(Credit: René Ramos/Getty Images/mbbirdy)
As soon as one iPhone comes out, rumors about Apple's next smartphone begin anew. With the iPhone 15 release well behind us, it's open season on reports about the iPhone 16.
It was a bumpy rollout for the Pro versions of the iPhone 15. Most notably, an overheating issue made these premium smartphones too hot to handle. There were also reports of screen burn-in and wonky location settings. Apple seems to have fixed these problems with updates to iOS 17.
Will the iPhone 16 have a smoother release? And what types of upgrades will it feature? Here’s what we’ve heard so far; check back as more details emerge.
Bye-Bye, Blue Titanium
Way back in February, we shared speculation from Majin Bu that the iPhone 16 Pro could come in "Desert Yellow (Desert Titanium), similar to the gold of the iPhone 14 Pro but deeper and heavier Cement Gray (Titanium Gray), a shade of space gray similar to that used on iPhone 6." While at the time 9to5Mac noted Bu's "mixed track record of accuracy," it recently posted that a bronze shade it said will replace Blue Titanium. There's an image from Sonny Dickson and word that the color will be called Desert Titanium. This last comes from Bu on X, who this time, 9to5Mac describes as "an account with a decent track record when it comes to Apple leaks."
While this might be meant to replace the gold iPhones of yore, this has more of a brown Zune vibe to it.
The Bump Gets Bumped
The iPhone's camera bump has grown over time and has, for a while now, been a solid square. This could change with the iPhone 16, which is rumored to be getting two vertically stacked lenses with the flash next to it, as reported 9to5Mac. This elliptical shape is sleeker, which you can see in this image by tech reviewer Sonny Dickson posted on X.
Increased RAM and Storage Capacity
To handle the increased load from Apple Intelligence, the base model iPhone 16 and 16 Plus may see a bump in RAM from the current 6GB to 8GB, according to MacRumors analyst Joe Rossignol. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max already have 8GB of RAM and it's not clear if they might receive an upgrade to 10GB or 12GB. Storage is also expected to see an upgrade, with the current default capacity of 128GB expanded to 256GB. Other rumors indicate that Pro models of the iPhone 16 may support up to 2TB of storage. The last iPhones to see an upgrade in RAM or minimum storage capacity were the 12 and the 13, respectively. The iPhone 12 saw a 2GB RAM increase bringing us the current 6GB standard, whereas the 13 was the first iPhone to start with 128GB of storage.
Both Pro Models to Get Tetraprism Zoom Lens
The iPhone 15 Pro did not get the tetraprism lens found on the 15 Pro Max (instead, it comes with the same 3x optical zoom as the iPhone 14 Pro Max). But according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, that will change in the next-generation iPhones, with the tetraprism feature landing on the iPhone 16 Pro as well as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
As PCMag’s Eric Zeman explains, “The tetraprism is basically a periscope, or a way to bend light multiple times through glass, which is a tool other phone makers have used in their cameras since 2017 to bring faraway subjects closer to your smartphone.”
Getting that option on the smaller Pro model, which currently runs $200 less than the Pro Max, would be a nice money-saving perk. If Apple doesn't raise iPhone prices, that is. Kuo suggests we might end up paying more for the iPhone 16 to cover the camera upgrades. (There were rumors about a $200 iPhone price increase ahead of the iPhone 15 launch, but that only came to the 15 Pro Max, which is $100 more expensive than its predecessor.)
Additionally, the camera module of the non-Pro models may return to the vertical design of the iPhone 12. "Aside from tidying up the outside appearance, the change does give another benefit to Apple," says Malcom Owen of Apple Insider. "When used in landscape orientation, the pair of cameras could therefore be used to record spatial video that could be viewed by the Apple Vision Pro." A second 48MP sensor is also rumored for the Pro and the Pro Max, according to Toms Guide.
All 4 iPhone 16 Models Get an A18 Chip
All four iPhone 16 models will reportedly run next-gen A18 chips from Apple, according to analyst Jeff Pu. “We view A17 Pro as a transition design and now expect all the iPhone 16 models to feature A18, on TSMC's N3E,” Pu wrote in a research note. N3E means the chips will be made using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, which is cheaper and easier to produce than the first-gen process, MacRumors notes.
That said, Pu tells MacRumors that there will be some differentiation between the chips. Namely, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will run an A18 chip while the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max get an A18 Pro chip.
That A18 chip "will feature an upgraded Neural Engine with 'significantly' more cores," MacRumors says, citing Taiwan's Economic Daily News.
On the current iPhone lineup, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max run the A17 Pro chip, while the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus both have the A16 Bionic chip also found in the iPhone 14 Pro.
iPhone 16 Ultra
In 2022, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was working on an "Ultra" branded device to replace the Pro Max. In February, he followed that up to say it probably won't happen until 2024, and the Ultra version may actually be a new top-tier phone rather than a Pro Max replacement.
"But instead of renaming the Pro Max 'the Ultra,' Apple could add an even higher-end iPhone above both Pro models. Internally, the company has discussed doing just that—potentially in time for the 2024 iPhone release," Gurman said at the time.
That report came after Apple CEO Tim Cook said "people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can" in terms of smartphone specs.
What would make a phone Ultra? Gurman suggests, "It will probably offer further camera improvements, a faster chip, and perhaps an even larger display. There also may be more future-forward features, such as finally dropping the charging port." The bigger question? Would it be more durable and have longer battery life as the Apple Watch Ultra does?
Capacitive Capture Button
According to MacRumors, Apple toyed with a capacitive touch button on the exterior of the iPhone 15, but the project didn't come together in time. It may try again with the iPhone 16, however, adding a button that's similar to the iPhone SE's home button below the power button. It's not entirely clear what this button will be used for, but it'll have haptic feedback and force-touch capability, MacRumors says. The Action button that rolled out for the iPhone 15 Pros will reportedly come to the base iPhone 16, too.
Wi-Fi 7 Support On iPhone 16 Pro
The iPhone 15 Pro lineup supports Wi-Fi 6E, while the base models stick with the Wi-Fi 6 found on the iPhone 14. According to analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 16 Pro will support Wi-Fi 7. It's the latest standard and should be more widely available in more consumer equipment by the time the iPhone 16 debuts.
Screen Size Upgrades
Rumors point to larger screen sizes across the iPhone 16 lineup. We're talking 6.3 inches versus 6.1 inches on the smaller phones and 6.9 inches versus 6.7 inches on the Pro and Plus, so it's unclear if the average person will notice a major difference. Still, we're potentially creeping back into phablet territory. (Remember those?)
Other rumors are hinting at even slimmer bezels across the entire iPhone 16 lineup. CNET reports that a new type of "border reduction structure technology" will make this possible. This new manufacturing technique reportedly allows for "more compact control circuitry," effectively allowing for a slimmer bezel.
The iPhone 16 lineup may also see a screen powered by a new material called M14, which Samsung is reportedly developing for Apple. This new material will allow for a more power-efficient display that will do away with the current blue, fluorescent screens.
Better Battery Life
Every iPhone iteration usually comes with a small boost to battery life. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to be no different, according to a report published by MacRumors, with a battery that could, for the first time, last longer than 30 hours. While it was initially reported that the phone would only be getting a 5% larger cell compared with the 29-hour battery in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, there might be other efficiencies (likely built into the A18 processor) at work.
More to Come
Apple typically announces new iPhones in September. The company has yet to provide any firm details about its next-generation smartphones, but PCMag will have its nose to the ground to sniff out as much information as possible before launch time. Be sure to check back often for the latest rumor updates.
Since the new version is set to come out in the next few weeks, we wouldn't recommend buying an iPhone right now. But if you can't wait until September, here are the highest-rated iPhone 15 models we've tested: