Apple iPhone 16 rumour round-up: What to expect from the next-generation iPhones

Note: This feature was first published on 22 August 2024.

Apple iPhone 16 rumour round-up

September is approaching, and that means it's almost time for Apple's next iPhone release and companion products. Like previous years, there have been so many rumours surrounding this year's new iPhones that it can be difficult to keep up. To help you keep abreast of all the chatter, here's a roundup of all the rumours surrounding Apple's upcoming iPhones.

Design

2024 is shaping up to be the fourth consecutive year where the iPhone design will remain largely similar to previous generations. 

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the iPhone 16 lineup will not have "significant design changes" outside of a bigger display (more on this in the next section) and a new "capture button". So what's this new capture button? 

A look at purported dummy units reveals the capture button residing on the same side as the power button. Bloomberg shared earlier this month that the button functions like a button on professional cameras where a slight press will activate autofocus while a hard press will take the shot. Swiping along the button will adjust the zoom.

Since we are on the topic of buttons, Touch ID won't make a return on the iPhone 16. Most equipment used to manufacture Touch ID parts has been permanently shut down.

The Action Button - introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro models last year - is said to be bigger in size this year. This could be in response to some users' feedback about the current size being a tad small. I personally prefer a bigger Action Button as it is easier to locate and activate. It is also believed to be coming to the standard iPhone 16 models.

Speaking of the standard iPhone 16 models, they are going to have another aesthetic change: the rear camera layout. Based on the dummy units, Apple is going to rearrange the rear cameras, switching from a diagonal to a vertical layout. The LED flash module will also be relocated to the outside of the camera bump. 

Tipster @KosutamiSan shared that Apple could deploy a new graphene thermal system on the iPhone 16 to fix the overheating issues that affected some iPhone 15 users. Since graphene is said to have four times better thermal conductivity than the copper used in the current thermal system, the iPhone 16 will be less susceptible to overheating issues.

Bigger Displays for the Pro

Apple has been using 6.1 and 6.7-inch panels for the Pro models since 2020, and this year, it could see a slight bump of 0.2-inch for both models. 

Display analyst Ross Young shared in May 2023 that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display respectively. This is corroborated by purported CAD renders of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the dummy units.

Colours

Apple is believed to be introducing new colour options to spice things up in a year with little design changes. 

Starting with the standard models, the iPhone 16 Plus is rumoured to have two new hues of white and purple to join the current range of black, blue, green, yellow and pink. 

However, we have also seen purported iPhone 16 dummy units that show a different range of colours (white, black, blue, green, and pink), with white replacing yellow. The colours are also noticeably richer than the current lineup. 

For the Pro models, there could be two new titanium colours – rose and space black. Photos of the dummy units show the space black finish to be darker, while the rose finish appears to be similar in tone to rose gold or bronze. Rose is said to be replacing the Blue Titanium finish of last year.

In addition, the official name of the rose finish could be "Desert Titanium". It is described as a "kind of dark gold, similar to the old purple colour, relatively discreet and deep"

The natural and white titanium finishes will be different from the current options. Natural is said to be darker, while white is described as being more like "silver-white".

Apple is also considering a more polished finish for the titanium frame, which will make the iPhone 16 Pro appear similar to the iPhone 14 Pro and older models sporting stainless steel frames.

Battery -  Bigger, Better

Every generation of new iPhones comes with more powerful features, which can negatively impact battery life. Hence, it is almost certain that the iPhone 16 lineup will have larger batteries. 

The latest rumour indicates that the Pro models will see a boost in their battery capacity of between 5% and 9%. To put that into numbers, below are the rumoured battery capacities of the iPhone 16 Pro models: 

• iPhone 16 Pro: 3,577mAh (up from 3,274mAh on the iPhone 15 Pro)
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,676mAh (up from 4,422mAh on the iPhone 15 Pro Max)

Besides the bump in battery capacity, Apple is said to have a new frosted metal case and connector for the iPhone 16 battery. The use of a frosted metal casing helps to improve thermal efficiency. 

Analyst Kuo also claimed there will be a stainless steel battery case for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Not only does this make it more durable and resistant to corrosion, but it also makes removing the battery easier.

A18 chip across the board

Apple typically reserves the latest A-series chips for the Pro models while using slightly older chips for the standard models. However, this could change for the iPhone 16 lineup.

Code uncovered in Apple's backend suggests that the entire iPhone 16 lineup will be powered by the next-generation A18 chips. 

Considering that Apple Intelligence requires extensive processing power, it makes sense to equip the iPhone 16 lineup with the latest and most powerful chips so that they can all support Apple Intelligence.

Camera Upgrades

Mobile photography has been one of the strengths of recent iPhones, and Apple is looking to improve that for the iPhone 16 series.

The flagship model, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, is tipped to come with a super telephoto periscope lens. Since super telephoto lenses typically have a focal length of over 300mm, the optical zoom capability on the iPhone 16 Pro Max could extend beyond 5x, or at the very least receive a significant boost. 

As for the iPhone 16 Pro, word on the street indicates that it will be getting the 5x optical zoom capability of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. 

The Pro models could use Sony's new stacked sensor design for the main camera according to analyst Kuo. The sensor is said to be 12% larger, which means it is about 1/1.14-inch in size. A larger sensor has several benefits such as better low-light performance, greater dynamic range, and the ability to take more authentic-looking bokeh (background blur).

The ultra-wide camera for the Pro models is said to be upgraded from the current 12MP to 48MP, which is long overdue since Apple has been using the same sensor for its ultra-wide camera since 2021. The ultra-wide camera is also said to be using pixel binning technology where data collected from four pixels are merged into one "super pixel". This could mean the iPhone 16 Pro phones can shoot 48MP ProRAW ultra-wide shots.

Lastly, Apple may use new atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment to apply anti-reflective coatings on the lenses to reduce photographic artefacts like flare and ghosting. This has been an issue plaguing iPhones for years, and it's especially apparent when there are bright light sources. Apple's attempts to resolve these issues on the iPhone did not succeed on the iPhone 15 Pro based on our review and users' feedback. 

Apple Intelligence

Since the iPhone 16 lineup is expected to be powered by the A18 chip, all iPhone 16 models will join the existing iPhone 15 Pro and support Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 16 may even have upgraded microphone hardware to better pick up users' voices and improve the accuracy of diction as well as Siri voice commands. 

Apple will likely embark on a huge marketing push for Apple Intelligence powering the iPhone 16 given the stiff competition from the recently-announced Pixel 9 and Samsung's AI-powered Galaxy S flagship and Galaxy Z foldable phones.

At least one investment firm believes Apple Intelligence could drive a "massive upgrade cycle" for the iPhone 16. Wedbush thinks Apple Intelligence will make Apple the consumer gatekeeper of AI features and prompt other AI companies to work with Apple. 

Beyond ChatGPT integration, Apple is reportedly in "active negotiations" with Google to license Gemini to power some AI features. Both companies have yet to decide on the terms or branding of the deal, but there's a possibility that an announcement could be made at the iPhone 16 launch event.

Despite all the enthusiasm surrounding Apple Intelligence, we have doubts that Apple Intelligence will have any significant short-term impact on iPhone sales for the following reasons: 

• Not all features will be available at launch as Apple Intelligence is only coming to users "in beta" first as part of the launch of iOS 18 later this year.
  
   
• Apple Intelligence will not be available to EU users at launch due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Wi-Fi 7 and MagSafe

The iPhone 16 Pro models are probably supporting Wi-Fi 7 connectivity which will deliver a better wireless surfing experience thanks to improved bandwidth, higher speeds and stability. If you are unfamiliar with Wi-Fi  7, read our Wi-Fi 7 guide here.

MagSafe, which was introduced on the iPhone 12 in 2020, has not seen any meaningful updates since then. Apple's proprietary wireless charging technology might come with a long overdue update on the iPhone 16.

Aside from adopting a thinner design, MagSafe wireless charging on the iPhone 16 Pro could be boosted from the current limit of 15W to 20W to enable faster charging. The upgrade is said to "balance and improve the problem of increasing charging time caused by the increase in battery capacity."

When is the launch event?

Apple typically launches new iPhones in September, and this year is no exception. Bloomberg says the iPhone 16 launch event will be held "around the same time as last year". So what is the likely date? 

The iPhone 15 launch event last year was held on 12 September which was a Tuesday. Therefore, there is a likelihood of Apple holding the iPhone 16 launch event on 10 September - also a Tuesday. However, there's whispers that this year's event might be held earlier to avoid clashing with the US presidential debate that is taking place on 10 September.

*Updated on 27 August: Apple has confirmed its launch event on 9th September (10th September, 1am Singapore Time).

Retail availability

Assuming Since the launch event is indeed on 10 September (Tuesday), then pre-orders should begin on 13 September (Friday), and island-wide sales should start a week later on 20 September (Friday).

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