Apple's iPhone 16 launch is likely days away. On Monday Sept. 9, Apple is holding its Glowtime event where new iPhone models are expected to be revealed. But don't count on the new iPhone looking very different from the iPhone 15, according to rumors, reports and leaks.
While we're not expecting a major departure in terms of design, the iPhone 16 may include some physical changes that could end up being particularly useful. That could include the addition of the Action button for the regular model and larger screens on the iPhone 16 Pro devices.
None of these reports have been confirmed or acknowledged by Apple.
The iPhone's design has largely remained the same over the last couple of years, aside from the iPhone 15 Pro's titanium build and the iPhone 15's color-infused glass. Apple also removed the SIM card slot from new iPhones in the US, starting with the iPhone 14 in 2022, meaning new iPhone buyers must rely on electronic SIMs. But arguably the biggest overhaul in recent memory came in 2020 when Apple changed the iPhone's shape by giving it flatter edges, starting with the iPhone 12.
More significant design tweaks could be in store for next year's iPhone. Apple is reportedly working on an iPhone 17 Slim for 2025, according to a 9to5Mac story citing analyst Jeff Pu. Bloomberg and The Information also report that a thinner iPhone could be in the works for next year, coming after Apple debuted its slim iPad Pro earlier this year.
Now, here's what we're expecting from the iPhone 16.
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iPhone 16 may get a new camera bump
Here is the back of the iPhone 12 with a vertically stacked camera array.
Patrick Holland/CNETApple may switch up the camera arrangement on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, according to MacRumors. The cameras will reportedly be stacked vertically on both phones, similar to the iPhone 12.
Australian tech commentator Trevor Long claims to have obtained a dummy unit of the iPhone 16, which he unboxed on his YouTube channel, EFTM. These "dummy" units aren't actual iPhones; they're models meant to help case manufacturers figure out the size and dimensions of new phones before they're released. The purported iPhone 16 dummy in Long's video shows vertically oriented cameras just like those mentioned in the MacRumors article.
Sonny Dickson, a tech blogger who has previously published iPhone leaks, also posted an image to X showing what claim to be iPhone dummy units, according to MacRumors. The units in that photo also have vertically stacked cameras.
It's unclear why Apple would change the positioning of the cameras on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus specifically. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, on the other hand, are expected to keep the same camera bump design, according to 91Mobiles, which claims to have obtained drawings of the phones' design.
When Apple shifted from a vertical arrangement to a diagonal one starting with the iPhone 13, it said doing so made it possible to fit a larger module in the device, as noted in CNET's review. It's possible that it no longer needs to position the cameras in that way to fit the iPhone 16's sensor, but this is just speculation at this point.
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Action and camera capture buttons for the iPhone 16
Setting my iPhone 15 Pro Max's Action Button to open the Camera app.
Celso Bulgatti/CNETExpect your next iPhone to come with more buttons.
The iPhone 16 is reportedly getting a dedicated camera button, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, although it's unclear if it would be available on all phones or just the Pro models. This button could allow you to trigger autofocus with a slight press, similar to a DSLR, Gurman reports. But a more recent report from Apple Insider suggests the camera button will indeed come to all new iPhone models and will be compatible with photography apps.
At the same time, Apple is expected to expand the Action button to all iPhone 16 models, Bloomberg also reports. Both buttons will be capacitive, according to MacRumors. The Action button, which can be used as a shortcut to launch the camera or turn on Do Not Disturb among other tasks, is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. In addition to extending the Action button to the standard iPhone this year, I'm also hoping Apple expands what it can do. For example, as my colleague Patrick Holland writes, the ability to trigger different actions with multiple presses could open up a bunch of possibilities.
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Larger sizes for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
Since the iPhone 14 series, Apple has made the iPhone with either a 6.1-inch screen (regular or Plus models) or a 6.7-inch display (Pro and Pro Max models).
James Martin/CNETThe iPhone Pro's screen size has remained the same for years, but that could soon change. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models are expected to include bigger screens, according to reports from Bloomberg, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, MacRumors and Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young.
The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max currently measure 6.1 and 6.7 inches respectively. If the reports from Young and MacRumors end up being true, the Pro's screen could end up measuring 6.2 or 6.3 inches, while the Max could be 6.8 or 6.9 inches.
A social media photo posted by well-known leaker Sonny Dickson showed what are said to be mockups of the next iPhone. Two of those models had labels indicating they have 6.3- and 6.9-inch screens, providing further speculation that Apple will give its pro-level iPhones a bump in display size.
That jump from 6.1 to 6.3 inches may not sound like a big difference. But in a device as small as a phone, even a fraction of an inch can go a long way.
Another purportedly leaked photo claims to show how the iPhone 16 Pro Max will compare to the iPhone 15 Pro Max in terms of size. Daniel Rotar of the tech YouTube channel ZoneOfTech published a photo on X of what is said to be a dummy unit of the iPhone 16 Pro Max alongside last year's Pro Max. Based on that photo, the iPhone 16 Pro Max could be slightly taller than its predecessor.
A leak from an X user who goes by the alias Ice Universe and who's known for frequently posting details about unreleased Samsung phones suggests the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a significantly thinner bezel. That would leave more space on the front of the phone to expand the screen.
Apple hasn't updated the iPhone's screen size of its Pro Max iPhone since 2020, when it introduced the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max to replace the 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max. The Pro model also got a size bump that year, growing to 6.1 inches compared to the 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro.
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iPhone 16 possible colors
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus comes in all of these different colors.
Apple/Screenshot by James Martin/CNETApple may have a couple of new color options in store for the iPhone 16 Pro, if rumors turn out to be true. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max may come in space black, gray, rose and white colors, according to a leak that surfaced on the Chinese social network Weibo. The rumor was reposted by a notable leaker who goes by the alias ShrimpApplePro on X. Bloomberg also reports that the blue version of the Pro will be replaced and the Pro would also be available in a rose gold color option this year. That would differ from the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max's color options, which include natural titanium, blue titanium, white titanium and black titanium.
The regular iPhone could come in pink, black, white, green and blue, according to Dickson's photo and Kuo.
All told, the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro sound like they will be an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 15. Check out our full preview of what we're expecting from the iPhone 16 to learn more about what we may see from the camera and other key areas.