly larger screens than the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Get ready to upgrade your phone once more. September is fast approaching, which means the launch of a new iPhone is imminent. What can we expect from Apple’s latest and greatest smartphone? Let’s take a look at some of the new features that are rumored for the iPhone 16.
Release Date & Pricing
Like most iPhones, Apple will likely hold a special event to announce its lineup of new devices in early September. Preorders for the new iPhone 16 will then open on the following Friday, which means the iPhone 16 release date will likely be closer to the end of the month, possibly around September 20 or 27.
While we saw a price increase last year, there have been no rumors about another price increase this year, so I’m expecting the iPhone 16 to be priced similarly to the iPhone 15 lineup, with the base model phone starting at $799 and the plus model starting at $899. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will likely start at $999 and $1199 respectively. For all the latest coverage on all things Apple and iPhone, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.
No More Buttons?
Last year, the iPhone 15 was rumored to replace its mechanical buttons with capacitive ones. Unlike mechanical buttons, capacitive buttons do not physically move when pressed. Instead, the pressure you apply is detected by the device’s software and the haptic engine responds with a clicking sensation. You can feel this when clicking a MacBook trackpad or an iPhone SE Home button.
As we now know, that rumor turned out to be false for the iPhone 15, but according to Apple Insider, a report from Economic Daily suggests that Apple has placed an order with Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) for the components needed for the iPhone 16’s capacitive buttons.
However, Apple Insider also brings up a possible wrinkle in this rumor. While Economic Daily has accurately reported on Apple suppliers in the past, it does not always correctly predict how the parts will be used. There are other rumors that suggest only a single capacitive button, the new Capture button.
Say Hello to the Capture Button
Last year, Apple replaced Ring/Mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max with a new button called the Action button. This button can be used to toggle between Ring and Silent modes, but it can also be changed to perform other functions, like toggling a Focus mode or to quickly turn the flashlight on and off. This year, it seems that Apple might be adding yet another button to the iPhone 16 lineup, called the Capture button.
The Capture button will be located below the power button, and according to Mac Rumors, this button will be capacitive. Its functionality is currently unknown. Some reports have suggested that the capture button will work similarly to the shutter button cameras, allowing a light press to focus the image and a hard press to snap the photo. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg suggested that the button would be specifically for capturing video. Still, another Mac Rumors report mentioned the possibility of being able to swipe on the button to zoom in and out while using the camera.
Changes to the iPhone Camera
Current rumors surrounding the iPhone 16 camera suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have the same camera sensors found in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. However, Mac Rumors reported that a leaker on Weibo claims that the Ultra Wide camera lens will get an upgrade to 48-megapixels. The Ultra Wide lens on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are 12-megapixels.
Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models will have the same cameras as the 15 and 15 Plus, albeit with a new configuration. According to Majin Bu on X (formerly Twitter), the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus cameras will be arranged vertically, unlike the diagonal orientation found on the current iPhones. The camera bump will be a pill shape around the camera lenses, with the flash located next to the bump instead of on the bump itself.
Faster Chips & More RAM
A user on X, named Nicolás Alvarez, shared with Mac Rumors that code within the iOS 18 Developer Beta suggests that all four iPhone 16 models will have the same A18 chip. However, Mac Rumors points out that Apple could still differentiate between an A18 and an A18 Pro chip by having a larger number of GPU cores in the Pro iPhones.
In addition to the A18 upgrade, the iPhone 16 lineup is expected to have 8 GB of RAM, up from the 6 GB found on Apple's current lineup of smartphones, according to analyst Jeff Pu (via 9to5Mac). That extra 2 GB will certainly come in handy for the processing power required by Apple Intelligence.
Size Increases for the Pros
X user Sonny Dickson shared a photo presumably of four iPhone 16 dummy units side-by-side, showing the iPhone 16's design. While the base model iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will be the same size as the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, the 16 Pro and Pro Max look to be increasing in size slightly.
The iPhone 16 Pro shown in the photo measures 6.3 inches, 0.2 inches larger than the iPhone 15 Pro’s 6.1 inches. The iPhone 16 Pro Max looks to be 6.9 inches in comparison to the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch screen.
So is the iPhone 16 worth the upgrade? One thing is for sure: if you want to take advantage of Apple Intelligence, you’ll need the latest and greatest iPhone, which could certainly be enough to sway some people into upgrading. While you eagerly await the announcement of the iPhone 16, be sure to read up on what's coming with iOS 18's features.
Top image credit: Farknot Architect / Shutterstock.com
