If there’s any smartphone we’re particularly looking forward to getting our hands on this year, it’s the iPhone 16. Apple’s next series of handsets might be the Silicon Valley giant’s biggest technological leap in years, with plenty of talk surrounding how it might combat the AI advances of brands like Samsung and Google Pixel. We’ve put together this guide detailing all the latest leaks, rumors, and release date speculation, so you can prepare yourself for what Apple has up its sleeve.
For more of the finest smartphones, check out our guides to the best Samsung phones, the best Xiaomi phones, the best OnePlus phones, and the best Motorola phones. Or, if you’re looking for something snazzy to wear on your wrist instead, see our list of the best smartwatches and guide to the best Apple Watch.
iPhone 16 release date prediction
Unfortunately, we don’t have a confirmed iPhone 16 release date just yet. However, with Apple’s release pattern, it’s fair to assume the new devices should arrive in Fall 2024. If the release of the iPhone 15 is anything to go by, the next series of devices should include a base model – the iPhone 16 – as well as the Plus, Pro, and Pro Max versions. We’re also anticipating a fancy reveal video, like the one for the iPhone 15 below. As soon as we have a confirmed release date, we’ll be back to update this page with it.
iPhone 16 specs rumors and leaks
While it’s important to take any iPhone 16 specs rumors and leaks with a pinch of salt so far away from the anticipated late 2024 release date, we have seen some reports suggesting what might be new for the sixteenth generation of iPhone.
The most prominent iPhone 16 specs rumor is the suggestion that the top-end models, the Pro and Pro Max, are getting larger displays. While it’s only a small change to both, the reports say the Pro and Pro Max versions are increasing by around .03mm to 149.6mm in length for the Pro and 163.0mm for the Pro Max.
Another leak suggests that the iPhone 16 series might employ Wi-Fi 7 technology, making for an even faster connection to local internet on the Apple smartphone. Whether this is for all the iPhone 16 series or just the higher-end Pro and Pro Max isn’t clear. However, with other phone brands like OnePlus and Xiaomi incorporating the technology in their latest devices, Apple is sure to want to keep up.
There’s also the belief that the iPhone 16 could be the first to feature haptic buttons, doing away with the volume, mute, and power buttons. Apple intended to launch the feature with the iPhone 15, but had to change tact before the release to deal with some ‘unresolved technical issues’. However, there’s no official word on this change yet, and some are under the impression that while the power button might become haptic, there’s slightly less chance of the volume and mute buttons also becoming solid-state rather than physical.
iPhone 16 price speculation
While it’s hard to put together an iPhone 16 price estimate in the current economic climate, with inflation rife across many regions, we can speculate. Usually, Apple tends to release its devices each year for around the same price, adjusted for inflation over sixteen generations, of course, but that might not be the case with the next series of Apple smartphones.
Some reports, including one from Forbes, suggest we might see an iPhone 16 price hike. While many had anticipated a rise in the cost of the 15 series compared to the 14, due to the price of materials Apple uses to make the phone going up, there was little difference between any of the devices besides a $100 increase to the 15 Pro Max over the 14 series’ equivalent model.
The assumption is that Apple has tried to soak up as much of the increase in the cost of materials as possible. This means the iPhone 16 series may reflect the need to recoup funds following rather generous prices for the iPhone 15 devices outside of the Pro Max. We should know more about exact costs closer to the release date, so bookmark this page for more information as we get it.
iPhone 16 colors speculation
Apple always releases different colorway options with new devices, and we expect the iPhone 16 to be no different in that regard. Due to some leaked design prototypes, we’ve seen pink, black, and yellow versions – though the yellow does seem more like a light olive green to me. However, we’ve seen colorful prototypes before that didn’t make the cut for release, so these colorways might change following the prototype stage.
It’s a safe bet to say the iPhone 16 colors include black and white, but outside of that, it’s not at all clear what Apple might go for. Still, considering the iPhone 15 launched with green, blue, yellow, and pink options, we’re assuming that we might at least see a couple of these colorways return, depending on how popular they prove to be with consumers.
The latest iPhone 16 Plus colors rumor suggests that we might see white, black, blue, green, pink, purple, and yellow colorways available on launch, with white and pink the new additions for 2024. Still, we’re a good few months from getting any official confirmation, so take this rumor, like others, with a pinch of salt.
iPhone 16 model variations
If the last few Apple smartphone releases are anything to go off, you can expect at least four iPhone 16 model variations: 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. With the 15 Series, Apple differentiated the two base models and Pro versions by equipping the former with A16 Bionic chipsets while the latter contains the newer A17 Pro processor. Considering the A16 Bionic was in use for the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, we may see the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus utilize the A17 Bionic chip, but we won’t know for sure until Apple confirms this itself.
While we’re confident we’ll get at least four different iPhone 16 models, there is the possibility of a fifth. Within the industry, there have been rumors of an iPhone 16 Ultra, a fifth flagship with even higher specs than the Pro Max. However, a potential iPhone 16 lineup leak also points towards a possible change in the way Apple does things, suggesting the arrival of two SE phones in the 16 Series rather than a new high-end flagship. Either way, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a fifth version of the iPhone 16 when the release date rolls around.
iPhone 16 camera speculation
In January 2024, a leak from Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro Max camera utilizes a state-of-the-art Sony IMX903 sensor for enhanced image processing. Like many of the other rumors, it’s hard to say if this is true at the time of writing, but it matches up with rumors from other reliable sources surrounding the latest Sony sensor.
We’ve also seen reports that the iPhone 16 might see a return to the old Apple design ethos with the reintroduction of the vertical camera layout. This is more about the design of the camera rather than its capabilities, but it’d be interesting to see Apple rehash a design with more powerful cameras onboard.
iPhone 16 battery life speculation
We’ve not heard many rumors about what to expect from the iPhone 16’s battery life, but think it’s fair to assume it’ll be an upgrade on the iPhone 15. We’re used to seeing incremental battery upgrades across different generations of iPhone, and social media tipster Majin Bu has posited that the iPhone 16’s battery might be as much as 6% bigger than its predecessor.
Further leaks have corroborated the talk surrounding the increase in battery size for the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and 16 Pro Max, but the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery could actually be shrinking. In April 2024, we reported on a leak suggesting an 8.6% decrease in the size of the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery. Still, it’s important to note this might not directly affect battery power if Apple mitigates power drain via other parts of the internal hardware.
iPhone 16 OS
While much of what to expect of the iPhone 16 is still the subject of rumors, leaks, and speculation, we can at least be confident of the fact that we’ll be using iOS 18 by the time the big hardware release rolls around. We’re likely to hear more about iOS 18 and how it works at WWDC 2024, as is usually the case, with everything pointing towards this being a major upgrade for the operating system in terms of AI functionality.
There you have it, our guide to all the iPhone 16 release date, specs, and price speculation. To check out the best iPhone currently on the market, see our iPhone 15 Pro Max review. Or, if you’re struggling to decide whether to flip over to Android for the next generation, check out our iPhone vs. Android guide.