iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro — What we know from prototypes

Apple’s iPhone 16 range is set to usher in a series of meaningful hardware improvements and features

As the iPhone 16 range inches closer to launch, rumors about the new iPhone lineup continue to emerge. With the rise of social media, it’s become easy for just about anyone to disseminate claims and rumors about unreleased Apple products.

Since rumors often come from different sources with varying levels of credibility, it becomes difficult for the average user to know what to expect from a future Apple product. To make things easier for our readers, we’ve created a carefully curated list of new iPhone features based on verifiable information from people that we believe have first-hand knowledge.

AppleInsider has spoken to people familiar with Apple’s internal prototypes and pre-production designs of the iPhone 16 range. Based on our findings, here’s what we can expect from the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

As mentioned previously, this article focuses only on information AppleInsider is able to independently verify. While it may not be all-encompassing, it provides our most accurate insight into the iPhone 16 lineup.

With the iPhone 15 range, Apple introduced curved edges and an all-new titanium alloy for the more expensive Pro models. The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to build upon these stylistic choices through the integration of new hardware features.

The iPhone 16 range of devices will receive a new capacitive Capture button with force-sensor technology

One such addition is the introduction of an all-new Capture button, which is expected to debut across the entire iPhone 16 range. People familiar with the matter have told AppleInsider that Apple has tested this button on both the base model iPhone 16 as well as the larger iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The existence of the Capture button, known internally under the codename Project Nova, was revealed in a September 2023 report. The article unveiled key details surrounding the project, such as the position of the button, its functionality and associated hardware components.

Prototype units of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max all feature the Capture Button on the right side of the device, below the power button. This is roughly where the mmWave cutout can be seen on current iPhone models sold within the United States.

Because of this, Apple has moved the mmWave cutout to the opposite side, meaning that iPhone 16 range will feature a mmWave cutout located below the volume buttons. Of course, this change only applies to US-market devices that feature mmWave hardware and does not apply to devices produced for sale in other regions.

Design-wise, the Capture button is unique in the fact that it’s flush with the frame. It does not stick out the same way the power or volume buttons do.

In terms of functionality, the Capture button brings with it features that are not currently found on the remaining buttons of the iPhone 16 range or the buttons of its more recent predecessors.

Based on the button’s internal name and its overall position, it’s apparent that the Capture button is a camera-related button. This indicates that it will enable additional functionality in the area of photography and video recording.

The goal of Project Nova was to introduce an all-new capacitive button to the iPhone 16. The Capture button will be able to recognize gestures, allowing users to swipe to zoom or navigate between photo and video mode, for instance.

The new button is also pressure-sensitive. People familiar with the matter have told AppleInsider that the Capture button features “force-sensing technology,” meaning that it will be able to recognize different degrees of pressure applied and later use this information. Users could have the option to press lightly on the button to focus or apply more pressure to take a photo, for example.

For the standard iPhone 16, known under the project codename DeLorean and device identifier D47, Apple has introduced another button-related improvement. The multi-purpose Action button will finally make its way to the base model with the release of the iPhone 16.

The base model iPhone 16 will receive the Action button currently found on the iPhone 15 Pro

The Action Button is a user-configurable button first introduced in 2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Unlike the single-purpose mute switch that it replaced, the Action Button can be configured to perform a pre-defined action selected by the user whenever it is pressed.

For instance, users can set up their Action Button to open the Camera app or toggle the device’s flashlight, use it to start recording a voice memo, and much more.

Apple wants to make this hardware feature available to more devices, and the iPhone 16 is first in line for the Action button upgrade. According to people familiar with Apple’s hardware development, the Action button is also expected to make its way to the fourth-generation iPhone SE, set for release in early 2025.

The Action button can be found even on the earliest prototypes of the base model iPhone 16. Initially, the iPhone 16 was also meant to receive a unified haptic volume button, developed as part of Project Bongo, though this idea has since been abandoned.

The base model iPhone 16 will also receive a significant change to the rear camera alignment. Unlike the diagonal layout found on the iPhone 15, the device will feature vertically aligned rear cameras.

The iPhone 16 will have a new look thanks to the vertical alignment of the rear cameras

As revealed in a December 2023 report, Apple experimented with at least three different prototype designs. Apple’s earliest prototypes featured camera bump designs that resembled previous iPhones, such as the 2020 iPhone 12 and the 2017 iPhone X.

In February of 2024, it was revealed that the company had settled on a final design for the iPhone 16 backplate. The final design features a slim, pill-shaped camera bump with two separate lenses aligned vertically.

Arranging the rear cameras vertically will allow for a new feature on the base model iPhone 16. The updated camera alignment will make Spatial Video recording possible while simultaneously giving the device a new look.

Spatial Video, originally introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023, is a form of immersive 3D video recording. With Spatial Video, users can record their favorite moments in three dimensions and play them back on their Apple Vision Pro headset.

The Spatial Video capture functionality is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The feature is not available on the base model iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, as these devices have a diagonal rear camera layout.

With the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Ultra Wide camera is located above the main camera. The base model iPhone 16 will have its rear cameras arranged in the same way, making Spatial Video possible.

While the base model iPhone 16 will maintain the same 6.1-inch display size of the iPhone 15, both Pro models will receive an increase of roughly 0.2 inches in overall display size.

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro will feature larger displays compared to their predecessors

Preliminary dimensions for both devices, published in September of 2023, reveal that the iPhone 16 Pro will feature a 6.27-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to feature a 6.85-inch panel. Apple will likely round those numbers up to 6.3 and 6.9 inches, respectively.

The published dimensions reveal that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, or at least pre-production prototypes of the devices, are also somewhat wider than their iPhone 15 range counterparts. The width of the devices appears to match that of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, respectively.

This increase in dimensions will allow Apple to incorporate a tetraprism telephoto camera into the smaller iPhone 16 Pro, making it available on both Pro models in the 2024 iPhone range.

Currently, the tetraprism-equipped telephoto camera is only available on the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max, where it offers 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom. Earlier models, such as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, were limited to 3x optical zoom, meaning that the tetraprism telephoto camera presents a significant improvement.

With Apple’s iPhone 16 range, the feature will be available on both iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The addition of this feature will lead to improved optical zoom, as the tetraprism-enhanced telephoto camera contains a folded glass structure that reflects light four times over, as is the case with the telephoto camera on the current iPhone 15 Pro Max.

For the past two years, with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15, Apple has equipped its base model iPhones with older hardware, making its latest system-on-chip exclusive to the Pro models. The iPhone 16 range is expected to break this established pattern in favor of something new.

The entire iPhone 16 range is expected to receive a new system-on-chip this year

A December 2023 report revealed that early iOS 18 code contained references to four unreleased iPhones, all of which are powered by the same general chip. The as of yet unreleased system-on-chip is known under the identifier t8140, and is expected to be used across the entire iPhone 16 lineup — base models included.

More recently, AppleInsider has learned of two codenames for the t8140 – Tahiti and Tupai, suggesting that Apple has developed two variants of the same chip for use in different devices within the iPhone 16 range.

The more powerful version, known under the codename Tahiti, will be used in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, while the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone SE 4 are expected to use the version of the chip codenamed Tupai. It’s possible that Apple will choose to brand these chips as A18 and A18 Pro, which would be an easy way of distinguishing them while also continuing the Pro branding introduced with the A17 Pro.

The chips themselves are expected to feature significant improvements to the neural engine, which will allow Apple to implement more hardware-intensive Apple Intelligence features in the near future. RAM improvements over the standard A16 are also expected, as Apple Intelligence features require at least 8GB of unified memory to function.

The iPhone 16 range brings with it multiple new features, making it an arguably compelling upgrade for users of older iPhones. This is especially true for the base model iPhone 16.

Upgrading from the standard iPhone 15 or iPhone 14, users will receive an all-new Capture Button, an Action button in place of the mute switch, increased processing power in the form of the A18 chip, along with a new vertical camera arrangement.

The aforementioned A18 system-on-chip could be considered one of the main reasons to upgrade since it is likely to usher in Apple Intelligence support for the base model iPhone 16. Currently, Apple Intelligence features, such as AI-powered email summarization and image generation, are only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as far as iPhones are concerned.

Users of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be able to take advantage of even larger displays for a better content consumption experience. This is in addition to the previously-mentioned Capture button and tetraprism camera improvements, which will make the devices even better for photography and video capturing.

For some, though, rumors about the 2025 iPhone 17 range, or claims of alleged foldable iPhone may mean that it’s not time for an upgrade just yet.