The iPhone 16 is set to be introduced on Sept. 9 during Apple’s “Glowtime” event. The glow may refer to Siri’s new colorful edge-to-edge design, but we won’t know until Apple execs take the stage in Cupertino. While we also expect to see a new Apple Watch and AirPods on Sept. 9, the rumored M4 Mac is not likely to appear until October. We do have some clues about what to expect from the phone, though. Here’s what we’ve heard so far from reliable sources.When Can I Preorder the iPhone 16?Given Apple’s usual schedule, the iPhone 16 should be available for preorder on Friday, Sept. 13, but given that Apple is holding its event on a Monday versus the usual Tuesday, we may also get a one-day jump on preorders. German blog Macerkopf says they will begin on Thursday, Sept. 12. And while MacRumors called that rumor “sketchy,” it made that pronouncement before Apple confirmed the date for its Glowtime event.iPhone 16 Colors: Bye-Bye, Blue TitaniumWay back in February, we shared speculation from Majin Bu that the iPhone 16 Pro could come in “Desert Yellow (Desert Titanium), similar to the gold of the iPhone 14 Pro but deeper and heavier Cement Gray (Titanium Gray), a shade of space gray similar to that used on iPhone 6.” At the time, 9to5Mac noted Bu’s “mixed track record of accuracy,” but the site recently posted that a bronze shade known as Desert Titanium will replace Blue Titanium, per another rumor from Bu. There’s also an image from Sonny Dickson that shows four iPhones in neutral colors. While this might be meant to replace the gold iPhones of yore, they have more of a brown Zune vibe.
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The Camera Bump Gets BumpedThe iPhone’s camera bump has grown over time and has, for a while now, been a solid square. This could change with the iPhone 16, which is rumored to be getting two vertically stacked lenses with the flash next to it, as reported by 9to5Mac. This elliptical shape is sleeker, which you can see in this image that Sonny Dickson posted on X.
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Increased RAM and Storage CapacityTo handle the increased load from Apple Intelligence, the base model iPhone 16 and 16 Plus may see a bump in RAM from the current 6GB to 8GB, according to MacRumors analyst Joe Rossignol. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max already have 8GB of RAM and it’s not clear if they might receive an upgrade to 10GB or 12GB. Storage is also expected to see an upgrade, with the current default capacity of 128GB expanded to 256GB. Other rumors indicate that Pro models of the iPhone 16 may support up to 2TB of storage. The last iPhones to see an upgrade in RAM or minimum storage capacity were the 12 and the 13, respectively. The iPhone 12 saw a 2GB RAM increase bringing us the current 6GB standard, whereas the 13 was the first iPhone to start with 128GB of storage.Both Pro Models to Get Tetraprism Zoom LensThe iPhone 15 Pro did not get the tetraprism lens found on the 15 Pro Max (instead, it comes with the same 3x optical zoom as the iPhone 14 Pro Max). But according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, that will change in the next-generation iPhones, with the tetraprism feature landing on the iPhone 16 Pro as well as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.As PCMag’s Eric Zeman explains, “The tetraprism is basically a periscope, or a way to bend light multiple times through glass, which is a tool other phone makers have used in their cameras since 2017 to bring faraway subjects closer to your smartphone.”Getting that option on the smaller Pro model, which currently runs $200 less than the Pro Max, would be a nice money-saving perk. If Apple doesn’t raise iPhone prices, that is. Kuo suggests we might end up paying more for the iPhone 16 to cover the camera upgrades. (There were rumors about a $200 iPhone price increase ahead of the iPhone 15 launch, but that only came to the 15 Pro Max, which is $100 more expensive than its predecessor.)Additionally, the camera module of the non-Pro models may return to the vertical design of the iPhone 12. “Aside from tidying up the outside appearance, the change does give another benefit to Apple,” says Malcom Owen of Apple Insider. “When used in landscape orientation, the pair of cameras could therefore be used to record spatial video that could be viewed by the Apple Vision Pro.” A second 48MP sensor is also rumored for the Pro and the Pro Max, according to Toms Guide.All 4 iPhone 16 Models Get an A18 ChipAll four iPhone 16 models will run next-gen A18 chips from Apple, according to analyst Jeff Pu. “We view A17 Pro as a transition design and now expect all the iPhone 16 models to feature A18, on TSMC’s N3E,” Pu wrote in a research note. N3E means the chips will be made using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, which is cheaper and easier to produce than the first-gen process, MacRumors notes.That said, Pu tells MacRumors that there will be some differentiation between the chips. Namely, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will run an A18 chip while the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max get an A18 Pro chip. That A18 chip “will feature an upgraded Neural Engine with ‘significantly’ more cores,” MacRumors says, citing Taiwan’s Economic Daily News.On the current iPhone lineup, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max run the A17 Pro chip, while the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus both have the A16 Bionic chip also found in the iPhone 14 Pro.iPhone 16 Ultra?In 2022, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple was working on an “Ultra” branded device to replace the Pro Max. In February, he followed that up to say it probably won’t happen until 2024, and the Ultra version may actually be a new top-tier phone rather than a Pro Max replacement.”But instead of renaming the Pro Max ‘the Ultra,’ Apple could add an even higher-end iPhone above both Pro models. Internally, the company has discussed doing just that—potentially in time for the 2024 iPhone release,” Gurman said at the time.That report came after Apple CEO Tim Cook said “people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can” in terms of smartphone specs. What would make a phone Ultra? Gurman suggests, “It will probably offer further camera improvements, a faster chip, and perhaps an even larger display. There also may be more future-forward features, such as finally dropping the charging port.” The bigger question? Would it be more durable and have a longer battery life as the Apple Watch Ultra does?Capacitive Capture Button
Apple iPhone SE (Credit: PCMag/Molly Flores)
According to MacRumors, Apple toyed with a capacitive touch button on the exterior of the iPhone 15, but the project didn’t come together in time. It may try again with the iPhone 16, however, adding a button that’s similar to the iPhone SE’s home button below the power button. It’s not entirely clear what this button will be used for, but it’ll have haptic feedback and force-touch capability, MacRumors says. The Action button that rolled out for the iPhone 15 Pros will reportedly come to the base iPhone 16, too.
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Wi-Fi 7 Support On iPhone 16 ProThe iPhone 15 Pro lineup supports Wi-Fi 6E, while the base models stick with the Wi-Fi 6 found on the iPhone 14. According to analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 16 Pro will support Wi-Fi 7. It’s the latest standard and should be more widely available in more consumer equipment by the time the iPhone 16 debuts.Screen Size Upgrades
iPhone 15 Pro Max (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Rumors point to larger screen sizes across the iPhone 16 lineup. We’re talking 6.3 inches versus 6.1 inches on the smaller phones and 6.9 inches versus 6.7 inches on the Pro and Plus, so it’s unclear if the average person will notice a major difference. Still, we’re potentially creeping back into phablet territory. (Remember those?)Other rumors are hinting at even slimmer bezels across the entire iPhone 16 lineup. CNET reports that a new type of “border reduction structure technology” will make this possible. This new manufacturing technique reportedly allows for “more compact control circuitry,” effectively allowing for a slimmer bezel.The iPhone 16 lineup may also see a screen powered by a new material called M14, which Samsung is reportedly developing for Apple. This new material will allow for a more power-efficient display that will do away with the current blue, fluorescent screens.Better Battery LifeEvery iPhone iteration usually comes with a small boost to battery life. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to be no different, according to a report published by MacRumors, with a battery that could, for the first time, last longer than 30 hours. While it was initially reported that the phone would only be getting a 5% larger cell compared with the 29-hour battery in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, there might be other efficiencies (likely built into the A18 processor) at work. iPhone 17 Rumors Already?The iPhone 16 is going to be the brightest, shiniest thing Apple has to offer this season, but lots of people are already eyeing the iPhone 17. Rumors on the next-next-gen smartphone point to 12GB of memory compared with the iPhone 16’s expected 8GB and AI that’s far more advanced and better integrated than what you’ll see on stage on Sept. 9. And for those who hate how heavy phones have become, there are rumors of an iPhone 17 Air. The iPhone 17 is also going to look a little different, according to MacRumors. That could include an absence of a front camera cutout in favor of a small, circular cutout for under-display Face ID technology for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. There’s also the possibility of even larger display sizes and the 120Hz ProMotion screen might appear on all the phones in the iPhone 17 lineup.Additionally, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg predicts that we’ll see the first iPhone SE since 2022. It could look similar to an iPhone 14 but with an OLED display and even smaller bezels. More to ComePCMag will be in Cupertino on Sept. 9 to bring you all the news from the Glowtime event, so stay tuned for all the news.
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About Chandra Steele
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My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme. I strive to explain topics that you might come across in the news but not fully understand, such as NFTs and meme stocks. I’ve had the pleasure of talking tech with Jeff Goldblum, Ang Lee, and other celebrities who have brought a different perspective to it. I put great care into writing gift guides and am always touched by the notes I get from people who’ve used them to choose presents that have been well-received. Though I love that I get to write about the tech industry every day, it’s touched by gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequality and I try to bring these topics to light. Outside of PCMag, I write fiction, poetry, humor, and essays on culture.
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