iPhone 16 release date expectations, price estimates, and upgrades
What we know so far
The Apple iPhone 16 lineup will most probably be announced at a dedicated hardware event held in September 2024. As is tradition, the upcoming iPhone models will be launched roughly ten days later.
The iPhone 16 lineup will consist of four devices: the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. We’ve been hearing solid rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will grow to 6.3 and 6.9 inches, respectively. At the same time, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will remain the same size as their predecessors, with no size changes whatsoever.
Rumors have it that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will get vertical camera lens setups at the rear, unlike previous iPhone models, which all had diagonal camera arrangements. This change will enable the regular iPhone 16 models to capture spatial video intended for the Apple Vision Pro headset. Colors-wise, we might see the devices appear in Space Black, White, Gray, and Rose colors.
We are confident that Apple will use 3nm chips on all of its upcoming iPhones. However, similarly to the iPhone 15 models, the iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Plus could get the regular A18 Bionic chip, while the two iPhone 16 Pro models will be equipped with the upcoming Apple A18 Pro chip. We expect to see improved performance and battery life.
The iPhone 16 will come with iOS 18 out of the box. We are very excited about iOS 18 as rumors hype it up as the biggest iOS update recently, with tons of new generative AI additions expected. iOS 18 will actually be revealed at Apple's annual WWDC summit this June.
So far, we haven’t heard any significant rumors about a potential price hike, so we can probably count that the iPhone 16 lineup will cost the same as the iPhone 15 did at launch.
- iPhone 16 release date
- iPhone 16 price
- iPhone 16 camera
- iPhone 16 storage
- iPhone 16 design
- iPhone 16 Capture Button
- iPhone 16 display
- iPhone 16 battery
- iPhone 16 features and software
- iPhone 16 hardware and specs
- Should you wait for iPhone 16?
iPhone 16 release date
The iPhone 16 will most certainly be unveiled in September 2024. Based on historic records, we believe that Apple will announce the iPhone 16 at a dedicated keynote event held on September 10, 2024.
Moreover, September 10 happens to be the second Tuesday of September, which has historically been the most often-chosen day for major iPhone announcements.
Moreover, September 10 happens to be the second Tuesday of September, which has historically been the most often-chosen day for major iPhone announcements.
| iPhone lineup | Announcement date | Market release date |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 | September 10, 2024* | September 20, 2024* |
| iPhone 15 | September 12, 2023 | September 22, 2023 |
| iPhone 14 | September 7, 2022 | September 16, 2022 |
| iPhone 13 | September 14, 2021 | September 24, 2021 |
iPhone 16 price
- No price increase: We anticipate that Apple will keep iPhone 16 prices unchanged in comparison with the previous iPhone models. You never know with Apple, and there's always a chance that prices could go up, as of now that's not very probable.
- Never change a winning team: In the best-case scenario for regular customers, Apple will hopefully keep the current price unchanged for yet another year. Surely, increasing the price of your main bread-winner will cause some revenue stirs for the company, which is still predominantly reliant on the iPhone range.
- Few historical price hikes: The rumor mill was seemingly unanimous that the iPhone 15 models would cost more to compensate for both the rising manufacturing costs and the steadily increasing global inflation and cost of living. Yet, Apple pleasantly surprised us by keeping the iPhone 15 pricing on the same level as the iPhone 14 range.
| iPhone model | 128GB of storage | 256GB of storage | 512GB of storage | 1TB of storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 | $799* | $899* | $1,099* | - |
| iPhone 16 Plus | $899* | $999* | $1,199* | - |
| iPhone 16 Pro | $999* | $1,099* | $1,299* | $1,499* |
| iPhone 15 | $799 | $899 | $1,099 | - |
| iPhone 15 Plus | $899 | $999 | $1,199 | - |
| iPhone 15 Pro | $999-$1,099 | $1,099 | $1,299 | $1,499 |
* - anticipated prices based on expectations
iPhone 16 & iPhone 16 Plus camera
- Main: 48MP
- Ultra-wide: 12MP
Currently, we expect that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will feature identical camera setups, just like their direct predecessors.
Both will retain the same general camera setup that debuted with the iPhone 15: a 48MP wide-angle with a 12MP ultra-wide camera that takes 24MP photos by default (up from 12MP).
Thanks to the larger sensor, the current iPhone allows its users to capture 2X photos with lossless image quality by cropping the camera sensor, and the iPhone 16 will be able to do that, too.
Thanks to the larger sensor, the current iPhone allows its users to capture 2X photos with lossless image quality by cropping the camera sensor, and the iPhone 16 will be able to do that, too.
One major change is the camera layout: unlike previous iPhone models, which have diagonal camera alignments, the iPhone 16 will be adopting a vertical layout which has not been seen since the iPhone 12 days. The reason for that change is spatial video––vertical camera layouts can shoot spatial video to be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro headset, whereas diagonally positioned cameras can't.
iPhone 16 Pro camera
- Main: 48MP
- Ultra-wide: 48MP
- Telephoto: 12MP 5X 120mm
The iPhone 16 Pro will come with the same 48MP camera as the iPhone 15 Pro and will be able to take lossless 2X photos by cropping the 48MP main sensor.
- New ultra-wide for the Pro: According to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, new here could be a new 48MP ultra-wide camera. This one will have a pixel size of 0.7um and a sensor size of 1/2.6", a serious upgrade over the 12MP ultra-wide with 1.0um pixels and a sensor size of 1/3.6" that Apple has used for years. Thanks to that, we might see the iPhone 16 Pro take 24MP ultrawides by default.
- 5X telephoto: More importantly, however, the iPhone 16 Pro will get the same tetraprism telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. A relatively compact iPhone with such a capable zoom would be great news for camera enthusiasts.
- No more lens flare: Recent rumors claim Apple will grace the iPhone 16 Pro cameras with a special ALD anti-glare coating, which will finally minimize undesirable lens flaring. ALD stands for Atomic Layer Deposition and will supposedly greatly boost the imaging capabilities of the camera, especially when taking pictures or videos at night.
- Thinner lens: The iPhone 16 Pro cameras might have much thinner and lighter lens. This will be enabled thanks to the use of molded glass lenses, which will essentially slim down that camera bump and cut some weight.
iPhone 16 storage and RAM
| iPhone model | Anticipated storage capacities |
|---|---|
| iPhone 16 & iPhone 16 Plus | 128GB*, 256GB, 512GB |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB* |
We expect major changes to the storage and RAM across the iPhone 16 range, mostly due to AI.
A recent report claims that Apple might be forced to make 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage the minimum baseline across the iPhone 16 range. The reason for that could be on-device AI, as AI models currently require tons of generated data to be fed to them, resulting in higher storage requirements. RAM is another key component when it comes to AI processing, necessitating another upgrade.
As a reminder, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus came with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in their base versions.
In terms of maximum storage, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will top out at 512GB of storage, while the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available with up to 1TB of storage. There's chatter about a potential version with 2TB of storage, but this one ranks low on our probability radar.
iPhone 16 connectivity
On the connectivity front, rumors point out that the iPhone 16 lineup could score support for Wi-Fi 7. The benefit of Wi-Fi 7 could be better data throughput speed, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. The Wi-Fi 7-equipped iPhone 16 lineup is expected to offer data transfer speeds of more than 40 Gbps, which would be a 4x increase over the Wi-Fi 6E of the current iPhone generation.
The iPhone 16 Pro might come along with a much faster new 5G modem made by Qualcomm. Dubbed the Snapdragon X75 5G, this one will enable both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G coverage using a single transceiver, which will reduce battery usage by up to 20%. It also takes 25% less space as compared to the Snapdragon X70 chip on the iPhone 15.
iPhone 16 design
- iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus: New capacitive Capture Button, Action Button, vertical rear camera placement
- iPhone 16 Pro: Thinner bezels and larger displays, new capacitive Capture Button, improved internal design, better thermal management
- Titanium and aluminum to stay: It's fairly logical to expect that the iPhone 16 Pro will continue to utilize the new titanium frame that debuted on the previous iPhone lineup. The rumor mill agrees, and even raises the bar by claiming Apple will be using improved titanium processing, which could switch the metal finish from matte to glossy. As another benefit, this new process will improve
As rumors would have it, Apple is set on reinforcing the structure of its upcoming Pro models, as the titanium frame on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max proved to be too rigid for the glass panels of both devices: when subjected to enough bending force, the glass at the rear shatters as the titanium frame simply doesn't have enough flexibility to account for the flexing force.
- The thinnest bezels on an iPhone: Thanks to a new technology dubbed BRS (Border Reduction Structure), the iPhone 16 lineup will reportedly feature the thinnest bezels on an iPhone. Shrinking the bottom bezel has historically proved to be a challenge because of heat generation issues. As the bottom bezel is designed to be as thin as possible, the BRS tech seems to take care of the issue by rolling the heat-generating copper wires from the bottom up.
- Action Button could be a universal feature: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will most certainly retain the Action Button of the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, which substituted the mute switch. The Action Button on the iPhone 16 series could be slightly smaller, as revealed by a recent leak. The Action Button might also come to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, making it a universal iPhone feature going forward.
iPhone 16 series dummy units (Image Credit-@SonnyDickson)
- New vertical camera module alignment: Another major development for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus could be the vertical camera module placement, which would sort of revert the design to the iPhone 12 days. As a refresher, starting with the iPhone 13 and beyond, Apple employed a diagonal camera layout on its regular iPhones. As we mentioned in the Camera section, the reason for that change is the vertical camera layout's ability to take spatial video intended for the Apple Vision Pro headset.
- Size comparison: In terms of size, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max would be slightly taller, marginally wider, and heavier than their predecessors, while the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will remain similar to their predecessors. The reason for this growth could be the rumored display size increase, which could see the iPhone 16 Pro Max display grow to 6.86 inches and the iPhone 16 Pros screen to 6.27 inches.
Here's how big the iPhone 16 models will probably be based on those rumors:
| iPhone model | Height | Width | Depth | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 | 147.6mm | 71.6mm | 7.8mm | 173gr (+2gr) |
| iPhone 16 Plus | 160.9mm | 77.8mm | 7.8mm | 203gr (+2gr) |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 149.6mm (+3mm) | 71.45mm (+0.85m) | 8.25mm | 194gr (+7gr) |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 163mm (+3.1mm) | 77.58mm (+0.88mm) | 8.25mm | 225gr (+4gr) |
- New colors incoming: Seems that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in the following colors: Black, White, Green, Yellow, Pink, Blue, and Purple. Such a color selection seems very plausible, albeit a bit too varied; it will be more believable for Apple to release the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus in up to five colors max, with two extra hues announced at a later date.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro might come with a new color selection: Space Black, White, Gray, and Rose Gold might be the available colors for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models. Usually, the regular iPhones are available in a slightly different color selection, so we wouldn't expect them to be available in the same hues.
iPhone 16 Capture Button
An intriguing upgrade that's potentially coming to all iPhone 16 models is a new capacitive Capture Button. The proposed new button might include controls for focus and zoom.
- Enhanced customizability: It's said that the Capture button will be pressure-sensitive and react according to the force applied to it, returning haptic feedback. You'd also be able to swipe left or right on the button to zoom in or out. While many smartphones currently allow zoom adjustments through volume keys, Apple's approach suggests that your finger won't have to leave the Capture Button, offering a potentially more convenient experience.
- Tappable, not clickable: Judging from some recently revealed case images, the iPhone 16 Capture button will be a capacitive one, as cases for the iPhone 16 will feature a cutout instead of a regular button cover that usually goes over a clickable button. The button will also be positioned on the bottom right part of the side frame, so it sits right beneath your right fingertip when you rotate the phone in landscape mode.
iPhone 16 cases give us a clear view of the Capture button
iPhone 16 display
- iPhone 16: 6.12-inch OLED display (no changes)
- iPhone 16 Plus: 6.69-inch OLED display (no changes)
- iPhone 16 Pro: 6.27-inch OLED display (vs 6.12-inch on iPhone 15 Pro)
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.86-inch OLED display (vs 6.69-inch on iPhone 15 Pro Max)
- Changes, but not for all: As we mentioned above, there could be some major changes on the display front for the iPhone 16 generation. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus won't score any changes, but the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will get larger displays with slimmer bezels, maximizing the available screen real estate.
- Larger displays: According to rumors from reputable insider Ross Young, the display of the Phone 16 Pro Max will grow to 6.86 inches in size, while the more compact iPhone 16 Pro will score a 6.27-inch screen, which would be a notable increase on both phones. This rumor about a potential size upgrade was later confirmed by another credible source (tipster Revegnus on X), which automatically makes this rumor extremely credible.
- OLED here to stay: Aside from getting larger, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will both have LTPO OLED displays with very thin bezels. What does this mean? Similar to all Pro models since the iPhone 13, these displays allow for a much smoother 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate that makes scrolling more rewarding. Another potential improvement that could be coming our way might be a much greater peak brightness.
- No 120Hz for the affordable iPhones: Meanwhile, the list of potential improvements to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus is slimmer. Both devices will remain with 6.12-inch and 6.69-inch displays respectively, and the refresh rate might remain at the standard 60Hz setting, which doesn't sound particularly exciting for phones due to be released late in 2024.
That said, here are the iPhone 16 display upgrade rumors so far, summarized in a table:
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 16 Plus | iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size | 6.86-inch | 6.27-inch | 6.69-inch | 6.12-inch |
| Aspect ratio | 19.6:9 | 19.6:9 | 19.5:9 | 19.5:9 |
| Design | Pill-shaped Dynamic Island | Pill-shaped Dynamic Island | Pill-shaped Dynamic Island | Pill-shaped Dynamic Island |
| Display technology | LTPO OLED | LTPO OLED | LTPS OLED | LTPS OLED |
| Max refresh rate | ProMotion 120Hz | ProMotion 120Hz | 60Hz | 60Hz |
iPhone 16 battery
- Changes expected: The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro will arrive with slightly larger batteries in comparison with the former generation. However, a recent leak has hinted that we might score battery increases on all iPhone models except for the iPhone 16 Plus, which will actually be getting downsized with a smaller battery in comparison with the iPhone 15 Plus.
Pairing a slightly larger battery with the more efficient Apple A18 will certainly pave the way for better battery life, which is always welcome and would have big repercussions on your day-to-day life.
As per the rumor, the iPhone 16 models battery sizes will stand as follows (we've included a comparison versus the previous generation):
| Battery capacity/phone | Battery size |
|---|---|
| iPhone 16 | 3561mAh (+6% vs previous model's 3,349mAh battery)* |
| iPhone 16 Plus | 4006mAh (-8.6%vs previous model's 4,383mAh battery)* |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 3355mAh (+2.47% vs previous model's 3274mAh battery)* |
- USB Type-C and hopefully faster charging: The iPhone 16 lineup will certainly retain the USB Type-C port that debuted with the iPhone 15 lineup.
Charging is another area in which we can potentially see an improvement are charging speeds. The USB Type-C standard allows for much greater potential power throughput, so Apple has tons of room for improvement, the question is if the company would be keen on employing faster charging or leave things "as is" for now.
iPhone 16 features and software
- iOS 18 out of the box, at least five years of software support
The iPhone 16 will definitely come with iOS 18 on board. The next major software version of iOS will be detailed at the upcoming Apple WWDC'24 developer summit this June.
While leaks about software are way harder to come by in comparison with hardware ones, there's lots of chatter that Apple could turn its head to artificial intelligence with the next iOS release and put a much greater emphasis onto on-device AI and ML processing.
Apple has a large-language model (LLM) dubbed Ajax, which will be the company's answer to the ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Microsoft's Copilot, etc. Ajax could be used to fuel Siri and make Apple's smart assistant way smarter than it currently is.
Apple has a large-language model (LLM) dubbed Ajax, which will be the company's answer to the ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Microsoft's Copilot, etc. Ajax could be used to fuel Siri and make Apple's smart assistant way smarter than it currently is.
iOS 18 will arrive to a whole trove of iPhones out there, but the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max could potentially be dropped from the support list. However, rumors claim these might still be supported by iOS 18.
As they will be launched in 2024, the iPhone 16 lineup should receive at least five years of major software updates and security patches, and possibly more. This means the upcoming phones will be supported until the end of the decade, and possibly even longer than that.
- Enhanced microphones: The iPhone 16 lineup will feature vastly improved microphones. The main reason for that could be the improved Siri capabilities that are possibly coming along. A significantly improved Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is included in this upgrade to deliver a more intuitive voice assistant experience, as well as enhanced waterproofing.
iPhone 16 hardware: Second-gen 3nm Apple A18 chip
According to the most recent rumors, all iPhone 16 models might be powered by the same Apple A18 chip, which could be a universal iPhone 16 feature. Analyst Jeff Pu, who first raised those expectations, believes that Apple won't equip the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus with the older A17 Pro chip.
All Apple A18 chips will be manufactured on TSMC's second-generation 3nm process, dubbed N3E, which would potentially allow for much greater yield and less defective dies. The N3E process should also technically deliver greater efficiency, which could lead to better battery life, a critical improvement all things considered.
Some preliminary leaks exploring the potential performance gains of the Apple A18 chip have surfaced in China, but it's extremely early to draw any conclusions yet. As per the leak, the A18 scores 2822 points in the GeekBench 6 single-core test and 8571 in the multicore test. That's slightly lower than the A17 Pro chip in the single-core test (2958 points), but higher than the multicore result (7288 points) as per our benchmark tests.
Should you wait for the iPhone 16?
- You should wait for the iPhone 16 if you haven't upgraded in a while and are clinging to a relatively older iPhone. Anyone with a phone older than the iPhone 12 lineup should probably wait to see what major improvements the iPhone 16 could potentially deliver. The generational leap between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 16 would be sufficient to warrant an upgrade, which would deliver a lot of value to the user.
- You should not wait for the iPhone 16 if you've recently got a new phone (iPhone or other) and you are perfectly fine with using it for multiple years to come. Those using devices from the iPhone 15, iPhone 14, and iPhone 13 families probably won't be enticed by the potential improvements of the iPhone 16 range, so they should probably hold off on upgrading. Then again, the FOMO and that tempting feeling to always have the best tech might have another say on the matter.
Latest iPhone 16 rumors
Apple reportedly is in talks with OpenAI and Google over providing support to iOS 18 AI
iPhone 16 AI features: Here is what to expect
Apple tipped to reduce display size of iPhone 17 Plus
More iPhone 16 dummy units surface hinting at the potential design changes
iPhone 16 Pro camera rumor sparks hope the end of the lens flare might be near
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Insider says Apple's AI algorithms will run on-device
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Hot new iPhone 16 Pro rumors paint an exhilarating picture with 2TB storage, big battery, and more
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