All eyes will be on Apple this fall when the iPhone 16 is expected to launch. We're still months away from that happening, but the numerous leaks we've seen so far give us an idea of what to expect with this year's standard models — giving more reasons to be convinced. People make the upgrade.
While the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are expected to get their share of upgrades, those who don't want to spend more money on an iPhone may be attracted by what the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus can offer. The most exciting rumors point to new display technology, a capture button and a special video capture mode. What may be most surprising are the productivity AI features, which we can get a sneak preview of when iOS 18 is expected to be showcased at Apple's WWDC 2024 developer conference in June.
All of this makes a strong case, so here are all the big upgrades that have us excited for the iPhone 16.
Support for spatial video recording
There's no denying that Apple's Vision Pro is transforming computing, but one aspect that users have come to appreciate is the ability to record and watch spatial videos using headphones. And while its recording was exclusive to the Vision Pro, Apple ended up extending support for spatial video recording to the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max – due to their camera arrangement.
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are also expected to support spatial video recording given how Apple has positioned its rear cameras. Specifically, it goes from the diagonal arrangement that we get in the current iPhone 15, to a vertical arrangement that groups the 48-megapixel main camera and the 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera on top of each other.
This will effectively allow the iPhone 16 to record spatial video, which can then be watched on Apple Vision Pro for an immersive experience that makes you feel like you're there in the video.
Thinner bezel, brighter screen
iPhone 16 display rumors cover the full range, with one report suggesting that the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes will be present with the new iPhones – along with the same 60Hz refresh rate as before. Now there is no reason to worry yet because the bezel around the displays is believed to be getting thinner, as long as Apple's manufacturing partners can get production going on time and according to Apple standards.
However, the iPhone 16's biggest display-related upgrade centers around how it uses Samsung's new OLED material, effectively improving energy efficiency in the process. Another possibility is that Apple could switch to a MicroLED display for its iPhone 16, which would inherently amplify the screen's brightness and color, while using less power. This will be an extra treat because the iPhone 15 already features one of the brightest displays of its size, reaching a respectable peak brightness of 1,401 nits.
New capture button
Apple usually reserves some features exclusive to its Pro models, but it looks like the Capture button will also appear alongside the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. While it is still unknown if the action button will be present on the standard models, the capture button will make it easier to operate the camera and take shots.
Naturally, Apple will make them different from the previous camera buttons found on other phones. First of all, it will be placed below the power button and offer haptic feedback as it will use a solid-state capacitive design. Essentially, the shutter button can differentiate the amount of pressure applied to it – meaning it can be used to dial in focus much like the way the shutter button is designed with some of the best mirrorless cameras.
A18 chip instead of A17
Apple could do something completely different from previous iPhone releases by adopting the same chip in all iPhone 16 models. In the past, it was usual for Apple to make use of the old chipset in its standard models, while reserving the new chip for the iPhone Pro phones.
Although it is still possible that the iPhone 16 will inherit the A17 Pro chip that launched with the iPhone 15 Pro models, another rumor suggests that all four iPhone 16 models will run on the 3nm A18 chipset. As you would expect, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will get a slightly more powerful version. Still, the A18 chip could mean greater performance gains for standard models, which will likely come in handy for AI-powered software features.
Generative artificial intelligence
AI has been very trendy in the past few months, with many phone makers increasingly starting to roll out new features. Apple is preparing to enter the arena with AI features that could accompany iOS 18, whether they focus more on Siri or if they relate to other aspects of the experience.
Generative AI could come in the form of a feature called “Siri Summarization,” which could give Apple's voice assistant links to the ChatGPT API. This would give Siri extra intelligence to make summaries and respond to more complex requests.
Beyond Siri, generative AI features could also come to other areas, such as AI tools for developers, along with creating Apple Music playlists. Regarding photos and video, Apple is reportedly working on developing an artificial intelligence model that allows for modifications to photos based on instructions from the user. There aren't a lot of details yet about the exact editing functions it will be able to do, but it should at least compete with what Google and Samsung offer with their flagship phones.
256 GB of initial storage
Call it a much-deserved upgrade, but it looks like we might be getting 256GB base models for the iPhone 16. That would be double the amount of entry-level storage currently available with the iPhone 15. It's also thought that this generous new storage capacity will be accompanied by 8GB of RAM. Random.
Given how the iPhone 16 supports spatial video recording, this upgrade makes the devices better equipped to store all those files. This will be a huge leap and could set a new standard for all other major releases for the rest of the year.
Wi-Fi 6e
While the iPhone 15 Pro models benefited from faster speeds thanks to Wi-Fi 6e, the iPhone 15 had to settle for Wi-Fi 6. However, leaks suggest that the iPhone 16 will adopt Wi-Fi 6e into its arsenal – giving it access to the range 6GHz. For the average person, this simply means faster speeds and less interference from competing Wi-Fi devices.
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