Apple is all but certain to unveil its iPhone 16 line later this year, with the iPhone 16 Pro expected to stand alongside the iPhone 16 Pro Max as the company’s flagship 2024 model.
It’s been eight months since the launch of the excellent iPhone 15 Pro, so we’re now hearing plenty of rumors concerning the next generation of Apple’s best iPhones. Indeed, there's been several consistent predictions about the iPhone 16 Pro already, and in this guide, we’ve pulled together the leaks with the most credence.
For more iPhone 16 info, our iPhone 16 hub contains all you need to know about the base model iPhone 16, while our iOS 18 page details the iPhone 16-compatible software we’re expecting to see unveiled at WWDC 2024.
Latest leaks
- Leaked iPhone 16 case models tease a bigger size for the Pro
- The iPhone 16 looks likely to ditch physical buttons after all
- More leaked iPhone 16 dummy units echo previous design leaks
- Battery capacities for all four iPhone 16 models have leaked
- The iPhone 16 Pro's colors have leaked
- The iPhone 16 Pro's chipset could be designed for AI
- The iPhone 16 Pro could have extra RAM and storage for AI
- The iPhone 16's AI features might rely on Google Gemini
iPhone 16 Pro release date speculation
- Likely to launch in the first half of September 2024
- Will probably ship a week or so later
Apple hasn’t yet shared official release information for the iPhone 16 Pro, but using the company’s previous iPhone release strategies as points of reference, we can make an educated guess as to when the iPhone 16 Pro will land.
The iPhone 15 line was officially unveiled on September 12, 2023 before going on sale just over a week later on September 22.. Apple generally picks the first or second week of September for its annual iPhone launches, typically opting for a Tuesday or Wednesday. We therefore expect the iPhone 16 Pro to be revealed – alongside the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max – on September 3, 4, 10 or 11 this year, with all four phones going on sale around a week later.
iPhone 16 Pro price predictions
- Likely to cost at least $999 / £999 / AU$1,849
As with its release date, we’re unlikely to hear confirmation of the iPhone 16 Pro’s price until Apple actually reveals the phone in September, but we can make some early predictions based on the iPhone 15 Pro’s launch price.
| Storage | US price | UK price | AU price |
| 128GB | $999 | £999 | AU$1,849 |
| 256GB | $1,099 | £1,099 | AU$2,049 |
| 512GB | $1,299 | £1,299 | AU$2,399 |
| 1TB | $1,499 | £1,499 | AU$2,749 |
Due to changes in Apple’s chipset manufacturing process, some analysts predict that the iPhone 16 line could actually be cheaper than the iPhone 15 line, meaning the iPhone 16 Pro might cost less than the $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 starting price of its predecessor.
For our money, though, the opposite will be true, not least because production costs are continuing to rise. According to a recent Nikkei Asia report, the iPhone 15 Pro Max costs Apple $558 to produce; a 12% increase over the equivalent production cost of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Those figures look set to worsen for the iPhone 16 line, meaning the iPhone 16 Pro is likely to cost at least as much as the iPhone 15 Pro.
On top of that, we’ve heard that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max might have more expensive cameras (more on these later) than their respective predecessors, which could conceivably give Apple a reason to inflate their prices.
iPhone 16 Pro design and display rumors
- Tipped for a larger 6.3-inch display
- … and therefore a taller and narrower frame
Back in early 2023, rumors emerged to suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Ultra will be noticeably bigger than their iPhone 15 equivalents, with serial Apple tipster Ross Young claiming that the iPhone 16 Pro will boast a 6.3-inch screen, rather than the 6.1-inch screen we’ve become accustomed to seeing.
Young then followed up this suggestion a few months later with the claim that the iPhone 16 Pro would be taller and narrower than the iPhone 15 Pro, sporting an aspect ratio of 19.6:9, rather than 19.5:9.
Based on almost all of the iPhone 16 Pro leaks, rumors, renders and case molds we’ve come across since then, this claim seems accurate, so the iPhone 16 Pro will almost certainly arrive bearing a 6.3-inch display – the first of its kind on an iPhone.
The below MacRumors render shows how the iPhone 16 Pro might stack up alongside the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is also tipped for a size increase.
As for the other display-related rumors, one report by South Korean publication The Elec claims that the iPhone 16 Pro will have its Face ID components hidden under the screen, rather like how many of the best Android phones now have under-display fingerprint scanners. At present, the iPhone 15 Pro’s Face ID components are housed in the Dynamic Island.
The Elec also reports that both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will sport ‘Multi-Lens Array" (MLA) AMOLED displays, similar to those used by Samsung on its recent flagship phones, and TV manufacturer LG in its best OLED TVs. Presumably, this technology would give the iPhone 16 Pro (and its larger sibling) the brightest screen ever seen on an iPhone, which we’re excited to lay our eyes on.
On the design front, it’s safe to expect that the iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium frame, USB-C port and Action button will all return on the iPhone 16 Pro, though we could also see Apple debut solid-state (i.e. non-physical) buttons on its upcoming flagships.
Prior to its release, the iPhone 15 Pro was widely tipped to get capacitive volume and power buttons, before Apple reportedly u-turned on its decision to include capacitive buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro due to time constraints. Then, we heard that the iPhone 16 might feature an all-new capacitive button, known internally as the "Capture" button, while the rest of the phone’s buttons remain physical.
Now, the latest intelligence suggests that all four iPhone 16 buttons – that’s the Action button, Power button, both volume buttons and a mysterious new "Capture" button – on all four iPhone 16 models will be capacitive, with Apple ready to abandon traditional physical buttons across the board.
AppleInsider notes that Apple’s internal codename for the capacitive transformation of all iPhone 16 buttons is "Project Bongo". Previously, "Project Atlas" had referred to the capacitive transformation of the Action button, exclusively, so it seems as though the company is finally moving ahead with a full-scale move to solid-state buttons – at least for future iPhone models. We can’t say for certain that every button on the iPhone 16 Pro will be capacitive, but it’s looking like at least one button will be.
Going back to that Capture button rumor, it’s thought that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will get a brand new button for performing some kind of camera-related task. The source of this rumor hasn’t said what the purpose of this new button might be, but a more recent leak points to the Capture button being a dedicated video recording button.
Lastly, one leak has suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro will be available in Space Black, White, Gray and Rose colors, which are similar to the iPhone 15 Pro’s colors save for Rose, which will reportedly replace Titanium Blue.
iPhone 16 Pro camera rumors
- Improvements expected for telephoto and ultra-wide
- Could inherit the iPhone 15 Pro Max's periscope lens
For a detailed look at what to expect from the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera, head over to our iPhone 16 camera predictions guide. Below, though, we’ll round up the key rumors.
Like its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Pro is expected to boast three rear cameras and one front-facing camera, but some major upgrades could be on the cards. Specifically, the iPhone 16 Pro is tipped to get the following lenses:
| iPhone 16 Pro camera specs (rumored) | |
|---|---|
| Main camera: | 48MP, f/1.8, 1/1.14-inch |
| Ultra-wide camera: | 48MP, 1/2.6-inch |
| Telephoto camera: | 12MP, f/2.8, 1/3.06-inch, 120mm (5x optical zoom) |
| Front camera: | 12MP, f/1.9, 1/3.6-inch |
As above, the main upgrade looks set to be a 12MP, f/2.8 periscope camera with 5x optical zoom, in place of the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x telephoto camera. This would be the same sensor as we’ve already seen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and multiple leaks have indeed suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro will get a periscope camera.
The second major upgrade will reportedly come to the iPhone 16 Pro’s ultra-wide camera, which could be 48MP this year, up from 12MP on the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone 16 Pro might also have a stacked camera design, which would supposedly boost low light performance.
The iPhone 16 Pro’s main camera looks set to remain unchanged, as does its front-facing camera. But we wouldn’t be surprised to see some minor sensor size adjustments announced come September.
iPhone 16 Pro specs and feature rumors
- Tipped for an AI-focused A18 Pro chipset
- 8GB RAM likely
- Could get a 2TB maximum storage option
As with the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro will likely get 8GB RAM, and it’s safe to assume that the new phone will be powered by a successor to Apple’s A17 Pro chipset, which we’ll call the A18 Pro for now. Indeed, one leak has specifically mentioned that the A18 Pro will be paired with 8GB of RAM in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.
The iPhone 16 Pro might also support Wi-Fi 7 and have a new 5G modem, which would presumably allow for faster data speeds.
On the storage front, both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are tipped to top out at 2TB, which is double the maximum storage capacity of their respective predecessors. Apple will reportedly achieve this by using a different type of storage, which takes up less space and is cheaper to produce.
iOS 18 is tipped to be the ‘biggest’ software update in iPhone history due to its focus on revolutionizing age-old iPhone elements using AI, and at least some of these new AI features could be exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. This is because the A18 Pro chipset powering both phones might have significantly more cores for its Neural Engine, making them better suited to demanding, on-device AI tasks.
We’ll hopefully get a better idea of what these new AI features might be at WWDC 2024, which is scheduled to kick off on June 10 this year. Of course, we’re unlikely to actually see the iPhone 16 Pro at WWDC, but you'll almost definitely want to tune in to see how iOS 18 – which will presumably launch alongside the iPhone 16 line in September – impacts current and future iPhones.
You might also like...
