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 likely won't until September, the leaks and rumors surrounding the iPhone 16 series have been extensive.
We’ve heard details about almost every facet of the upcoming phones, from iPhone 16 colors to likely iPhone 16 pricing, design, specs, and more. As usual, the rumored features are a mix of old and new features, but in this article, we’ll focus on the key new things you can expect from the iPhone 16 series.
Below are the most important iPhone 16 features we've heard about so far that aren't yet present in the iPhone 15 series.
A new 'Capture' button
Perhaps the biggest update 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 called, is believed to be used for taking photos and videos, but rather than simply being a shortcut to the camera, one report suggests you’ll be able to swipe it to zoom in or out, lightly press it to focus, and hard press it to take a photo or start recording.
That could make this button a powerful addition to the camera, and a lot more effective than simply setting the Action button to taking photos — which you can already do with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max — since the Action button lacks all the swipe and light-press potential of the rumored Capture button.
Reports suggest the capture button will be located below the power key on the right edge of the iPhone 16, and on top of that, there will still be an Action button on the left, which will reportedly be offered across the line this time around, rather than just the Pro models.
There are still some questions surrounding the Capture button – early reports suggested it might only be for videos rather than photos, and there's some disagreement over whether it will be mechanical or solid-state – so Apple could still surprise us at the launch of the iPhone 16.
Larger screens for Pro models
One big (literally) feature that’s been rumored specifically for the Pro models is a bump in display size: The iPhone 16 Pro is said to have a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 15 Pro), and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is reportedly going to have a 6.9-inch display (up from 6.7 inches on the iPhone 15 Pro Max).
So in both cases, these phones would be 0.2 inches larger than their predecessors, but perhaps more notably, this increase would make the Pro models larger than the non-Pro models, 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 Pro and non-Pro models, though it would mean that if you're a fan of compact phones, your options will narrow even further.
Still, a larger display will likely make the iPhone 16 Pro models superior for watching video, and you'll also have more room to interact with apps and games. If the bezels are also reduced (as has been rumored), then the overall size might not be much larger than the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Camera Updates
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus will be getting any significant camera upgrades, but the Pro models could.
The iPhone 16 Pro is widely rumored to have the same 12MP 5x optical zoom camera as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which would be an upgrade from the 12MP 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro.
In addition to this, the iPhone 16 Pro will also reportedly have a 48MP ultra-wide camera, instead of the 12MP sensor on the current model.
But the iPhone 16 Pro Max's cameras could be getting an even bigger upgrade, as this phone will also reportedly get a new 48MP ultra-wide camera and potentially a new main sensor as well, which would remain at 48MP like last year but should still offer improvements to photos.
There's a chance the iPhone 16 Pro Max could even feature a new telephoto sensor, with some leaks pointing to a “super-telephoto” lens, which could 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 only the main and ultra-wide sensors on the Pro Max are improved, and the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras on the Pro are upgraded, then these upcoming models could be worth buying for photography fans.
A new and fast chipset
The latest big new feature we’ve heard about (at least for the iPhone 16 Pro models) is an A18 Pro chipset, which will likely provide a big power boost over the A17 Pro found in the iPhone 15 Pro and 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 strong chance that the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will get a lesser A18 chipset, or inherit the A17 Pro from last year's Pro models.
In any case, it would be an update to the A16 Bionic chipset used by the current base models, but it would still leave them behind the Pro models when it comes to power.
