iPhone 16 Pro: Every new feature and change rumored - 9to5Mac (2024)

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are coming. Even though we’re still several months from any official announcement, rumors have already started to paint a picture of what to expect. The iPhone 16 Pro lineup will feature Apple’s biggest iPhone screens ever, significant camera improvements, and more.

Head below as we round up everything we know about the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max so far.

Last updated: March 26, 2024

iPhone 16 Pro: Every new feature

iPhone 16 Pro display

According to multiple sources, including reliable analyst Ross Young, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will both feature larger screens than their predecessors.

The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to feature a 6.3-inch display, an increase from the 6.1-inch display of the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone 16 Pro Max will reportedly feature a 6.9-inch display, an increase from the 6.7-inch display of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Assuming these rumors come to fruition, this means the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be the biggest iPhone ever released. It will also mark the first time that iPhone screen sizes have changed since the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max were introduced in 2020.

Size and dimensions

How will these larger screen sizes impact the overall form factors of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max? A report in September offered some alleged details on dimensions. Here’s how they compare to the iPhone 15 Pro lineup.

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro Max vs iPhone 15 Pro Max

As you can see, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be slightly taller than their predecessors. The width will reportedly be unchanged, making for a narrower form factor. The iPhone 16 Pro models will also be somewhat heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro, while thickness will be unchanged.

Battery and thermal management updates

A leak from Kosutami in November claimed to show an early prototype battery that could make its way to the iPhone 16 Pro. As you can see in the image below, the battery features a new metal shell.

This would mark the first time that Apple has used a metal shell for an iPhone’s battery. In the past, Apple has exclusively used a more traditional foil covering. The purported iPhone 16 Pro battery uses the same L-shaped design and has a capacity of 3,355 mAh, compared to the 3,274 mAh battery in the iPhone 15 Pro.

Switching to a metal shell would offer significant improvements to heat dissipation for the iPhone 16 Pro. This could improve battery life, allow the iPhone 16 Pro to run at higher performance levels for longer periods of time, and address the overheating problems that have affected the iPhone 15 Pro.

Furthermore, a separate supply chain rumor suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro will use a new “graphene thermal system.” This change would also improve heat dissipation and thermal conductivity. The iPhone currently uses a copper heat sink, and tests have shown that a switch to graphene could offer around four times better thermal conductivity.

Finally, a sketchy rumor also claims that the iPhone 16 Pro will use a new stacked battery design. This could unlock 40 W wired charging (up from 27 W) and 20 W MagSafe charging (up from 15 W). As of right now, this rumor hasn’t been corroborated and we recommend treating it with skepticism.

Camera upgrades

There are a handful of rumors about what camera improvements could make their way to the iPhone 16 Pro lineup. Most notably, multiple sources have reported that the iPhone 16 Pro will adopt the same 5x zoom tetraprism camera that is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, however, could continue to differentiate itself with even more optical zoom range. A rumor in July suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro Max may pack a new “periscope ultra-long telephoto camera.” This rumor hasn’t yet been corroborated by any other sources.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also reported that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will use new Sony camera sensors for the Main camera. While the details here are still a bit sparse, the expectation is that this change could lead to a significant improvement in low-light camera improvements.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro’s ultra-wide camera is also expected to see a major improvement. The iPhone’s ultra-wide camera has largely remained untouched since the iPhone 13 Pro was unveiled in 2021. Analyst Jeff Pu has reported that the iPhone 16 Pro will use a new 48 MP ultra-wide camera, a significant improvement from the current 12 MP ultra-wide camera in the iPhone 15 Pro.

Faster Wi-Fi and 5G

According to analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu, the iPhone 16 Pro will offer support for Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. This is an upgrade from the iPhone 15 Pro’s Wi-Fi 6E support.

Wi-Fi 7 significantly boosts data transmission speeds, with a theoretical peak of more than 40Gbps. This makes it up to four times faster than Wi-Fi 6E and nearly six times faster than Wi-Fi 5. Wi-Fi 7 also focuses on reducing latency, something that is key for things like smart home accessories and headsets such as Vision Pro.

But even if the iPhone 16 Pro supports Wi-Fi 7, users will need to upgrade their entire Wi-Fi router system to one thatsupports Wi-Fi 7. This will be a costly process, especially at the beginning.

Analyst Jeff Pu also reports that the iPhone 16 Pro will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem. This modem can achieve 5G download speeds of up to 7.5 Gbps thanks to its support for the “5G Advanced” standard.

A18 Pro chip

The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to feature the A18 Pro chip inside. This chip will reportedly feature a new design focused specifically on improving artificial intelligence performance.

Analyst Jeff Pu reported in March that the A18 Pro will feature a larger die size, allowing for more transistors and specialized components. With this change, Apple can make changes for AI-specific components. A separate rumor has suggested that the A18 will “greatly increase the number of built-in AI computing cores” with a morepowerful Neural Engine.

The A18 Pro chip is expected to retain the same 6-core GPU design as the A17 Pro. iPhone 16 Pro will feature 8GB of RAM, which is the same as the iPhone 15 Pro.

Capture button

The iPhone 16 Pro will feature a new “Capture button” on the right side, according to multiple sources. The Capture button will reportedly be located below the current power button and will be used for taking photos and videos.

The Capture button will be touch and pressure sensitive. The surface will respond to touch input, allowing you to zoom in and out by swiping left and right on it. Pressing lightly on the button will bring images into focus, while pressing more firmly will activate the shutter.

iPhone 16 Pro colors

As a refresher, the iPhone 15 Pro is currently available in black, white, blue, and natural titanium color options. For the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple is reportedly planning to ditch the blue titanium and add a new gold-style yellow color option.

There have also been rumors of a new “Titanium Gray” –also referred to as “Cement Gray” –color option. This is described as “a shade of space gray similar to that used in the iPhone 6.”

iPhone 16 Pro: Release date

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to be announced and released in September 2024. This could change based on things such as supply chain disruptions, production problems, and more.

iPhone 16 Pro: Pricing

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were the same prices as their predecessors. One change, however, is that the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at 256 GB of storage, which technically raised the starting price from $1,099 to $1,199.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are reportedly significantly more expensive for Apple to make. Still, the company chose not to pass along those price increases to consumers; whether that changes with the iPhone 16 Pro lineup remains to be seen.

iPhone 16 Pro: Wrap-up

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still months away from being announced, but these rumors offer a glimpse at what to expect. As always, it’s important to remember that these are just rumors, and things can change.

We’ll keep this roundup updated with all the latest iPhone 16 Pro rumors and expectations.

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