It’s that time of the year when you’ll want to hold off buying the current iPhone 16 and instead wait for the upcoming models because there are a few special things on the horizon. Rumors suggest that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus could come in seven beautiful colors. Plus, all four will likely be powered by on-device AI capabilities.
What to Expect from iPhone 16 Series
The upcoming iPhone 16 series will pack in at least four variants: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. All four will boot up to the next iOS 18, touted as the biggest iOS upgrade ever.
1. Colors
iPhone 16 and Plus are rumored to come in seven colors— the most color options in any iPhone ever —including Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green, Black, White, and Purple. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could be getting two new colors: Space Black and Rose. Meanwhile, another rumor by a noted leaker suggests we will see color-infused back glass in the iPhone 16.
2. Larger Displays
The rumor mill has it that the new Pro and Pro Max will have larger displays when compared to the current iPhone 15 Pro series. That said, the Pro might sport a 6.27-inch screen, while its elder sibling, the Pro Max could have a 6.85-inch screen, bigger than the current 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus could retain the same screen size as current standard models. If not, the Plus variant could see a minor change in screen size. There are also talks that standard iPhone 16 models might support Always On Display.
Furthermore, the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could feature Samsung’s advanced M14 OLED screens. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and Plus will have to settle for M12 OLED screens.
3. Action Button in all four iPhones
Unlike the iPhone 15 series, all four iPhone 16 models will feature an Action Button instead of a DND switch. And you can customize it to perform various actions. Speculations suggest it may have something to do with Apple’s generative AI plans (possibly a shortcut for an AI-powered chatbot), but take this with a pinch of salt until official confirmation.
4. Capture Button is Coming, but Only for Pro Models
iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to house a Capture Button below the Power button on the right side, as a touch-sensitive button with vibration feedback. You could snap photos or record videos quickly without opening the Camera app manually. Some rumors also point that the Capture Button could be coming to all four variants, but that’s unlikely given that Apple kept the Action Button exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro series.
5. A18 Processor
As with any iPhone release, the new iPhones will receive the latest and upgraded processors. So, the iPhone 16 and Plus could pack a 3nm A18 processor under the hood. The elder siblings—Pro and Pro Max—might pack a 3nm A18 Pro processor.
In addition, rumors suggest that Apple is exploring using graphene to improve cooling, and the iPhone 16 Pro models could have a metal casing around the battery to help with heat. With everything lined up, Apple is getting ready to sell a whopping 90 to 100 million units of the iPhone 16.
6. Camera Upgrades
Apple is rumored to bring major changes to the iPhone 16 and Plus, especially in the camera department. The new standard models may have cameras arranged vertically, unlike what we’ve been seeing since the iPhone 13 (diagonally-placed).
For the iPhone 16 Pro models, rumors hint an Ultra-Wide lens could be making its way, to help capture more light for clearer photos, especially in the dark. On top of that, the Pro models might have a super zoom lens and a better selfie camera. In addition, all four iPhone 16 models could reportedly get reduced lens glare.
7. Wi-Fi 7 Support
According to analyst Jeff Pu, upcoming Pro models may reportedly upgrade to WiFi 7. It uses 4K QAM, which is why it can offer peak data transfer speeds of over 40 Gbps, up to four times faster than Wi-Fi 6E. The setup could use 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands all at once.
8. Battery
Rumors hint that all iPhones except the Plus variant will see increased battery capacity. iPhone 16 Pro could boast a 3,355mAh, a slight increase from the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3,274mAh; the iPhone 16 Pro Max is rumored to house the largest battery yet at 4,676mAh, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 4,422mAh.
Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 16 could house a 3,561mAh battery, up from the iPhone 15’s 3,349mAh, and the iPhone 16 Plus could house a 4,006mAh battery, compared to the iPhone 15 Plus’s 4,383mAh.
It is further rumored that the iPhone 16 Pro models will feature stacked battery technology, which means we might see higher capacity and a longer lifespan. With that inside the hub, the upcoming iPhones could support faster 40W wired charging and 20W MagSafe charging.
9. Apple Intelligence Coming with iOS 18
Apple Intelligence will be the backbone of the upcoming iPhone 16 series with iOS 18. With the latest iOS 18, new Siri capabilities using advanced language models, with some top-tier AI features possibly exclusive to the iPhone 16 models. Leaks indicate that while many new LLM features will be available on all iPhones, on-device AI functionalities might be limited to the iPhone 16.
While iOS 18 is coming to many iPhones, some crucial features (if not most) could be exclusive to the iPhone 16 series. You can check out our detailed post on iOS 18 for more info.
10. Simmer MagSafe Charging Ring
Reportedly, alleged iPhone 16 molds obtained by a French website ShopSystem suggest that all four iPhone 16 models might sport a thinner MagSafe charging ring compared to their predecessors. The changes are apparent in the images shared by the publication. Moreover, the pill beneath the ring appears to have less rounded ends compared to the iPhone 15’s.
11. Launch Schedule
Apple usually holds its annual iPhone launch event during the fall. Traditionally, Apple has launched new iPhone models around the second half of September. It is important to note that Apple has not yet officially announced the release date.
12. Pricing
At the moment, there aren’t any hints or rumors about potential price hikes, so the upcoming models could start at $799 for the base standard variant. Yet, that’s most likely, but Apple could also announce a hike in the price with an upgraded storage variant for the base model.