All eyes are on Apple’s potential plans for the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro lineup, since Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra just made its debut last week. Although Apple usually releases its new iPhones in September, a plethora of leaks and analyst predictions have given us a general notion of what to anticipate. While faster and more energy-efficient processors are something we should anticipate, Apple might also introduce hardware improvements that would greatly improve its flagship iPhone Pro series.
Twice the storage on iPhone 16 Pro
According to a report from DigiTimes, Apple is anticipated to offer up to 2 TB of storage, at least on the pro models, beginning with the iPhone 16. The company has been providing up to 1 TB of storage on the Pro iPhones for some time. Furthermore, the report emphasises that Apple may choose to use a slightly less expensive QLC (Quad-Level Cell) NAND type of storage as opposed to a TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND.
Content producers would be drawn to this since they require an iPhone with a lot of storage. Additionally, since iPhones can record 3D spatial videos, power users who prefer to store all of their data locally might be drawn to an iPhone with more storage.According to reports, Apple is currently investing in both QLC and TLC NAND due to their lower costs. More data can be stored on a single QLC NAND than on a TLC NAND. But when compared to QLC-type NAND, TLC NAND has drawbacks such as slower read/write speeds, lower reliability, and a marginally higher failure rate.
A dedicated camera button
Instead of the previously proposed buttonless iPhone, a recent leak by The Information suggests that the iPhone 16 Pro series may include an additional button. The new button on the iPhone 16 series, according to the leak, may be on the phone’s lower right side, just like on the previous flagship Nokia Lumia and Sony Xperia models.
The new capacitive button’s placement suggests that it may also be used as a camera trigger. In fact, it may function similarly to a volume button in that capacity. Moreover, it may use a haptic engine to simulate the sensation of pressing a physical button. It is also rumoured to be a pressure-sensitive button, meaning users can focus, take pictures, and record videos with the same button.According to reports, the new button may be included in all four iPhone 16 variants. Apple is also anticipated to add the action button from the iPhone 15 Pro lineup to the entire iPhone 16 lineup, allowing customisation through the Shortcuts app.
Bigger screen sizes
All of the iPhone 16 series’ models are rumoured to have larger screens. The larger iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16 Pro Max are anticipated to offer a significantly larger 6.9-inch screen, while the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 are rumoured to have a 6.3-inch screen. Apple is probably going to restrict the 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate to its Pro models only.
Larger screens necessitate larger batteries, so we may anticipate some notable increases in battery capacity, which should improve battery life across the lineup. Additionally, Apple should provide these iPhones with better cooling mechanisms to maintain and enhance peak performance.Despite having larger screens, all four iPhone 16 models are anticipated to resemble the iPhone 15 series, complete with a pill-shaped cutout for the Dynamic Island at the top. Apple may also choose to reduce the bezel size to achieve a marginally higher screen-to-body ratio.
AAA gaming across the lineup
For a while now, Apple has been using a chip from a previous generation on the entry-level iPhone models. It is likely that the company will return to using the same chip throughout the lineup. According to a MacRumors report, the A18 chip is reportedly powering the entire iPhone 16 lineup. The Pro versions, on the other hand, might have speed-binned chips with more CPU cores and a faster CPU clock speed.
The A18 chip is rumoured to be a 3nm chip, similar to the A17 Pro and the M3 chip, and the iPhone 16 Pro family may include more memory (RAM) to enable more camera features and computing power. This would enable console-level AAA-grade gaming on the entire iPhone 16 lineup.
Periscope zoom lens on more iPhones
Apple is expected to release the 5x telephoto zoom lens on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple should be able to incorporate the new zoom lens—which requires a little bit more room inside the phone than a standard camera module—into the iPhone 16 Pro thanks to its larger display.
In addition, the iPhone 16 Pro may also come with an ultra-wide angle lens with high resolution. The new ultra-wide angle lens is also expected to offer 48 MP resolution, similar to the 48 MP primary shooter. This means that users can shoot 24 MP images by default, which will have more clarity and details than images taken with a 12 MP ultra-wide angle lens.In addition to maintaining its 12 MP resolution, the selfie camera is rumoured to receive an upgrade that includes a slightly wider aperture to improve low-light performance. Nonetheless, the 12 MP ultra-wide angle lens may still be available for the standard iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus.