This year there could be a higher chance you’ll be able to find an iPhone color you like than usual, as reportedly the iPhone 16 Plus will be available in seven shades – up from just five colors for the iPhone 15 Plus.
This is according to a leak posted on Chinese site Weibo (via 9to5Mac), with the source claiming that the iPhone 16 Plus will be sold in pink, yellow, blue, green, black, white, and purple shades.
For reference, the iPhone 15 Plus is available in pink, yellow, blue, green, and black shades. So only the white and purple options would be new this year – though it’s possible some of the others will be different versions of the colors in question.
The same shades for the iPhone 16
This leak only specifically mentions the iPhone 16 Plus, which is a bit odd because usually the standard model is available in the same colors as the Plus model. That was the case with the iPhone 15, so we’d think it’s likely that – if this leak is right – the iPhone 16 will also be available in these seven shades. But as it wasn’t mentioned there’s a small chance that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be sold in different colors.
We’d also take the entire leak with a pinch of salt, as the source doesn’t have much of a track record, and seven colors is more than Apple would usually offer. But it would be nice to see, especially in contrast to the iPhone 16 Pro, which might only be available in four fairly boring colors according to another recent leak.
In any case, this is the first iPhone 16 Plus colors leak we’ve heard, so we’ll consider it a possibility for now. But hopefully we’ll have a clearer idea of whether this selection of shades is accurate or not once more leaks roll in.
With the iPhone 16 line not expected until September it could be a long wait until there’s any certainty. But these phones should be worth the wait, with other leaks pointing to a new Capture button being added, all four models getting an Action button, upgraded cameras for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, and of course more powerful chipsets.
In recent years Apple has delivered great battery life on its biggest phones, but while the iPhone 16 Pro Max might continue that trend, the iPhone 16 Plus possibly won’t.
That’s based on leaked battery capacities from OvO Baby Sauce OvO on Weibo (via Phone Arena), who claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will apparently have a 4,676mAh battery, which would make it 5.7% larger than the 4,422mAh cell inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Now, that’s not a massive increase, but given that the iPhone 15 Pro Max already offers very solid longevity, and that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will likely have a more efficient A18 Pro chipset, this is a promising sign.
The upcoming handset is rumored to have a slightly larger 6.9-inch screen, so which could drain the battery faster, but we still think its longevity would be equal to or better than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, if this leak proves accurate.
From bigger to smaller
However, the iPhone 16 Plus is listed as having just a 4,006mAh battery, which would be 8.6% smaller than the 4,383mAh power pack within the iPhone 15 Plus. That would be a real shame, as in our iPhone 15 Plus review we described it as delivering “the best battery life on the market.” So an 8.6% reduction could dilute one of its predecessor’s biggest highlights.
We also have leaked capacities for the other two iPhone 16 models, with the iPhone 16 itself said to have a 3,561mAh battery – up 5.8% from the iPhone 15’s 3,367mAh cell. That would make this model the biggest winner, in terms of growth.
Finally, the iPhone 16 Pro apparently has a 3,355mAh battery, which is up just 2% from the 3,290mAh iPhone 15 Pro. Still an increase then, but with this phone rumored to have a larger screen than its predecessor – or than the standard iPhone 16, which is said to have a bigger battery than this – it’s not as much of an increase as we’d like to see.
We would, as ever, take these claims with a pinch of salt, even though they largely echo an earlier iPhone 16 battery leak; the only difference being that the iPhone 16 Pro wasn’t mentioned in that previous leak.
So, with two sources now pointing to most of these battery capacities and no conflicting claims, there’s a fair chance these figures are accurate. In which case, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max could be in for some tangible battery life improvements, while the iPhone 16 Pro might offer similar life to the current model, albeit with a slightly bigger battery. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Plus could disappoint.
We should find out for sure in September, as that's when these four highly anticipated phones will likely launch.
In another move that seems to have been made in response to pressure from regulators in the US and in the EU, Apple has announced that retro game emulators will be allowed in the iOS App Store – though there are some fairly big caveats attached.
The change has been spotted on Apple's App Review Guidelines (via The Verge), which now state that "retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games". As you would expect though, there are some strings attached.
Apple says developers are responsible for all the software inside their apps, and says these emulators must comply with "all applicable laws" – and of course the legality of emulators has always been something of a gray area.
Technically speaking, it is against the law to run an emulated version of a game that you've not actually paid for (even if you're paying for the emulator). That might mean it's only companies such as Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo who will be able to take advantage of the App Store rule changes and offer these emulator apps.
Mini apps and music streaming
Spotify has long complained about Apple's practices (Image credit: Spotify)
What's more, the updated guidelines also state that apps can include mini apps and mini games inside them, as long as they're written in HTML5. This applies to so-called 'super apps' such as WeChat, which offer a bunch of different apps in the same package – these apps must now be web-based rather than running natively on the device.
Another edit to the guidelines that's happened at the same time is allowing music streaming apps to link out to external websites for purchasing products and services, getting around Apple App Store and linked payment systems.
Unlike the retro game emulators change though, this one only applies in European Union countries. Apple was recently fined by the EU for keeping streaming services locked inside its own walled garden, with the associated 30% cut of any fees.
Apple hasn't officially said so, but both these moves are clearly designed to avoid further fines and further legal action: Apple is now under more scrutiny than ever when it comes to the restrictions it puts on third-party apps and developers.
Okay, okay, I know that’s a bit of an inflammatory question, and it’s not one that’s easily answered. But it is a question I’ve pondered, on and off, since the iPhone became a somewhat ubiquitous smartphone.
But this has been dead easy, thanks to the simple fact that I’ve been able to use the latest iPhones through my job as a tech journalist, rather than pay for them with cold, hard cash. So while I extolled the virtues of titanium and other upgrades, I am doing so from a position of privilege.
The ultimate question – at least in the phones arena – is 'would I actually buy a flagship iPhone with my own money?' Which leads to a second question: 'would it be an easy purchase, or would I be buying into a product that comes close to ripping people off just because its brand is so strong?'
Yes and no, and yes and no.
Worth it
(Image credit: Future / Roland Moore-Colyer)
Let’s tackle the first yes and no. I love having a flagship phone, and I feel the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are fantastic examples of a top-of-the-line flagship.
The combination of a familiar design that's been refined over several generations, masses of power, a great battery life, lovely displays with 120Hz refresh rates, a sort-of-customizable Action button, and a trio of great still and video cameras, all wrapped up in a neat user interface thanks to iOS 17, makes these Pro iPhones and their predecessors some of the best phones around.
And while the starting price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 for the iPhone 15 Pro is hefty, various contracts (and the fact that iPhones retain their value longer than their counterparts) plus the customer care Apple offers, does translate to a decent amount for a solid chunk of cash.
Deals on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
Sitting between the Samsung Galaxy S24’s price of $859 / £859 / AU$1,399 for the 256GB model and the Galaxy S24 Ultra with its starting price of $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199, the iPhone 15 Pro’s pricing and the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s starting price of $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, seems reasonable; maybe a tad too premium for phones with many specs more closely aligned with the standard S24 than the S24 Ultra.
However, having used both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I can't help but err more towards the Apple phone. Sure it’s locked into Apple's ecosystem and lacks the generative AI bells and whistles. But it’s just so usable and lets me get stuff done without features getting in the way; I reckon the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the ultimate tech tool rather than a slick bit of gadgetry.
With that in mind, I feel if I was no longer a tech journalist, I'd still opt for an iPhone 15 Pro model and not feel ripped off.
Of course, there’s a but.
Not worth it
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
Splashing a grand or more on any bit of tech can feel like a huge outlay, given it’ll have obsolescence built-in by default. As someone who’s recently got into watches, I’m far happier splashing the cash on something that’ll likely outlive me, than a device that has a realistic lifespan of two to four years.
Furthermore, all you need to do is browse our list of the best cheap phones to find a selection of handsets that are very capable for less than half the price of an iPhone 15 Pro.
Take the Google Pixel 7a for example – it may not blow minds with performance but it’s more than fast enough for most things and has rear cameras that deliver flagship-grade photography. It’s hard for me not to recommend such Pixel phones or recent well-priced OnePlus models to anyone who isn’t caught in Apple’s iOS walled garden.
Deals on great iphone alternatives
When it comes to specs, like refresh rates, storage and real-world performance, iPhones can feel like a rip-off, asking people to pay a premium for not much more on paper than what good mid-range phones offer.
And I absolutely think the iPhone 15 is a rip-off and a phone I’d be reticent to swap to let alone buy, as a 60Hz display, a slow USB-C port and a mere two rear cameras for a starting price of $799 / £799 / AU$1,499, isn't acceptable in my eyes.
Sure, my colleagues on the phones team are in agreement that the iPhone 15 is the best iPhone for most people, but I take that to mean it’s really for people who are too deep in the iOS ecosystem and don’t want to fork out for a Pro model.
I’d go so far to say the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are some of the most disappointing Apple phones of recent years, and fly in the face of the once innovative company Steve Jobs built. Yet that's the power of good branding; even a lackluster phone in the eyes of tech fans can still sell like crazy.
Go Pro
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
My conclusion to the question in the headline, is an admittedly mealy-mouthed one with caveats. Yes the iPhones are a rip-off compared to other phones. Yet at the same time the Pro models are so good at being both everyday phones to content creation and gaming devices, that their asking price is reasonable.
But what I can say for sure, is if I did go out and buy an iPhone, I'd certainly go for a Pro model. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the current darling of the Apple phone lineup and deservedly so, with the price gap between it and the standard models being justified.
All that being said, I do hope Apple decided to pull out something special for the iPhone 16 range, with big upgrades to the standard models, and exciting features – hardware or software – for the Pro options. Let’s get back some of that generation-to-generation innovation, eh Apple?
But Apple doesn’t simply ape the tech of others. While it may be slow at adopting the features of others, think 120Hz displays and USB-C, it tends to offer better implementation; though one might argue Apple didn’t do enough with the move to USB-C on its iPhone 15 models.
So that has me thinking of how Apple could use generative AI to stand out from the rest of our picks for the best phones. Some of the below may be wishful thinking and wild speculation but other bits are born out of educated hypotheses.
Generative AI built into Siri
(Image credit: Apple)
I’ve never been a big Siri user, preferring smarter and more capable virtual assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. But Siri has been getting smarter and I feel there’s an opportunity to give the assistant a shot of smarts by injecting it with generative AI.
With phones like the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 Ultra, generative AI is implemented into select apps or exists as a dedicated tool - think Circle to Search or the Magic Editor. But you can’t ask the likes of Bixby or the Google Assistant to edit a photo for you or provide natural language descriptions of what’s happening on screen; at least not yet.
But if Apple could bake generative AI models into Siri, we could have an assistant who could answer such queries as “come up with a plan for my day based on my emails” or “draw me a picture of a dog on the moon”, or more likely “edit this photo for me”.
Doing that not only makes using such AI features feel seamless, it could also go some way to demystify the use of generative AI for non-tech-savvy users. And knowing how Apple presents and markets such tech, I could see such a move proving very popular.
Smart video editing
(Image credit: Apple)
Magic Editor on the Pixel 8 and Generative Edit on the Galaxy S24 phones are two powerful, if not perfect, generative AI tools. They let you recompile a photo without needing Photoshop knowledge. But arguably people are so skilled with mobile photography and built-in editing tools that such a feature could be mildly redundant.
So Apple could blaze a path by using generative AI with videos. Imagine smartly generating clips from a video either by using an AI-powered editor or simply asking Siri to create a reel out of video footage; such a feature could be massively useful for content creators.
Since iPhones tend to lead the way for videos in the smartphone arena, I can absolutely see Apple using generative AI to keep its lead and continue to be the video champion of our best camera phones list.
Supercharged translation tools
(Image credit: Apple)
AI-powered language translation isn’t new, but generative AI has helped deliver better and real-time translations via phones like the Pixel 8. Apple lags behind here somewhat, so it would make sense to embrace AI live transactions at a granular level, with the ability to translate verbal conversations.
But it could go further, say, with Siri automatically detecting different languages and serving up responses. Or perhaps AI tech could smartly switch the language of a phone to that of a native speaker when showing someone an email or block of text.
Clever call screening
(Image credit: Ronstik / Shutterstock)
Call screening with generative AI-powered responses is something some of the best Android phones can offer. So it’s about time Apple did the same.
I adore using my iPhone 15 Pro Max, but as some spam calls make it through, I’d appreciate a smart call-screening feature that could serve up polite but direct responses without my intervention.
Supercharged Maps
Apple Maps is no longer the dud it used to be when compared to Google Maps, but I’d still like it to have smarter features.
In this case, I’d like generative AI built in so I could pose natural language queries to the app and get back recommendations and guidance based on what I want to see, where I am, the time I have to spend, and my budget. Such tools could even see me drop my use of Google Maps, something I’d never normally entertain.
More iPhone 16 leaks arrive with each passing week, giving us a clearer idea of what Apple is working on ahead of the device's expected September launch – and the latest rumor has to do with the bezels on the upcoming handsets.
According to South Korean outlet The Elec (via MacRumors) and based on supply chain information, some or all of the iPhone 16 models are in line to get thinner bezels and more screen space thanks to something called Border Reduction Structure (BRS).
Those of you who already have a working knowledge of BRS can skip this paragraph, but it essentially means the circuitry underneath the screen is packed together more efficiently. That means the bezels can be thinner, without affecting the device's overall dimensions or reducing the quality of the display.
The phones Apple launched in 2023 had the thinnest bezels to date, though only by a fraction in some cases – our iPhone 15 review and iPhone 15 Pro review should refresh your memory – but it sounds like they could get thinner still. It's not clear from this leak which iPhone 16 models this applies to, though.
Apple's final goal here is clearly a bezel-free iPhone we heard about in previous rumors, but it's limited to some extent by the technology from its suppliers – which, in terms of displays, is mainly Samsung and LG.
We recently saw some newly leaked dummy units for the iPhone 16 series, giving us another look at the new Capture button we're expecting (to help with taking photos) and the change to a vertical camera alignment on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
Before that, we heard that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models will come with a more polished titanium finish, so it sounds like we're set for quite a few changes when it comes to the iPhone refresh in 2024.
Many other rumors have focused on the new AI features the iPhone 16 might have and how Apple is apparently boosting the device's performance to accommodate them. We should hear more about this when iOS 18 is unveiled at WWDC 2024 at the start of June.
We’re expecting quite a few design changes and new hardware features across the iPhone 16 line, and now we’re not limited to seeing these just in renders, as metal dummy units of the phones have also leaked.
Photos shared by Sonny Dickson on X (via 9to5Mac) show dummy units of all four expected phones – the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max – from a variety of angles, highlighting key details.
Those details include a new Capture button for all four models. This is shown on the right edge, and based on previous leaks is expected to work as a shortcut to camera functions like recording videos and taking photos.
We can also see that all four dummy units have an Action button on the left edge. This customizable shortcut is already present on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but we’re expecting all four iPhone 16 models to have it.
The other big visual change here is to the cameras on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, which are shown with vertically aligned lenses rather than the diagonal layout of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. This change has been rumored for a while, and it’s speculated that the new arrangement will allow them to record spatial video for the Apple Vision Pro.
Beyond that, it looks like the iPhone 16 Pro is slightly larger than the iPhone 16, and that the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a little larger than the iPhone 16 Plus. That would be a change from the current models, but in line with leaks suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro will grow to 6.3 inches (up from 6.1), and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be 6.9 inches (up from 6.7).
Credible, but far from guaranteed
Given that all of these things have leaked extensively before there’s a good chance the details here are accurate, but as always we'll take them with a pinch of salt for now.
Dummy units are often used by case makers to ensure their cases fit the upcoming phones, so the details tend to be fairly accurate; however there’s no guarantee of that, especially as we don’t know the source of these leaked dummies.
We expect a much clearer picture of these phones to emerge over the coming months, as information is sure to keep leaking ahead of their launch, which will almost certainly happen in September.
Right now, everyone’s attention is focused on iOS 18 and all the artificial intelligence (AI) updates it’s rumored to be bringing. But amid all that attention, Apple has quietly brought an equally momentous change to iOS 17 – and you might be able to take advantage of it right now.
That’s because Apple is set to allow users in the European Union (EU) to start downloading apps from external websites in iOS 17.5. It’s the latest development in the long, tortuous sideloading road Apple has been heading down in recent months, and it could radically shake up how you add apps to your iPhone if you live in the EU.
That capability has made an appearance in the first developer beta of iOS 17.5, which is available right now (there’s no word on when iOS 17.5 will go live for everyone else). Previously, Apple had announced that it would let developers offer apps in alternative app stores, and that functionality made an appearance in iOS 17.4. Now, though, Apple has relaxed its app rules even further, and – if you're located in the EU – is letting you get apps from developer websites, not just from external app stores.
That could potentially give users a lot more choice in how they obtain their apps, and it moves iOS a lot closer to macOS, where people have been able to download and install apps from websites for years. That said, the changes are not yet coming to the iPad, meaning EU users can only download apps from third-party websites on their iPhones.
Playing by the rules
(Image credit: Brett Jordan / Pexels)
Despite the relaxation of its app policies, Apple isn’t about to open the floodgates to any and every shady app that could cause harm to iOS devices. In order to be able to offer apps from their own websites in the EU, developers must meet a set of stringent criteria set out by Apple.
That includes being a member of the Apple Developer Program for at least two continuous years, and having an app with at least one million first installs on iOS in the EU in the previous year. The apps must also be submitted to Apple’s notarization process (which checks for malicious elements) and the developer must publish clear, transparent data collection policies for users to see.
If developers meet those criteria, Apple will provide them with an API that allows users to download apps from their websites. Those apps can then be backed up, updated and restored, just like those obtained from the official App Store.
The idea is that these policies will make it difficult for dangerous apps and nefarious developers to wreak havoc on iOS. Apple has long opposed opening up its app ecosystem on the basis that it could result in a deluge of malware and scam apps flooding users’ devices. With these strict policies, the company is no doubt hoping to avoid that outcome while still complying with the EU’s rules on opening up its famous walled garden.
How successful this move will be is anyone’s guess, but with the EU breathing down its neck, it’s clear that Apple’s hand has been forced. Whatever the outcome, iOS will likely never be the same again.
ChatGPT is widely seen as one of the best artificial intelligence (AI) tools available right now. Siri? Not so much. But if a new claim penned by Apple researchers turns out to be accurate, Siri could take a small step towards being a much smarter AI voice assistant.
In a new paper named 'ReALM: Reference Resolution As Language Modeling', Apple researchers explain how the company’s AI system will aim to consider both the content that is on your device’s screen and the tasks that you are currently performing (both in the foreground and the background), then use those to respond to your queries.
The purpose of this is to help the AI assistant understand the context of your requests by knowing what image is on screen, what music is playing in the background, or which iPhone alarm just sounded, for instance. And when it can understand context, Apple says, its own AI can offer some impressive performance.
In fact, Apple researchers claim that their AI is able to “substantially” outperform GPT-4, the large language model (LLM) that drives the paid-for ChatGPT Plus, for this particular "reference resolution" task. With that kind of power at its disposal, it suggests that Siri could finally shake its reputation as a sub-par digital assistant.
And it’s not the only ChatGPT rival that seems to be making important progress. Samsung’s Bixby – which, if anything, has an even worse reputation than Siri – is apparently on the cusp of gaining its own generative AI features. If you want an AI chatbot embedded in your phone, it looks like there’s good news on the horizon, whether you’re of an iOS or Android persuasion.
Is a next-gen Siri finally en route?
(Image credit: Apple)
Trading blows with GPT-4 is no small feat for Apple’s on-device AI, even if that is for just one specific task, as OpenAI’s LLM is considered one of the best AI models in the world right now. If the researchers’ technology were to make it into Siri, it could mark a huge step up for Apple’s much-maligned assistant.
Interestingly, Apple says its largest LLM is the one that substantially outclasses GPT-4 for this 'reference resolution' task. Yet even the company’s smallest LLM achieved “performance comparable to that of GPT-4.” If that’s correct, it indicates that Apple’s AI research has produced some pretty impressive results.
That said, there is still work to do, as the paper concludes: "While our approach is effective in encoding the position of entities on the screen, we find that it results in loss of information that may not be able to resolve complex user queries that rely on nuanced positional understanding. We thus believe that exploring more complex approaches such as splitting the screen into a grid and encoding these relative spatial positions into text, while challenging, is a promising avenue of future exploration."
Apple’s work on next-generation AI is an open secret in the tech world, and it’s widely expected to be the headline feature in iOS 18. Apple is due to announce its latest software updates at WWDC 2024 in June, with Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, dropping a not-so-subtle hint on X (formerly Twitter) by saying WWDC would be “Absolutely Incredible” (yes, with those same letters capitalized).
We’ll only truly know how good Siri will be compared to ChatGPT's Voice function once iOS 18 is in the hands of users, but clearly Apple is feeling confident about its progress. And that bodes well for Apple fans who have watched the progress of the company’s AI rivals with more than a touch of envy.
We've seen Apple Maps improve steadily over the years, growing to become a genuine competitor to Google Maps, and a newly filed Apple patent gives us an idea of another new feature that could be introduced in the app in the near future.
As spotted by Wccftech, the patent has the title "User Interfaces for Customized Navigation Routes" and talks about altering suggested routes based on the profile of a vehicle – and how much gas (or electric charge) it has left.
The suggestion is that you might get different routes based on your type of car and taking into account any restrictions on roads along the way. If necessary, you'd also be directed to a suitable gas station or charging point on the way.
Ultimately, the aim is to make it easier and more convenient to get from point A to point B through Apple Maps, without running into difficulties, and spending as little time as possible trying to operate Apple Maps while you're driving.
Plates and privacy
Routes could be adapted to suit your vehicle (Image credit: Apple / USPTO)
One example of a vehicle profile characteristic given in the patent is its license plate. In cities where certain zones ban certain vehicles at certain times, this information would be used to find a more appropriate route.
All this comes with Apple's usual guarantees of user privacy – specifically that the data you submit about your vehicle (or that the app collects automatically) would be kept locally on the device and not transferred to Apple's servers in the cloud.
This would also need to be represented through a connected CarPlay dashboard if available, as well as on an iPhone. We know that a revamped CarPlay interface is on the way later this year, and the ideas in this patent could be included.
The usual caveats about patents apply here: they only indicate what companies are thinking about and exploring behind the scenes, and there's no guarantee that the ideas contained within them will ever see the light of day in an actual product.
There's still a good chance we'll see an iPhone SE 4 this year or next year, and a new case leak has added to the pile of evidence that this phone exists and is on the way – complete with a new and more modern design aesthetic.
The leak comes from serial tipster @MajinBuOfficial (via Notebookcheck) and shows an iPhone SE case that does away with the old home button and Touch ID sensor, and adds a notch at the top of the display. There will still be a single camera around the back.
Have a peek back at our iPhone SE (2022) review and you'll see it's a handset with what is a rather retro design by today's standards. You have to go back to 2017 and the iPhone 8 to find a flagship iPhone with a home button on the bottom bezel.
While there has been talk that the next iPhone SE would follow the look of the iPhone 15, it now seems more likely that it'll be more along the lines of the iPhone 14 in terms of its appearance – with a display notch rather than a Dynamic Island.
A twisting tale
These images of the cases of the new iPhone SE 4 show the possible design which apparently will be different from what I described previously pic.twitter.com/Q6HJGLCGhnMarch 30, 2024
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We've had quite a ride when it comes to iPhone SE 4 leaks and rumors in recent months. The third-gen model launched in March 2022, and with doubts over how well it was selling, we originally thought that might be the last iPhone SE ever.
Fast forward to some more recent leaks, and it now appears the handset is back on Apple's agenda. A leaked roadmap has pointed to a launch sometime in 2025, and that's not the only time we've heard that year mentioned in relation to the iPhone SE 4.
It would appear the more affordable iPhone is going to join the rest of the series by switching to OLED technology for its display. The device should also come fitted with a USB-C port next time, like the current flagship iPhones.
Last month we saw some leaked images supposedly showing the new design of the iPhone SE 4, and they match up rather well with the cases in this leak. Add it all up and it now seems the iPhone SE series will be coming back after all.
We're seeing a steady stream of iPhone 16 leaks now, and the latest one comes from a tried and trusted source of advance information: case designs. A newly leaked case molding looks to have once again revealed the rear camera redesign heading to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
This particular leak comes from serial tipster @SonnyDickson (via MacRumors), and shows the vertical pill-shaped look Apple is apparently going for this year when it comes to the two lenses on the back of the cheaper iPhone models.
It's a rumor that we've come across before, but the more leaks we see along the same lines, the more inclined we are to believe they're accurate – though nothing is certain until Apple gets around to an official launch (likely in September).
As well as renders showing the new design, we've also seen leaked schematics, and case molds, and dummy units revealing the new camera alignment, so that's a lot of leaks that need to be wrong if this isn't the design approach Apple is taking this year.
More spatial video?
First Cases for iPhone 16 pic.twitter.com/xCUOldA8I2March 29, 2024
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Recent iPhones have put the two rear cameras diagonally on a square bump. The vertical alignment we're seeing in these new leaks has been used by Apple before, but you need to go back to the iPhone 12 in 2020 to find it.
As for why the switch back could be made, it seems spatial video might be the reason: while the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can record this special 3D-enhanced video format (viewable on the Apple Vision Pro), the two cheaper 2023 models can't.
Having the dual cameras aligned vertically might enable the recording of spatial video, bringing it to more handsets and more people. Maybe Apple engineers just like the look of the new alignment too, and feel it's time for a change.
The three cameras we're expecting around the back of the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max don't appear to be shifting their position, and will most likely arrive in the standard triangle formation that's used on the current models.
