Apple doesn't update the design of its phones with each new generation, but some years see significant changes. So will we see major design improvements in the iPhone 16 line?
Well, we can't be sure yet, but based on leaks and rumors we can make a good guess, and it seems that there will probably be some moderate but not massive tweaks to the looks of these phones, relative to the iPhone 15 series.
Below, we've detailed exactly what we expect from the design of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, based on everything we've heard so far, along with some educated guesses.
iPhone 16 Design Predictions
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| iPhone 16 design (rumored) | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | ~147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm |
| Weight: | ~171 g |
| Material: | Glass and aluminum |
| Screen size: | 6.1 inches |
The most obvious design change to the iPhone 16 could be in the rear cameras, with multiple leaks suggesting that the two lenses on the back of the iPhone 16 will be arranged vertically rather than diagonally.
The other big change could come in the form of available buttons, as both the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button and a new Capture button (which will reportedly be used for taking photos and recording videos) are rumored to be coming to the phone. The former would replace the mute switch on the left edge, while the latter appears to be set for the right edge, below the power key.
Some sources suggest that the capture button will be capacitive (aka solid-state) rather than physical, meaning it wouldn’t move when pressed and would instead provide haptic feedback. In fact, there’s a chance that all buttons on all iPhone 16 models will be capacitive, but not all sources agree that we’ll see a shift away from mechanical buttons.
In any case, you can check out images of the rumored design changes above, courtesy of MacRumors: a black phone is reportedly the design we'll see.
It can also be seen that there doesn't seem to be much changing, as the iPhone 16 is likely to have the same general shape as the iPhone 15, and probably similar dimensions too, as its display is reported to be back to 6.1 inches.
For reference, the iPhone 15 measures 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm and weighs 171g, so don't be surprised if we see something similar here.
Predictions about the design of the iPhone 16 Plus
| iPhone 16 Plus design (rumored) | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | ~160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8 mm |
| Weight: | ~201 g |
| Material: | Glass and aluminum |
| Screen size: | 6.7 inches |
The iPhone 16 Plus is likely to have a very similar design to the iPhone 16, meaning that compared to the iPhone 15 Plus, it will likely have a new camera layout, with the lenses arranged vertically, and it will likely also have two additional buttons: an Action button instead of a mute switch, and a Capture button below the power key.
Otherwise, its design and dimensions will likely be similar to the iPhone 15 Plus, with a 6.7-inch display, making it considerably larger than the standard iPhone 16.
As such, we'd expect its weight and dimensions to be similar to the iPhone 15 Plus, i.e. around 160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8mm and 201g.
iPhone 16 Pro design predictions
| iPhone 16 Pro design (rumored) | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | To be confirmed |
| Weight: | More than 187 g |
| Material: | Glass and titanium |
| Screen size: | 6.3 inches |
Unlike the standard and Plus models, the iPhone 16 Pro's camera layout likely won't change, but it will likely have a capture button below the power key.
And there could be other changes too, with reports suggesting the iPhone 16 Pro will have a larger 6.3-inch display (up from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 15 Pro) and a 19.6:9 aspect ratio, rather than 19.5:9, making the iPhone 16 Pro taller and narrower than its predecessor.
As a result, its dimensions will presumably also differ from the iPhone 15 Pro at 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm, and we're guessing it will also weigh more than that phone's 187g.
That aside, the overall look of the iPhone 16 Pro could be similar to the iPhone 15 Pro, with a titanium frame, though one report suggests that the Face ID components could be hidden beneath the display, allowing for a smaller Dynamic Island. That said, this is an old leak, so we wouldn't count on it.
Additionally, the iPhone 16 Pro could have smaller bezels than the iPhone 15 Pro, with one leak suggesting they will be 1.2mm, compared to 1.71mm on the current model.
Predictions about the design of the iPhone 16 Pro Max
| iPhone 16 Pro Max design (rumored) | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 163.024 x 77.575 x 8.26 mm |
| Weight: | More than 221 g |
| Material: | Glass and titanium |
| Screen size: | 6.9 inches |
The iPhone 16 Pro Max will likely have a similar design to the iPhone 16 Pro, complete with a new capture button, a titanium frame, a new 19.6:9 aspect ratio, and possibly a smaller Dynamic Island than its predecessor.
However, it will likely have a larger display than either the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Plus or the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max, and leaks suggest the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch display (or possibly 6.86 or 6.883 inches, but either way it's likely to ship at 6.9 inches).
We've also heard that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have the thinnest bezels of any phone, at just 1.15mm.
One leak also claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have dimensions of 163.024 x 77.575 x 8.26 mm. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, for comparison, has dimensions of 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25 mm. That would make the iPhone 16 Pro Max slightly taller, wider, and thicker than the current model.
There's no word on how much the iPhone 16 Pro Max will weigh, but given the rumoured increase in screen size, it's likely to weigh slightly more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 221g.
You can see what both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could look like in an image from MacRumors above.
