iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max: Rumors, Expectations, and Potential Price Hikes

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max -- 7 biggest rumors you need to know

We've officially reached that time of the year when you'll definite want to hold off on buying a new iPhone until the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are announced. We're likely just a couple of weeks away from the big Apple September event, where all the new iPhone models will be revealed, and they might have the type of upgrades that matter to you. I've been following iPhone 16 rumors from even before the iPhone 15 came out last fall, so let's talk about what you can expect and get excited for, specifically when it comes to the Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models. The Pros are growing. Apple is really thinking big this year as there have been multiple rumors that Apple is supersizing the iPhone 16 Pro phones. The regular iPhone 16 Pro is tipped to be growing from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, making it more of a mid-size phone. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is apparently going to be 6.9 inches, which would be a pretty big jump from 6.7 inches on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. By comparison, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel Pro XL are both 6.8 inches. So the new iPhone 16 Pro Max would be the largest flagship in the U.S. that's not a foldable. That makes me a bit nervous though -- I like the size and weight of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and it's pretty massive when you put on a case. I'm definitely interested to see what shoppers think of the sizes, if these rumors end up being true. While we're talking about design I have sone news about the iPhone 16 Pro colors. Apple is reportedly ditching the blue titanium model for a new Desert Titanium color. Think bronze or dark gold, which looks just okay in leaked photos. Desert Titanium would join the returning, black, gray and white options. I'm personally going to miss the blue if it's going away, and I hope the new hue looks better than the leaked photo. While all iPhone 16 models are set to get Apple's new A18 chip, we're still likely to see a split between the regular and Pro phones. I'm expecting the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max to get an A18 Pro chip with more GPU cores. But the biggest processing upgrade will likely come with the Neural Engine, which is tipped for significantly more cores, and should provide more powerful AI and machine learning performance. So, what will you be able to actually do with all that power? Think of things that we've seen teased with Apple Intelligence alongside iOS 18 -- like creating images on the fly with Image Playground, getting transcripts of phone calls and voice notes, and help writing. As exciting as that all sounds, I think Apple will need to show at least some Apple Intelligence features that are exclusive to the new iPhone 16 Pros. Probably the biggest design change we've heard about is the addition of an all-new Capture button on the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. I'll admit, we have heard conflicting rumors about this one but it's clear to me from seeing dummy models and early case samples that Apple is adding a so-called Capture button this year. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, this dedicated camera button would work just like a real camera shutter. If you press half-way down on the button you'll engage auto-focus, and if you press all the way you'll snap a photo. This would mean that your Action Button could be assigned to something else, or a shortcut, while you have a dedicated way to take photos and videos quickly. But that's not all. Apparently, swiping your finger over the Capture button would zoom you in and out while shooting photos and videos. Now it makes a lot of sense for this button to be exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, kind of like the Action Button was this year, but some rumors say it could end up on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, too. Guess we'll just have to see. So what about the cameras themselves? Both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro max are tipped to feature a 48MP ultra wide camera, up from 12MP on the iPhone 15 series. That means you should expect sharper ultra wide shots, and also more flexibility when it comes to cropping. The new sensor should also let in more light for brighter pics, especially in low-light situations. More important, we're going to see zoom parity on both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. They're expected to get the same tetra prism zoom lens. So we're talking 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom at least, which would be a pretty significant upgrade. If you've checked out our iPhone 15 Pro review, you've probably heard us talk about how last year's phone turned in very good battery life results in our testing, but you can never have too much endurance. Apple is tipped to use stacked battery technology on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max for the first time, which would likely allow for more capacity. As a result, the iPhone 16 Pro could have a 3355 mAh battery and the iPhone 16 Pro Max could pack four 4676 mAh battery according to leaked specs. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are both rumored to get 40W wired charging and 20W MagSafe charging. That would be a nice -- and very, very overdue -- upgrade from 27W wired and 15W wireless. Honestly, even if the battery life doesn't last longer but we get faster charging, I think that'll be an upgrade a lot of people have been waiting for. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max pricing could see a slight shakeup this year. Based on an iPhone 16 specs leak, the regular iPhone 16 Pro could get a hike from $999 to $1,099. But the base storage would go from 128GB to 256GB, which would be the same level as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro Max would start at $1,199 just like last year. That would be good for Apple to hold the line there as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,299. There's plenty of other rumored upgrades for the iPhone 16 Pro, including a new thermal design to prevent overheating, a new 5G modem and new Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. But if you're thinking about upgrading the above rumors are the most important ones you need to know.

Will the iPhone 16 Be More Expensive? Here's What We Expect

Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. Beyond all the flashy presentations on camera specs and battery capacity, one of the most important questions looming over any new phone unveiling is: How much will it cost? As we approach the anticipated iPhone 16 announcement this fall, that question is being raised and speculated about. Apple has shared its upcoming Apple Intelligence features arriving on some of its latest devices and also unveiled new capabilities coming with iOS 18 in the fall. As the company's premium-tier devices become even more sophisticated with the help of AI and, potentially, more high-end materials, iPhone fans are wondering whether those advancements will come with a higher sticker price. Read more: iPhone 16: What We Know About the Release Date, Leaks and More Despite upgraded features, the starting price of the baseline iPhone has remained consistent over the last several years. Every baseline model between the iPhone 12 and 15 has been priced at $799 upon its release in the US. The Pro devices have also remained at $999 across that timeline. A price hike occurred on the high-end iPhone 15 Pro Max last year, which was retailed at $1,199, $100 more than its predecessors. Apple did away with its lowest 128GB storage option, making 256GB the new (pricier) baseline. The 15 Pro Max also touts a periscope lens, which offers 5x zoom that isn't found even on the smaller 15 Pro. As inflation raises prices for nearly everything else, and rumors suggest new iPhones get pricier parts, it's uncertain whether Apple can resist bumping up the price tags for its flagship phones. Here's what we've heard. External factors like higher production costs could potentially push Apple to raise prices on its upcoming lineup. According to Nikkei Asia, the estimated production cost of the iPhone 15 Pro Max was $558, a 12% increase over the 14 Pro Max. The cost of components for other devices in the iPhone 15 lineup also reportedly grew compared to the previous year: the 15 Pro by 8%, the Plus by 10% and the standard by 16%. While Apple hasn't yet increased retail prices as a result, Nikkei Asia suggests it would need to do so, or "the company's bottom line will eventually take a hit." Rumors about pricier cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max further suggest those devices may carry a higher price tag, too. According to Economic Daily, Apple might use higher-end molded glass lenses to make its phones lighter and thinner and to increase optical zoom distance. On the one hand, Apple may feel compelled to push those rising costs onto its customers. On the other hand, the higher cost of living is leading many consumers to tighten their purse strings, and Apple may not want to isolate prospective candidates for phone upgrades. Other rumors have suggested prices could actually drop for the iPhone 16, according to one tipster, because Apple could switch up the way it makes its A17 Bionic chipsets to reduce costs. That reduced manufacturing cost could potentially pass savings down to consumers, but that's speculation. It's possible Apple will tout its upcoming Apple Intelligence capabilities to justify a higher price tag for the iPhone 16 lineup. If you can do more with your phone, like use a smarter version of Siri and tap into AI-powered writing tools, perhaps the company will argue you should pay more, too. Samsung, for instance, introduced its own suite of AI features called Galaxy AI, and simultaneously bumped up the price of its high-end Galaxy S24 Ultra by $100, bringing the starting price to $1,300. This could also be credited to hardware and other software improvements, but AI was made to be a big selling point for the pricey device. Google's Pixel 9 lineup is also packed with Gemini AI capabilities, and while the latest Fold model hasn't gone up in price, the same can't be said for the standard Pixel 9, which is $100 pricier than the Pixel 8. The baseline Pixel 9 Pro maintains the same $1,000 price tag as last year's Pixel 8 Pro, but it's a smaller device; you'll need to upgrade to the Pixel 9 Pro XL if you want that bigger screen -- and again pay another $100. All that to say, there are both hardware and software considerations when landing on a price for a phone, and Apple could argue that advancements in both spaces, and especially in AI, justify a higher cost for customers. It's possible, given rising production costs and more advanced components, that we'll see price increases across the upcoming iPhone lineup, although it's not clear just how much. Apple could also use AI advancements to justify a possible price increase, since you'll technically be able to do more with your phone. But given the heated competition with other AI and phone makers like Google and Samsung, it's also just as plausible to assume prices could remain stagnant to entice more customers, especially amid soaring prices elsewhere. In the meantime, we'll keep updating this with any new details in the lead-up to Apple's anticipated fall unveiling of the iPhone 16.

iPhone 16: Everything We Know About the Release Date, Leaks and More

The iPhone 16 is expected to be announced in just a few weeks. Apple's new iPhone, a follow up to the iPhone 15, will likely launch in September -- following on the heels of Google's new Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. The iPhone 16 will be a platform for AI and run Apple Intelligence which is now available to try as part of the second developer beta for iOS 18.1. And if rumors are true, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro will each get a number of significant updates from new power-efficient displays and larger screens to better zoom lenses and the inclusion of an action button for all 2024 iPhone models. Read more: Best iPhone of 2024 The iPhone 16 series will be as much about revamped hardware as it is a platform for Apple's suite of new AI-powered features. All this comes at a time when rival phone makers like Samsung and Google have phones full of AI and generative AI to make everything from writing messages and removing objects and people from photos super easy. That's not to say that the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro will just be about AI and Apple Intelligence. Expect new colors, upgraded cameras and larger screens. Here are the most credible rumors for the iPhone 16. Apple holds its annual iPhone event in September almost every year, so we'd expect the timeline to remain the same for the iPhone 16. The Cupertino company hasn't announced a date for this year's iPhone event. Historically depending when Labor Day falls, the event has been held on the Tuesday in the second week of September which would mean that the iPhone 16 event would be Sept. 10 this year. (The iPhone 15 event was held on Tuesday, Sept. 7.) There's only been two times where Apple held the event on a Wednesday, the most recent was the iPhone 14 event that was held on Wednesday, Sept. 7. New iPhones typically get released shortly after the event, usually the Friday of the following week. That would mean the iPhone 16 would release on Friday Sept. 20. (For the iPhone 13, preorders began Sept. 17 and the phones went on sale Sept. 24.) Again, all of this could change and we'll have to wait until Apple sends out the formal event invites to know for sure. Sometimes Apple will stagger release dates for specific models, especially when introducing a new design or size. So it's possible that the iPhone 16 lineup will have more than one release date. The rumors of larger screen sizes are piling in, at least for select iPhone 16 models. The latest is from Korean publication, the Elec, which published an April report saying select iPhone 16 models are poised to adopt an innovative screen technology, resulting in thinner bezels or the frame around the phone's screen. This development could translate to a slightly larger screen area for some iPhone 16 models, although it's not clear which models. Apple has historically introduced display upgrades in its pro line of products, before sometimes trickling them down to lower-cost models afterwards. The report says display manufacturers have introduced a novel border reduction structure technology, enabling more compact control circuitry and ultimately leading to slimmer bezels. The iPhone 16 Plus maybe be the last of Apple's larger regular iPhone. Apple is reportedly planning to cut the larger-screened flavor, Plus model, of its standard iPhone from its lineup next year and will instead introduce a new ultra-thin premium iPhone said to be called the iPhone 17 Slim. That's according to reports from two analysts known for their Apple predictions: TF International Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo and Haitong International Securities' Jeff Pu (as 9to5Mac reported). Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has color predictions for the iPhone 16 lineup. In a post on X in May, he said that the blue color option of the iPhone 15 Pro would be discontinued and replaced with a new rose model, which would be available for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. He also predicted that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in white, replacing the yellow model. Speaking of screen sizes, Apple has maintained the two screen sizes for iPhone Pro models since 2020 when it launched the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, that's rumored to change with the iPhone 16 Pro models, which might get bigger screens. Display analyst Ross Young suggested earlier this year that the iPhone 16 Pro models will have larger screens, putting the sizes at 6.3 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. That rumor was later corroborated by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said the iPhone 16 Pro models could grow by "a couple tenths of an inch diagonally." Read more: How the iPhone 16's Design May Change The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are believed to be sticking with the current 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes. If the size increase is accurate, it would be yet another move from Apple to distinguish its Pro iPhone models from its regular ones. Another change that could make its way to iPhone 16 displays is greater power efficiency. Samsung Display is apparently developing a new material set, dubbed M14, specifically for Apple, according to a TheElec report, which says the new technology should arrive on iPhones launching next year. M14 will replace the blue fluorescent technology that's used now with blue phosphorescence technology, creating an even more power-efficient screen than the current LTPO ones used on Pro models, the report says. AI is perhaps the biggest tech buzzword this year, and Apple followed in the footsteps of rivals, Samsung and Google, which each trumpeted the new AI tips and tricks on their flagship phones. Apple Intelligence made its debut during the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in June. It brings ChatGPT integration, tools for proofreading and rewriting text in a different tone, new Siri features for getting tech support and answering more personalized requests, and the ability to generate images and emojis, among other features. These new AI features are expected to ship on all the models of the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup with iOS 18 right out of the box. In March, AppleInsider published a collection of photographs purportedly displaying 3D-printed dummy models of the rumored iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. The images revealed that the iPhone 16 may have a vertical camera stack as opposed to a diagonal one and an action button, similar the one on last year's iPhone 15 Pro. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have 5x telephoto lenses next year. According to Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, a tetraprism lens will make its way to both Pro models next year, as opposed to just the Pro Max model. Apple equipped the iPhone 15 Pro with a 12-megapixel 3x optical zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 12-megapixel 5x optical zoom camera, which is the equivalent of 120mm lens on a full-frame camera. If this rumor is true, it could mark a breakthrough in design. When Apple launched the 15 Pro Max with its 5x telephoto lens, it cited the phone's bigger body as to why the Pro Max had it, but the Pro didn't. Read more: iPhone 16 Camera: What Apple Could Change According to a recent leak discovered by MacRumors, Apple might be exploring a novel approach to enhance photo quality. The rumor suggests that the company could add an anti-reflective technology to its camera manufacturing process. If successful, this could potentially eliminate unwanted artifacts like lens flare, resulting in more realistic photos. In a break with the past two years, all four iPhone 16 models will apparently get a next-generation Apple chipset, which will all receive A18 branding. According to a MacRumors report citing Jeff Pu, an executive analyst for Haitong International Securities, all four models will have an A18 series chip with Pro iPhone models getting an A18 Bionic Pro and base models getting a regular A18. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus currently have an A16 Bionic, which debuted on the 2022 iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, while the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max run on the A17 Pro processor. Pu says the A18 chip will be manufactured with TSMC's cutting-edge 3-nanometer process. Read more: Apple iPhone SE 4 Rumors: iPhone 14 Design, Face ID and More Probably not. Virtually every major phone-maker -- from Google to Oppo to OnePlus and Samsung -- has launched several generations of bendable handsets, but Apple has been characteristically quiet about whether there will ever be a foldable iPhone. The latest rumors suggest Apple is working on a "clamshell" design iPhone, which could be ready as early as 2026 according to a report last Tuesday from The Information. The new design will coincide with Apple's plans to also release newly improved camera technologies, including a variable aperture, the report added. It isn't clear what's kept Apple from releasing a folding iPhone in the past few years. The company has reportedly been working on folding iPhone designs since at least 2019