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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