The iPhone 16 announcement is getting closer and rumors have already given us a lot about the phone. Here’s what we know about the next iPhone so far!
iPhone 16 is coming
With the iPhone 16 coming out in September, we only have two months to wait until the announcement of the new iPhone. There have already been plenty of rumors surrounding the upcoming models, giving us a lot to know about Apple’s next smartphone. Curious about what new features you can expect from the iPhone 16? Here’s a roundup of the biggest rumors so far!
1. Larger screens
Apple is changing the size of the iPhone for the first time in a long time this year. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are likely to get larger screens. The iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.3-inch screen, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch display. The casing of the phones will also be slightly larger as a result, but the thickness of the devices is expected to remain the same.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus don’t see any changes in screen size. The iPhone 16 gets a 6.1-inch screen, while the iPhone 16 Plus gets a 6.7-inch display. These are the same sizes that we saw with the iPhone 15 (Plus) and previous generations.
2. Custom camera island
Apple is also making changes to the back of the regular models this year. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus get a modified vertical camera setup, instead of the diagonal arrangement of previous iPhones. Placing the lenses vertically enables spatial video recording for the Apple Vision Pro. This is currently only possible with the iPhone 15 Pro (Max).
3. Battery
Rumors predict that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max will get larger batteries, but the iPhone 16 Plus will actually have a lower battery capacity. The iPhone 16’s battery has a 6 percent increase compared to the iPhone 15, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 5 percent increase compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 Plus has a 9 percent decrease in capacity. It’s not yet clear what the larger batteries will mean for the devices’ battery life.
4. Camera button
All iPhone 16 models get a new camera button (Capture Button), which is specifically intended for taking photos or videos. This button adds functions such as zooming in and out by swiping left and right, focusing on a subject with a short press, or starting a recording with a longer press of the button. The camera button is located on the bottom right side of the iPhone 16 and is believed to work with vibration motors. Read more about the camera button here.
5. Ultra wide angle lens
The iPhone 16 Pro (Max) is expected to get an improved 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens, which can capture more light. This will allow the phone to take better photos in 0.5× mode, especially in low-light conditions. It also means that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be able to take 48-megapixel ProRAW photos with the ultra-wide lens, something the iPhone 15 Pro (Max) does not yet have.
6. Super telephoto lens
The iPhone 16 Pro Max may be the first iPhone to feature a super-telephoto periscope camera, which allows for extended optical zoom. Super or ultra-telephoto typically describes cameras with a focal length of over 300mm. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a focal length of 77mm, so the new lens would mean you’ll be able to zoom in much further with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
7. Faster WiFi
The iPhone 16 Pro (Max) is expected to get Wi-Fi 7, which allows for connectivity over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously. This will give the iPhone faster internet, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity over Wi-Fi connections. Wi-Fi 7 will peak at over 40Gbps, which is about four times as fast as Wi-Fi 6E. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to support Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 will only come to the Pro models.
8. New A18 chip
All iPhone 16 models will be equipped with the new A18 chip. It is still unclear whether Apple will again differentiate between the standard and Pro models, by providing the Pro models with an A18 Pro chip. What is clear is that the processor is extremely powerful and has a special section for Apple Intelligence, the company’s new technology that works with artificial intelligence. Thanks to the new A18 chip, AI is also coming to this year’s regular iPhones.
9. Tetraprism lens
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to feature a tetraprism lens, which is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple’s tetraprism lens allows for much further zooming, with up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom. This is the first time that both Pro models feature the tetraprism lens, meaning there is no longer any difference between the Pro and Pro Max.
10. Improved display technology
Apple is considering using a new screen technology for the OLED displays of the iPhone 16. This technology should maintain or even increase screen brightness, while reducing energy consumption. Another advantage of the new screen is reportedly that you as a user will be less bothered by the reflection of light. The new screen technology will probably come to all models of the iPhone 16.
11. Action button
The iPhone 15 Pro (Max) has an action button, and the button is expected to be expanded to the standard iPhone 16 models in 2024. The action button, which replaces the traditional mute-switch, can perform multiple functions. You can choose from activating the flashlight, turning on the camera, launching a shortcut and much more. With iOS 18, the action button also gets more functions.
12. Charging
Charging is reportedly a lot faster with the new iPhones. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will support 40W wired fast charging and 20W charging via MagSafe. That’s a lot faster than we see with the current iPhones. The iPhone 15 (Plus) and iPhone 15 Pro (Max) are currently capable of 27W fast charging. So you won’t have to leave the iPhone 16 Pro (Max) connected to the charger for as long.
13. Improved Microphone
The microphone is rumored to be much better on the iPhone 16, which has to do with the introduction of Apple Intelligence. Siri is becoming much smarter due to the implementation of AI, so the voice assistant will soon be able to respond to text commands and Siri will receive support from ChatGPT. To make Siri even better, the microphone has been renewed on the iPhone 16, so that the voice assistant understands situations better.
14. New thermal design
Apple is reportedly working on a new thermal system for the iPhone 16. Overheating was a problem last year, especially with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which Apple wants to prevent with the new iPhones. The iPhone 16 Pro (Max) will therefore get metal battery housings, which should reduce overheating. Images have already surfaced earlier, which probably show the new battery of the iPhone 16.
15. More storage space
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will get a lot more storage space. The maximum storage capacity is expected to be doubled from 1TB to 2TB. What that means for the standard storage space is not yet clear. The 2TB version may serve as an additional supplement to the existing options, but Apple may also choose to eliminate the entry-level 128GB model.
16. Working memory
The Pro models will see more storage space this year, but the regular iPhones will actually get more RAM. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will reportedly both have 8 GB of RAM. The iPhone 15 (Plus) currently has 6 GB of RAM. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max already have 8 GB of RAM, which we will also see in the iPhone 16 Pro (Max).
17. Thinner bezels
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max already had incredibly thin bezels, but the iPhone 16 Pro is getting even thinner. Apple is using a new screen technology for this, which reportedly still has problems. The new technology should ensure that the bezels on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are thinner than ever before.
18. New titanium finish
Last year we saw the first iPhones with a titanium casing and we see the same material again this year on the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The appearance of that titanium will be different, because Apple opts for an improved finishing process for the iPhone 16. The phone therefore has a glossier appearance, while the iPhone 15 Pro (Max) has a brushed finish.
19. Reduced lens flare
Many iPhone users complain about green dots that often appear in night photos with a bright light source. These dots are also called lens flares mentioned, which are difficult to prevent. Apple is therefore testing a new anti-reflective optical coating, which should provide a solution for the lens flares and ghosting should be reduced. You will no longer get annoying dots in the picture with photos or videos.
20. New Colors
Like every year, Apple introduces a series of new colors for the iPhone. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in black, white (also silver), gray (also natural titanium) and pink. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will probably come in black, green, pink, blue and white.
Release of the iPhone 16
Thanks to all the rumors, we now have a good idea of the new features of the iPhone 16. We don’t have to wait long for the next iPhone, because Apple will present the iPhone 16 in September. The presentation of the series of new iPhones usually takes place in the second week of September. That happens on a Monday or Tuesday. If we look a bit further ahead, that would be Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 September It’s 2024!
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