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iPhone 16 rumored release date, price, specs and colors — everything you need to
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By Richard Priday last updated 17 hours ago
Here's the latest word on Apple's iPhones for 2024

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Apple iPhone 16 render.

(Image credit: Future)
Latest news
Updated August 22

• The Pro models may gain a new Face ID lens.

• Image leaks showing off new bronze colored iPhone 16 Pro Max.
• New report details the functions of the new Capture button.
• Hands-on video shows all the new iPhone 16 colos.
• Apple rumored to unveil the iPhone 16 series on September 10

The iPhone 16 promises a range of upgrades that could improve Apple's flagship
while narrowing the gap between the regular iPhone and Pro series. And it won't be
long before Apple's September event is here, where we'll most likely get our first
look at the new models.

Thanks to various rumors and alleged leaks, the design and several key features and
upgrades for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max (and possibly an
iPhone 16 Ultra too) are already out in the open. Fortunately for users, all models
look to be getting something new and interesting to play with, so no matter how
much you plan on spending on the next iPhone, it'll feel like a strong upgrade.
Read on for a summary of all the iPhone 16 rumors we've seen so far, focusing on
the base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models.

iPhone 16 cheat sheet: Biggest rumors

Release date prediction: September 2024
Price prediction: from $799
Design: 6.1-inch standard and 6.7-inch Plus versions, redesigned camera block,
Action button, Capture button; bigger screens on the Pro models
Cameras: Spatial video support; upgraded ultrawide camera on the Pro models
AI features: Generative AI in several Apple apps, including Photos and Notes
Specs: A18 or A17 Pro chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB default storage, Wi-Fi 7/6E
Battery: Larger battery in standard model and on both Pro models
Software: iOS 18
iPhone 16: Possible price and availability
If Apple keeps to its current schedule, we should see an iPhone 16 release date in
September 2024, with at least one rumor pointing to September 10 being the big day.
Delays are possible, and have happened a couple of times in the past few years, but
Apple never deviated too much.

We have no specific pricing rumors for the iPhone 16 right now, but we can start by
assuming that Apple will keep to an $800 price for the entry-level model, with Pro
models costing $1,000 - $1,100, and higher storage versions adding a few hundred
more onto the price. That said, phone component costs are on the rise, and that
could push iPhone 16 prices upward. Just this year, the Galaxy S24 Ultra saw its
price rise by $100 over its predecessor to a lofty $1,299, just as an example.

If there is an iPhone 16 Ultra as some people have claimed, we'd have to imagine it
would cost even more, perhaps $1,200 or higher. However, it seems increasingly
likely that Apple is sticking with the current lineup of a standard model, a Plus
version and two Pro editions with the iPhone 16.

While Apple plans to delay the release of Apple Intelligence until October, it
appears that there are no plans to delay the release of the iPhone 16 series, with
Apple keeping to the September 10 plan. This would mean that users will have to
wait until the release of iOS 18.1 before being able to use Apple Intelligence.

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iPhone 16: Design
A mock-up render of an alleged iPhone 16 Pro prototype featuring a punch hole
cutout instead of a Dynamic Island

(Image credit: Majin Bu/X)

We've heard from Apple supply chain expert Ming-Chi Kuo that no big exterior
changes are coming to the iPhone 16 series. But a few small tweaks could still be
coming.

Four alleged iPhone 16 dummies, featuring their sizes written above them.

(Image credit: Sonny Dickson / X)

After the iPhone 15 Pro got a new Action button in 2023, it now seems like all
iPhone 16 models could get a "Capture button." This has apparently appeared on
prototype iPhone 16 units, and sounds like it may be be a camera shutter button
with the option to focus shots too. It could also function as a zoom by swiping on
it. Once again, the new iPhones are not expect to feature a fingerprint sensor.

Another report claims the Action button will come to the standard iPhone and the
iPhone 16 Plus. This won't be functionally different from what we saw on the iPhone
15 Pro, says one source.

Prototype designs for the iPhone 16 have been posted online, which suggests that
we'll get repositioned main cameras. Non-pro iPhone 16 models could be going for a
vertical camera layout, which could give them the ability to shoot spatial video.
Various mockups, leaked schematics, CAD drawings and dummy units seem to
corroborate this change.

For what it's worth, photos of what appear to be iPhone 16 cases confirm the
vertically stacked cameras as well as the presence of Action and Capture buttons on
the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

iPhone 16 prototypes

(Image credit: MacRumors)

When it comes to colors, we may see Apple bring add a new Rose option to the iPhone
16 Pro. What's more, Space Black from the iPhone 14 Pro, and the classic silver
option, may be coming back too. As for the basic models, all iPhone 15 colors could
be returning in one form or another, along with new white and purple options to
give users the widest choice of iPhone colors yet. You can check those colors out
in a family photo that got leaked here, along with a hands-on video showing off
dummy units sporting the new iPhone 16 colors.

Row 0 - Cell 0 Rumored colors

iPhone 16 Black, blue, pink, yellow, green, white, purple
iPhone 16 Plus Black, blue, pink, yellow, green, white, purple
iPhone 16 Pro bronze, gray, space black, white
iPhone 16 Pro Max bronze, gray, space black, white
It appears that Apple is planning to remove the yellow option for the iPhone 16 and
iPhone 16 Plus. A recent post from Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has indicated that
the iPhone 16 will come in black, green, pink and white instead. They have also
stated that Apple may rename some of the colors, and even similarly named shades
could look different to the current models.

For the iPhone 16 Pro models, however, we could end up getting the same neutral
tones as before: gray, white, and space black. Although, leaked images purported to
be the iPhone 16 Pro Max shows off a new option — bronze — which looks to be a
darker brown color than anything else.

iPhone 16: Display

It's rumored that we'll see larger iPhone 16 Pro models this year, with the iPhone
16 Pro apparently measuring 6.3 inches and the iPhone 16 Pro Max 6.9 inches (backed
up by a roadmap made by Samsung Securities). CAD designs also show off the Pro Max
model's size difference compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and if you want the
alleged exact measurements down to fractions of a millimeter, those have leaked
too.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also believes the Pro model will see a boost to its screen
size. Gurman claims the iPhone 16 Pro models will grow by “a couple tenths of an
inch diagonally,” making them the biggest iPhones to date. Analyst Jeff Pu also
reiterated this, predicting a 0.2-inch screen size increase.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, however, are said to be sticking with the current
6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes, in what would be a small consideration for users who
prefer smaller phones. They may also keep the iPhone 15's aging 60Hz refresh rate
too, a disappointment considering how most Android phones offer 90Hz or higher for
smoother, more efficient scrolling.

One possible upgrade for all models is new thinner bezels around the display.
Assuming Apple's manufacturing partners can get their production up to standard in
time, it'll make the screens of the new iPhones look even larger. A more recent
rumor suggests that Apple will limit thinner bezels to the iPhone 16 Pro models,
Specifically, the iPhone 16 Pro would feature a 1.2mm bezel, compared to 1.15mm on
the iPhone 16 Pro Max. For context, the iPhone 15 Pro has a 1.71m, bezel.

Unofficial renders of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max from the front and
back

(Image credit: MacRumors)

The displays on the new phones could use a new OLED material set supplied by
Samsung. According to the rumors, the upgraded panel would replace blue fluorescent
technology with blue phosphorescence technology — a move that would apparently
improve the power efficiency of the iPhone's display. To that end, a report out of
Asia tips the iPhone 16 Pro models to get an advanced OLED panel from Samsung that
should make those two phones 20% brighter than their predecessors.

iPhone 16: Possible specs

If Apple sticks to its current way of doing things, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16
Plus would inherit the A17 Pro chip we see in the iPhone 15 Pro models. A more
promising rumor suggests all iPhone 16 model will run on 3-nanometer A18 chips,
with the Pro models set to get more powerful versions of the A18. However, another
leak suggests the A18 Pro could fall behind the competition.

It's also been speculated that the A18 may get a larger die area than the A17,
which adds room for additional transistors or specialized hardware — which may help
power the phone's on-device AI. An upgrade to 8GB of RAM may also help boost these
features.

Regardless of the A18's design, Apple is apparently ordering a lot of chips — up to

100 million units, according to one report — as it's anticipating lots of demand
for iPhone 16 models.

WiFi 6E support for faster and more reliable home internet speeds is also rumored.
Several sources have now claimed this, though more recent rumors suggest Wi-Fi 7
may be on the cards for iPhone 16 Pro models. This claim is further substantiated
by another report from DigiTimes, which would allow iPhone 16 Pro models to send
and receive data over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands at the same time when
connected to some of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers. Although, it's unlikely that the
regular iPhone 16 models will get it.

Storage will likely start at 128GB for the base, Plus and Pro iPhone 16 models,
with the iPhone 16 Pro Max beginning at 256GB like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple may
start offering 256GB by default on all models though, and up to 2TB of storage on
the Pro models, thanks to a new type of memory, although this could be slower to
read and write data than current iPhones.

Don't expect the long-rumored Apple-built modem to appear this year. Apple's
reportedly been struggling to develop a production-ready chip and Qualcomm is set
to supply the iPhone with modems through 2026. Jeff Pu claims we'll get a
Snapdragon X75 modem with a new "5G advanced" standard that can hit 7.5 Gbps.
iPhone 16: Battery
Leaks indicate that the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could see an
increased battery size. The apparent increase for those models could be joined by a
6% decrease in the capacity of the iPhone 16 Plus's battery however.

As for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, a separate rumor suggests their
battery sizes will increase to 3,577 mAh and 4,747 mAh, respectively. That
compares to 3,274 on the iPhone 15 Pro and 4,422 mAh on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Another rumor suggests the Pro Max may receive a more modest battery upgrade to
4,676mAh.

A different leak claims Apple could promise over 30 hours of battery life for the
new iPhones. That would be quite something considering we only see all-day battery
life promised for the iPhone 15 series, although we have to wonder if this will
apply to all the iPhone 16s, or just the largest models.

There has been some talk of Apple looking into new ways to disperse heat in the
iPhone 16 following complaints about some iPhone 15 Pro overheating. One possible
solution involves Apple using a frosted metal shell and new connector for the
battery, at least for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Higher battery density could be on the cards too, allowing a greater capacity in
the same-sized cell. Apple may turn to a stainless steel casing for its batteries,
which would boost density — a move that could help the iPhone 16 Pro Max, in
particular.

Apple is reportedly considering ways to make the iPhone 16 battery easier to

replace. By enclosing the battery in a steel case, people would be able to remove
it from the phone's chassis with a jolt of electricity.

iPhone 16: Cameras

A concept for the iPhone 15 Ultra, showing the phone from the front and back

(Image credit: Jonas Daehnert)

Without rumors telling us otherwise, we'd assume the cameras used on the iPhone 16
will be roughly the same as those found on the iPhone 15, which will likely be a
48MP main camera joined by 12MP ultrawide, selfie and telephoto (on the Pro models)
cameras. While both regular and Pro iPhones could use the same 48MP main
resolution, the sensor on the Pro models could be larger to give the more expensive
iPhones a greater advantage with photography.

The 48MP main camera could get a size upgrade says one source, claiming that the
new sensor will measure 1/1.14 inches (0.87 inches) instead of the current 1/1.28
inches (0.78 inches). A larger sensor should hopefully translate to brighter and
more colorful images.

A second 48MP sensor could be added to the Pro models' ultrawide cameras, allowing
for the same benefits, and maybe even full 48MP ProRes shots, at the iPhone's
widest 0.5x magnification level. A second source backs the 48MP ultrawide sensor
rumor for the Pro models.

Meanwhile, the standard models could revert back to the vertical camera arrangement
last seen on the iPhone 12. This may be changing in order to support Spatial video
recording for Vision Pro and other headsets.

We've also been hearing about there being an improved telephoto camera on both the
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, with multiple rumors claiming the iPhone 16
Pro will adopt the tetraprism telephoto lens complete with 5x zoom capabilities.
Both the telephoto and main lens may also get a higher quality lens as well. That
could translate into a larger camera module on the iPhone 16 Pro.

We're expecting the same 12MP selfie cameras on the iPhone 16 as we saw on the
iPhone 15. There won't be any big change until the iPhone 17, says one source,
which will apparently start using 24MP sensors for its front-facing cameras.

While the basics may not change that much, it's possible that Samsung will be the
one supplying Apple with the camera sensors, rather than Sony we've seen in past
iPhones. So even if the resolutions don't change, we could still see improvements
thanks to Samsung's latest tech being used.

You can't take photos with it, but the Face ID camera on the iPhone 16 Pro models
could get upgraded as well. Rumors claim it'll feature a metalens to make the
facial recognition module thinner and lighter.

iPhone 16: Software

It's a certainty that iOS 18 will power the 2024 iPhone models. And now that Apple
has previewed its software update at June's Worldwide Developer Conference, we know
a bit more about what those features will be, including a redesigned Photos app,
the ability to more completely customize the iPhone home screen and assorted
improvements to Maps, Notes and other apps.

Apple Intelligence — Apple's name for AI features coming to all its products — will
be a big part of the software update, too, but only for a limited number of phones.
Apple's restricting Apple Intelligence to devices with an A17 chip or later;
presumably, that will include all four iPhone 16 models since they're supposed to
run on A18 silicon. And thanks to a supercharged NPU, this line of iPhones could
have the best AI performance of any Apple device.

Apple Intelligence features include writing tools, generative photo editing

features and a smarter version of Siri aided by ChatGPT. Will all that be enough to
convince people they should upgrade to the new iPhone 16 models? We'll find out
later this year.

iPhone 16: Outlook

Luckily, it won't be long now before the iPhone 16 will be revealed given how
September has traditionally been the month for new iPhone reveals. We're a couple
of weeks away of what could be the next September Apple event, so any new leaks
between now and then will build up more anticipation.

New cameras with a longer zoom (at least on the Pro models), a larger frame, an
upgraded display, plus the usual annual power and performance enhancements, would
all be a step up from what the iPhone 15 delivered — and those devices dominate the
upper echelons of our best iPhone rankings.

Does that mean holding off on any iPhone purchase right now? If you need an iPhone
now, you should pick one up. That's unless iPhone 15 deals are too irresistible to
pass up. But clearly, the iPhone 16 release is going to introduce some significant
changes, both in terms of hardware and software.

More from Tom's Guide

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Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor
Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets,
gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in
Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED
U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about
how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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