We’ve been hearing for a few months now that Apple is apparently working on adding a thinner iPhone to its lineup. Earlier this month, new details emerged as this slimmed-down device could have a new “iPhone Air” name, and that's now been backed up by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman – along with a few extra details that could have you considering skipping this year's iPhone 16.

As Gurman's Power On newsletter explains, the iPhone 16 update is likely to be relatively minor one (aside from around six mooted upgrades). But the iPhone Air could finally be something a bit different. Apparently coming in 2025, this iPhone could have a much thinner chassis than any existing Apple phone, while retaining most of the specifications of the base-level iPhone 17. 

Importantly, Gurman also says the iPhone Air will sit somewhere between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro in price (similar to how the original MacBook Air was positioned between the MacBook and the MacBook Pro). That could make it much more tempting than a higher-end iPhone Ultra, an earlier rumor that appears to have died down for now.

All of this could make it a pretty intriguing phone for Apple fans. If you feel like you don’t need the high-end features (or eye-watering price tag) of Apple’s Pro and Pro Max phones but still want something that looks and feels different in your hand, the iPhone Air could absolutely tick those boxes. Particularly if you don't want that svelte frame to wreck your finances.

Compare that to the rumors swirling around this year’s iPhone 16 range and you might find that it’s a good reason to sit on the sidelines for another twelve months. Unless you really need an iPhone this year – or are enticed by any of the iPhone 16’s rumored features – you might do better to wait a while for the iPhone Air to appear.

Breaking the fourth wall

According to Gurman, this is just the start of Apple’s plans. In the future, he says the company wants to bring this slim design to all of its iPhones, including the flagship Pro and Pro Max models – although this likely won’t happen until 2027 at the earliest. But until that day comes, next year’s iPhone Air might be your best opportunity to get an iPhone that feels like the future without costing you Pro Max-level cash.

Of course, there are a lot of questions surrounding the iPhone Air, the biggest of which is whether it will be able to solve the problem of the “fourth iPhone.” Apple has struggled with its iPhone mini and iPhone Plus models, none of which seem to sell particularly well. 

The iPhone Air, on the other hand, could be a great way to attract upgraders because it apparently won't just be a smaller or larger version of the regular iPhone – it's supposedly something entirely different, granting you a cutting-edge design that doesn’t have the price tag of a Pro or Pro Max model.

So, if you’re thinking about getting a new iPhone but aren’t desperate to snap up what the iPhone 16 range has to offer, you might want to wait until next year for the iPhone Air. After so many years of iterative updates, it might just be the iPhone that gets us excited to upgrade again.

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The iPhone 16 and its siblings are sure to boast numerous upgrades over the iPhone 15, but according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman – a journalist and Apple leaker with a strong track record – these phones might not be a massive improvement on their predecessors overall.

To illustrate this prediction, Gurman has highlighted what he considers to be the six main upgrades that are apparently coming to the iPhone 16 line.

You'll find all six rumored upgrades below, along with our thoughts (and Gurman's) on whether they're significant or not.

1. An Action button for all models

One leak we’ve heard numerous times (and that Gurman also highlights) is that all four iPhone 16 models will apparently have an Action button.

This would be a customizable hardware key, though it’s not actually a new feature, since the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max already have an Action button. Instead, this would just be the first time the standard and Plus models get one.

Gurman notes, however, that Apple is adding more customization options to the lock screen and Control Center with iOS 18, which could render the Action button less useful, since you’ll already be able to add various shortcuts to the phone.

This is a fair point, but having shortcuts on a physical button is still arguably faster and better than having them on the lock screen or Control Center. The bigger issue could simply be that, among Apple’s most popular phones (read: the Pro models), the Action button won't be a new feature.

2. A Capture button for the Pro models

Another widely rumored iPhone 16 upgrade is the Capture button, which would be something truly new, as no current iPhone models have one.

Gurman reiterates a previous leak in saying that this Capture button will function like a button on a DSLR camera, with a light press activating the autofocus and a harder press taking a picture. Meanwhile, swiping across the button would let you zoom in and out. The Capture button would allow you to control the video camera too, according to Gurman.

Interestingly, though, Gurman suggests the Capture button might only be included on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, while many previous leaks suggested it would come to all four models.

We’re not sure who’s right here, but this will probably be a reasonably big upgrade for whatever phones do get it. How interesting it really is, though, will depend on how passionate you are about photography.

3. Bigger Pro screens

We’ve also repeatedly heard that the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.3-inch screen (up from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 15 Pro), while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch display (up from 6.7 inches on the previous model).

This should make for a noticeable increase that’s handy if you want to watch videos on your phone or do other things where a larger screen is desirable, but it will be less useful if you want a high-end phone that’s not also massive.

4. Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is the name of Apple’s upcoming set of AI features, and this isn’t exclusive to the iPhone 16 line, as it will also work on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Despite that – and despite the fact that Apple Intelligence probably won’t arrive until after the iPhone 16 series launches – this is likely to be one of the main selling points of the new phones.

Gurman, though, is skeptical about how interesting the initial Apple Intelligence features will be, and argues that, alone, they probably won’t be a reason to upgrade.

5. New colors

As ever, there are sure to be some new iPhone colors this year, with Gurman noting that the iPhone 15 Pro’s blue shade will be replaced with a rose gold option this year.

That’s something we’ve heard before, with previous leaks suggesting the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro colors will include black, white, rose, and gray, while the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 colors will include black, green, pink, blue, and white. There's a small chance that we'll see yellow and purple shades offered, too.

For the most part, though, these colors are similar to what you’ll find on the iPhone 15 line, so it’s not the most exciting selection.

6. More power

Finally, Gurman notes that the iPhone 16 line will have a new A18 chipset. He doesn’t say whether every model will use that chipset, though, and we’ve heard elsewhere that the Pro models might use an A18 Pro instead.

Still, even if the base models only get a standard A18 (or even last year’s A17 Pro) that would make for a power upgrade for all four models. All four phones will reportedly have 8GB of RAM, too, as this capacity is supposedly required for Apple Intelligence to function. That would be a 2GB upgrade for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, but no change for the Pro models.

More power is always appreciated, but the current iPhones are already highly capable devices, and other than their respective AI smarts, you might struggle to tell much difference in the performance of these upcoming phones.

A quiet year for Apple

With all that in mind, Gurman could have a point in saying that this year’s iPhones might not drive record sales numbers. But next year could be a bigger one for the company, with both the iPhone SE 4 and the iPhone 17 Air reportedly planned.

Still, if you’re currently rocking an iPhone that’s a few years old, or in less-than-ideal condition, then a model in the iPhone 16 line could well be worth buying.

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Since its inception, the idea behind the iPhone SE has been to provide a much more affordable way into the Apple phone family – although it wouldn’t be correct to call the SE ‘cheap’. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, that tradition will continue with the upcoming fourth generation iPhone SE set to launch in "the beginning of 2025" – and the new model will also pack enough punch to run Apple’s on-device AI smarts, aka Apple Intelligence.

While it perhaps shouldn't be shocking that a new iPhone will include one of Apple's biggest marketing points, the demanding hardware requirements of Apple Intelligence made it anything but certain. This year’s iPhone 16 will obviously have enough horsepower to drive the new AI, but only two older handsets will be compatible: the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. 

While speaking at WWDC 2024, Apple’s Senior VP of Machine Learning John Giannandrea said that you "could in theory run these models on a very old device", but due to the bandwidth, size of the ANE (Apple Neural Engine) and "oomph in the device", "it would be so slow it would not be useful" – which is why Apple Intelligence is exclusive to the most powerful iPhones.

So if Bloomberg's report that we can bet the iPhone SE "will have Apple Intelligence" is correct, that not only means you won't need to pay for flagship rates for AI access, it also means the iPhone SE 4 will be at least as powerful as the iPhone 15 Pro.

Apple Intelligence and the power associated with it isn't the only new rumor that's got us excited to see the new budget model, either.

There have been mixed reports about its design, with some suggesting the iPhone SE could look near-identical to the iPhone XR. It seems the latest rumor, at least according to Bloomberg, is that the iPhone SE will look very similar to the iPhone 14, with a 6.1-inch OLED display that covers the entire screen. 

Now, how much Apple Intelligence actually matters to normal people is questionable – but having the power and snappy performance needed to handle that AI functionality suggests the next iPhone SE will offer great bang for buck regardless. 

The most recent 2022 iPhone SE 2022 launched at $429 / £419 / AU$719 but if the rumors are true, the iPhone SE 4 could see at least a small price increase – although with Apple continuing to sell multiple generations of older iPhones it honestly doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room if it wants to maintain the SE’s position as the entry-level option. Moreover, even if the price were to increase to around $529 / £499 / AU$900, it would still be considerably cheaper than the next nearest AI-compatible handset, with the iPhone 15 Pro currently costing $999 / £999 / AU$1,849. 

If the iPhone SE performs better than an iPhone 15, looks like an iPhone 14 and doesn't lose sight of its base objective of affordability, it will be one hell of an upgrade to an SE line of phone's that we were starting to think Apple had abandoned. While we’re unlucky to nail down specifics, we should get some answers in September.

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Back in June, a host of new Apple Intelligence features were unveiled, AI powers for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. While we're still waiting for these updates to hit devices, it seems as though Apple has plans for plenty more AI upgrades in the future.

As spotted by The Mac Observer, a newly filed Apple patent outlines a number of ideas for the Journal app that now comes on the iPhone. Launched in December as part of iOS 17.2, the app enables you to keep a personal diary of your comings and goings.

The patent document suggests that the Journal app is going to offer more prompts for what users could write about: workouts, photos, or events that are logged in a calendar, for example. This is where Apple Intelligence could come in.

If you've used the Journal app, you'll already know that it offers some basic writing prompts based on your day, but it looks as though Apple wants to make the feature more proactive and smarter when it comes to making suggestions.

Interface changes

Furthermore, you might be able to get some AI assistance when it comes to actually writing in your journal. You could be asked about how the food was at a restaurant visit, for example, or how your run went, if those activities have been detected.

It also seems that some interface changes are coming to the Journal app, with widgets for the iOS homescreen and a new view option that displays your memories as a flow of text and images – not unlike a social media feed.

What we don't get here is any indication that the Journal app will be heading to the iPad or to macOS in the near future – so for the time being, all of your tracking and musing is going to have to be done on an iPhone.

While Apple has announced new features coming to the Journal app with iOS 18, they're not the ones mentioned in this patent. As always though, patents are no guarantee that features will actually launch – they just show ideas that companies are exploring.

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With its Siri overhaul, image-generation abilities, and photo-editing tools, Apple Intelligence – Apple’s upcoming suite of AI features – could be more exciting than iOS 18 itself, but according to one report it might also be rather expensive.

According to Neil Shah, a partner at Counterpoint Research, speaking to CNBC, Apple Intelligence probably won’t be a free offering, with Apple charging $10-$20 (around £8-£16 / AU$15-AU$30) for some of the more advanced features within Apple Intelligence.

Shah didn’t specify which features might be charged and which might be free, but we can imagine that perhaps the upgraded version of Siri or the ChatGPT integration would come at a cost.

He added that if Apple does charge, it might bundle its Apple Intelligence features into an Apple One tier, so you’d be getting other things for your money too, like iCloud storage and potentially subscriptions to services like Apple TV Plus and Apple Music.

AI also costs money elsewhere

That would be a similar bundle to what Google offers with its Google One AI Premium plan, which provides access to its Gemini Advanced AI service, along with cloud storage and Fitbit Premium.

So there’s precedent for this sort of bundle, and there’s certainly precedent for charging for AI, with OpenAI charging for the most advanced ChatGPT model.

Shah also pointed out that AI would give Apple a chance to further lock its customer base into Apple products, since Apple Intelligence can learn from a user’s behavior over time, becoming more personalized, and you wouldn’t be able to bring that model with you from iOS to Android.

As it becomes more personalized, you’d likely use it more too, becoming more reliant on it, and therefore happier to pay.

Of course, Apple would have to get past the initial hurdle of convincing people to sign up in the first place, but it’s easy to imagine that it might provide Apple Intelligence for free for a period of time with purchases of an iPhone 16 or other devices.

All of this is really just speculation though, and we likely won’t know Apple’s plans for Apple Intelligence until the service launches, which it probably won’t until October. Before that, there’s the iPhone 16 line itself to look forward to, with a September launch likely, and TechRadar will cover all of these announcements in full as they happen.

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The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are sure to excel in numerous ways, from powerful chipsets to capable cameras and beyond, but will their colors impress?

Typically, Apple just offers a small number of color choices for its Pro phones, and these are usually quite smart and understated.

So will this trend continue for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max? Or will Apple offer a wider and brighter selection? We don’t know for sure yet, but thanks to leaks we have a good idea.

The colors below have all been tipped as possible shades, and in the past Apple has offered the same selection of colors on the Pro model as on the Pro Max. So we assume that if any of the below shades are offered, they’ll be offered on both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Rose

Starting with arguably the most interesting of the rumored iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max colors, rose has been mentioned both by leaker ShrimpApplePro, and in a later iPhone 16 Pro colors leak by Ming-Chi Kuo (a leaker with a great track record).

This shade is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it’s likely to be the brightest and most playful of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max shades from what we’ve heard so far, and secondly it’s not a color that you can get the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max in.

That said, Apple is no stranger to offering pink or rose gold shades on some of its other phones, so we can take a look at those for an indication of how this rose shade might look. The pink iPhone 15 above for example is one possibility, though the leak from ShrimpApplePro suggests this might have more of a yellow or bronze coloring.

Gray / Natural Titanium

Next, we have a gray shade, which has been leaked by the same two sources and according to Ming-Chi Kuo might be sold as Natural Titanium.

That’s a color you can already get the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max in, as you can see above, so it might be a similar color to that. That said, a leaked image of iPhone 16 Pro dummy units in three different shades (which you can also see above) shows a slightly darker take on the color.

In either case, aside from the fact that it was used last year this is quite an unusual color for a phone, but it’s a smart, understated shade in line with the colors Apple tends to choose for its Pro phones.

White / silver

Now we’re coming to the more conventional rumored colors, with white (or possibly silver) being next up.

Specifically, ShrimpApplePro has mentioned a white shade, though they claim it might be similar to the silver iPhone 14 Pro, pictured above. Though despite the name that’s more white than silver anyway. 

Ming-Chi Kuo claims that this rumored shade might be silver rather than white, but again, Apple’s take on silver is often quite white anyway.

We’ve also seen how it might look in a leaked photo of iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy units, which you can see further up, and this again shows a distinctly white shade.

Space Black

Finally, there’s a rumored black shade, which ShrimpApplePro claims might be similar to the Space Black iPhone 14 Pro, pictured above, and it’s a color that’s also been mentioned by Ming-Chi Kuo.

However, rather than the iPhone 14 Pro’s take, this might be an even darker, deeper black going by the leaked iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy units photo further up.

In any case though, black is an enduringly popular color choice, which won’t turn heads but won’t look out of place anywhere either.

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Apple’s top phone right now is the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but not for long, as next month we expect the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max to launch – alongside the lower end iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

Apple hasn’t confirmed this just yet, let alone revealed exactly what date the launch will happen on, but between leaks and the company’s typical patterns we can take a very good guess – right down to not just the day, but the hour.

Below then, you’ll find our guess for when the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will launch, along with our reasoning, and when we think the phones will go up for pre-order and ultimately ship.

When will the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max be announced?

• Predicted announcement date: September 10
• Predicted announcement timing: 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, or 3am AEST on September 11

Guessing the month that we’ll see the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is easy, because with very few exceptions, Apple always announces its new flagship phones in September.

When it does break with that tradition there’s usually a good reason, such as a pandemic or a major software feature that won’t be ready in time.

But a report in May suggested that iPhone 16 production was on schedule, so there aren’t many reasons to think there might be a delay. The only small thing to note is that Apple Intelligence has been delayed to iOS 18.1, which will probably launch in October. But according to Mark Gurman – who’s got a great track record for iPhone information – Apple won’t delay the iPhone 16 line to launch with this.

Gurman even gets more specific and says that he’s heard the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will launch at around the same time in the year as the previous models, with September 10 looking the most likely.

For reference, the iPhone 15 Pro series landed on September 12 of last year, but this year September 12 is a Thursday, and Apple usually uses a Tuesday to announce its new phones, so September 10 (a Tuesday) is a likely candidate.

There’s also a chance that we could see the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max on Tuesday, September 3, Wednesday, September 4, or Wednesday, September 11, as Wednesdays are occasionally used, but the company almost always sticks to the first two weeks of September.

However, with Gurman having such a good track record we’d say September 10 is looking the most likely of those dates.

As for what time the launch event will kick off, based on past form it will probably start at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, which is 3am AEST on September 11 for those in Australia.

When will iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max pre-orders open?

• Predicted pre-order date: September 13

We can go by Apple’s typical patterns here too, as the company almost always opens pre-orders for its new phones the Friday of the week they’re announced.

So if they’re announced on September 10 as we predict, or on September 11 as is also possible, then pre-orders will most likely open on Friday, September 13.

In the slightly less likely but still very possible event that the phones are announced on September 3 or 4, then you’ll probably be able to pre-order the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max on Friday, September 6.

When will the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max ship?

• Predicted shipping date: September 20

The date when a pre-ordered iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max will arrive on your doorstep is similarly predictable, as this is usually a week after pre-orders open.

So if pre-orders open on September 13 (as we predict) then the phones will probably ship on Friday, September 20. That’s our best guess, but it’s also possible that they’ll ship on September 13, if they go up for pre-order on September 6.

There’s an outside chance that Apple will deviate from its usual pre-order or release date patterns, but there’s no current reason to think it will this year.

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The iPhone 16 line is almost here, but some leakers are already looking towards the iPhone 17, and the most intriguing thing we’ve heard about next year's series is that there could be an iPhone 17 Slim – or, according to the latest leak, an iPhone 17 Air.

This comes from FrontPageTech (via NotebookCheck), which claims that the slimmer iPhone model that’s previously been leaked by a couple of sources may land as the iPhone 17 Air.

It’s a name that makes sense, since Apple already has an iPad Air line that sits between the base iPads and the Pro models, and which at one time was positioned as being a slim option (although the latest model isn’t as thin as the latest iPad Pro). The MacBook Air is similarly positioned as a slim device.

FrontPageTech has also shared some renders they’ve created of the supposed design of the iPhone 17 Air, and these show a somewhat familiar iPhone design, complete with a Dynamic Island, but with a noticeably slimmer build, and just one rear camera.

The source reiterates some previously leaked specs in saying that it may use less titanium in its frame than the Pro models, and may not have the best chipset available in next year’s iPhones, with it reportedly set to use an A19 chipset rather than the A19 Pro that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will likely ship with.

However, the iPhone 17 SlimAir could be around 5mm thick. For reference, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are 7.8mm thick, and the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are 8.3mm thick, so that would make the iPhone 17 Air substantially slimmer.

FrontPageTech also reiterates some screen specs that have leaked elsewhere, saying the iPhone 17 Air may have a 6.6-inch, 1,260 x 2,740 screen, making it a similar size to the 6.7-inch, 1,290 x 2,796 iPhone 15 Plus.

A problematic price

However, one previous leak that FrontPageTech disputes is that the iPhone 17 Air will cost $1,299 (around £1,020 / AU$2,015). This high price was put forward by leaker @UniverseIce posting on Weibo, but FrontPageTech argues that with the rumored specs – and particularly if it does launch with the ‘Air’ name – it would make much more sense as a mid-range model, and should be priced accordingly.

That said, we’d take the iPhone 17 Air name with a pinch of salt, as it sounds like this is in large part speculation. But one thing’s for sure – the rumored specs (5mm thickness aside) don’t line up with a $1,299 price tag. So, at least some of what we’ve heard about this phone is almost certainly wrong.

Hopefully, things will become clearer soon, but with the iPhone 17 Air – or Slim – unlikely to land for over a year, we might not have much clarity for a while.

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We now know that Apple Intelligence (the company’s suite of AI tools) won’t be landing until iOS 18.1 – which is to say that it won’t be coming as part of the initial iOS 18 launch expected in September.

We were also expecting the iPhone 16 series in September, but that would put it in the awkward position of launching without a key software feature. So will Apple delay the iPhone 16 so it can launch with Apple Intelligence out of the box? Not according to serial Apple tipster Mark Gurman.

Writing in his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg (via 9to5Mac), Gurman has said that while the first Apple Intelligence features probably won’t land until October, the iPhone 16 and its siblings – the iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – will still land in September, and at around the same time in the month as last year, with Gurman pointing to September 10 as the most likely date.

That might not come as much of a surprise, but Apple Intelligence is likely to be one of the headline features of the new phones (though at least some parts of Apple Intelligence will come to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max as well).

Plus, there’s some precedent for a delay, as the iPhone 4S was delayed so that it could launch with Siri and iCloud.

Apple Intelligence might not be a big deal initially

Still, in general Apple doesn’t delay its phones to get new software features on them on day one, and Gurman also argues that “the first set of Apple Intelligence features aren’t that impressive anyway.” So having to wait a month or so for them and then download a software update shouldn't be that much of a big deal.

Initial Apple Intelligence features (based on what’s present in the beta) include suggested replies to texts in the Messages app, a new interface for Siri (along with the ability to type rather than speak to it), the option to transcribe and summarize phone calls, summaries for web pages, and a handful of other things.

It’s not a bad selection, but it’s arguably less than we’ve already seen from the likes of Google and Samsung. And some of the more exciting Apple Intelligence features won’t be arriving until later, with built in ChatGPT simply promised by the end of the year for example. So even if Apple did delay the iPhone 16 until October, it still wouldn’t have a complete suite of AI tools.

Still, while Gurman has a great track record for leaks it’s always possible that the iPhone 16 series will be delayed, but for now we’d say it’s very unlikely to be.

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At this point, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, as although Apple hasn’t revealed anything yet – and probably won’t do so until September – leaks and rumors surrounding the iPhone 16 series have been extensive.

We've heard details about almost every facet of the upcoming phones, from the iPhone 16 colors to the likely iPhone 16 prices, design, specs, and more. As usual, the rumored features are a mix of old and new, but in this article, we’re focusing on the key new things you can expect from the iPhone 16 series.

Below, you’ll find the most significant iPhone 16 features we’ve heard about so far, which aren’t already present on the iPhone 15 series.

A new ‘Capture’ button

Perhaps the single biggest upgrade we’re expecting on the iPhone 16 line is a new button – and unlike some of the features below, this is a button that will reportedly be present on all four iPhone 16 models.

The ‘Capture’ button, as it’s thought to be called, will allegedly be used to take photos and videos, but rather than simply being a camera shortcut, one report suggests that you’ll be able to swipe across it to zoom in or out, press it lightly to focus, and press it hard to take a photo or start recording.

That could make this button a powerful addition to the camera, and far more effective than simply setting the Action button to take pictures, which you can already do with the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, as the Action button lacks all the swiping and light pressing potential of the rumored Capture button.

Reports suggest the Capture button will be housed under the power key on the right edge of the iPhone 16, and as well as that, there will still be an Action button on the left – which, according to reports, will this time be offered across the line, rather than just on the Pro models.

There are still some questions surrounding the Capture button – early reports suggested it might just be for videos rather than photos too, and there’s some disagreement over whether it will be mechanical or solid-state, so Apple could yet surprise us at the iPhone 16 launch.

Bigger screens for the Pro models

One big – literally – feature that has been rumored specifically for the Pro models is an increase in screen size, with the iPhone 16 Pro said to have a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 15 Pro), and the iPhone 16 Pro Max reported to have a 6.9-inch screen (up from 6.7 inches on the iPhone 15 Pro Max).

So, in both cases, these phones would be 0.2 inches bigger than their predecessors, but perhaps more notably, this increase would make the Pro models larger than the non-Pro ones, which will reportedly remain at 6.1 inches for the iPhone 16 and 6.7 inches for the iPhone 16 Plus.

This increase in screen size could further widen the gap between the Pro and non-Pro models, though it would mean that if you’re a fan of compact phones, your choices will further diminish.

Still, a bigger screen will likely make the iPhone 16 Pro models superior for video viewing, and you'll also have more space for interacting with apps and games. If the bezels are reduced (as has been rumored), too, then the overall footprint might not be vastly bigger than that of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

Camera upgrades

Sadly, it doesn’t look like the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus will be in for any significant camera upgrades, but the Pro models might be.

The iPhone 16 Pro is widely rumored to be getting the same 12MP 5x optical zoom camera as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which would be an upgrade on the iPhone 15 Pro’s 12MP 3x optical zoom.

On top of this, the iPhone 16 Pro is also reportedly getting a 48MP ultra-wide camera, in place of the current model’s 12MP sensor.

But the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s cameras might be in for an even bigger upgrade, with this phone reportedly also getting a new 48MP ultra-wide camera, and potentially a new main sensor, too, which would stick at 48MP like last year’s but should still deliver improvements to photos.

There’s a chance the iPhone 16 Pro Max could even get a new telephoto sensor, with some leaks tipping a ‘super telephoto’ lens, which might offer 10x zoom or more. However, recent leaks haven’t mentioned this particular upgrade, so we wouldn’t count on it becoming a reality.

Still, even if just the main and ultra-wide snappers are improved on the Pro Max, and the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras are upgraded on the Pro, then these upcoming models could be well worth buying for photography fans.

A speedy new chipset

The final big new feature we’ve heard talked about (for the iPhone 16 Pro models, at least), is an A18 Pro chipset, which will likely provide a big power boost over the A17 Pro found in the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This chipset could also be key to powering some of the iPhone 16 line’s AI features.

However, while the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will almost certainly get an A18 Pro chipset, there’s a high chance that the standard iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus will instead get a lesser A18 chipset, or inherit the A17 Pro from last year’s Pro models.

In either case, this would be an upgrade on the A16 Bionic chipset used by the current base models, but it would still leave them lagging behind the Pro models on the power front.

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We should see the iPhone 16 break cover in around a month or so, and the leaks are starting to pile up for Apple's 2024 flagship phone – including new information on the battery capacities of the Pro and Pro Max models.

According to well-known tipster Instant Digital (via MacRumors), the iPhone 16 Pro is going to come with a 3,577mAh capacity battery fitted, while the battery inside the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a capacity of 4,676mAh.

To put those numbers into context for you, the iPhone 15 Pro has a battery capacity of 3,274mAh, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a capacity of 4,422mAh. Both models would seem to be getting bigger batteries this year, but the jump is bigger on the Pro model.

We have heard that same 4,676mAh capacity for the iPhone 16 Pro Max in a previous leak, though an earlier rumor had put the capacity of iPhone 16 Pro at 3,355mAh – so this latest source suggests that the increase in size is going to be bigger.

Better battery life?

Of course, it's quite possible that battery capacities have changed as Apple has been developing the phones and refining their designs, which might explain why some of the rumors we've been seeing so far are listing different numbers.

It's also difficult to say how these increased battery capacities are going to affect battery life. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max are said to be getting larger screens this year, up to 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches respectively, which might affect the calculations.

As our iPhone 15 Pro review and iPhone 15 Pro Max review will tell you, the current models are able to go for about a day (or a little over) with general use. It looks as though the new editions will still need charging overnight most of the time.

Apple hasn't announced a launch event for September yet, but that's the month when it usually unveils its new iPhones. At the same event we should also be getting reveals for the Apple Watch 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

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We saw a slew of new Apple Intelligence features demoed for iOS 18 (and Apple's other software packages) at WWDC 2024 in June, but they're yet to roll out to devices. In the case of ChatGPT integration we now know it's arriving before the end of 2025.

As MacRumors reports, on a recent earnings call Apple CEO Tim Cook said that ChatGPT will be built into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia "by the end of the calendar year". We're expecting iOS 18 to make its way to iPhones sometime in September.

When the feature does go live, you'll get the option to get Siri to refer certain questions to ChatGPT, and it'll also be part of the writing assistance feature that can help with composing text messages, emails, and more.

You'll also be able to generate images in a variety of styles, Apple says, all powered by the latest GPT-4o model. Access to ChatGPT will be free, and you won't even need to register an account with OpenAI – though if you're a paying ChatGPT Plus member, you will be able to connect your account to get at additional paid-for features.

AI bots for all

When ChatGPT integration was first introduced, Apple did say the feature would be live by the end of the year – so really this is confirmation that the original timetable is still on track. There has been some speculation that certain Apple Intelligence features could be delayed beyond the launch of the iPhone 16 and iOS 18.

It also seems as though Apple is open to adding other AI bots to Siri in the future – including, perhaps, Google Gemini. It's also clear that Apple researchers are hard at work trying to get Siri on a par with ChatGPT and Gemini.

A limited number of Apple Intelligence features are already available in the developer beta of iOS 18.1, but while we've tried out the software, it's not suitable for everyday use yet. Most people are best waiting until the stable and final version of the update is pushed out.

It's likely that we'll hear more about Apple Intelligence and the date of its arrival at the iPhone 16 launch event, which should be sometime in September. Apple will almost certainly unveil the Apple Watch 10 and the finished iOS 18 at the same time.

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