iPhone 16: release date speculation, latest leaks, price predictions and more

The iPhone 16 line isn’t expected to arrive until 2024, but that hasn’t stopped leakers from sharing early information about the standard iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max (which may end up being called the iPhone 16 Ultra).

Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in September 2023, so although we’re pretty much an entire year away from seeing the company’s 2024 iPhones, we’ve now got a better idea of what to expect from the iPhone 16 and its siblings.

Below, you’ll find our one-stop guide to all the latest news, rumors and predictions surrounding the iPhone 16 line. We’ll be updating this article in the months to come, too, so check back regularly for the freshest iPhone 16 info.

Likely to launch in the first half of September 2024

The shipping date will probably be a week or so later

It goes without saying, but since Apple has only just released the iPhone 15 line, we can’t know exactly when the iPhone 16 line will arrive. That said, we can make some predictions based on past Apple form.

If the company sticks to tradition, we expect Apple to announce the release date for the iPhone 16 at the 2024 edition of its annual September launch event. We’re unlikely to learn the actual date of that event until sometime in August 2024, however we can use the dates of bygone Apple events to predict when next year’s Apple event might take place, and therefore when the iPhone 16 could hit shelves.

Apple generally picks the first or second week of September for its annual iPhone launches, and usually opts for a Tuesday, though occasionally the company goes for a Wednesday. The 2023 (read: iPhone 15) edition of Apple’s September event fell on September 12, with all four of the iPhone 15 models announced at the time going on sale just over a week later, on September 15.

That means September 3 or 10 are quite likely launch days for the iPhone 16 in 2024 (both dates are Tuesdays), though September 4 and 11 are possibilities, too. As with the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 will probably begin shipping a week after pre-orders go live.

iPhone 15 pricing could hint at iPhone 16 pricing

Apple’s cheapest iPhone 15 model, the standard iPhone 15, starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,499, while its most expensive, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, starts at $1,199 / £1,399 / AU$2,099.

These figures could be mimicked by the iPhone 16 line, however some analysts predict that the iPhone 16 could actually be cheaper than the iPhone 15. This is because Apple reportedly plans to switch the process it uses to manufacture iPhone chipsets at some point next year, which could impact iPhone prices for the end consumer.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that Apple may debut its first Ultra-branded iPhone in 2024. Initially, rumors purported that an iPhone 15 Ultra would be replacing the iPhone 15 Pro Max this year, but that didn’t happen, and analysts now predict that an iPhone 16 Ultra will debut next year, instead.

It’s not yet clear whether this Ultra iPhone would arrive in addition to or instead of an iPhone 16 Pro Max, but it is almost certain that Apple’s first Ultra iPhone will be the most expensive iPhone ever.

Larger displays, new aspect ratio for Pro models

Standard model likely to remain 6.1 inches

When it comes to screen sizes, we’ve heard rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max could be the biggest iPhones yet.

Specifically, serial Apple tipster Ross Young claims that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Ultra (or iPhone 16 Pro Max, as it may be called) will boast 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch screens, respectively, with both phones getting a new 19.6:9 aspect ratio, too. This would make them the tallest and narrowest iPhones ever.

These 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch sizes have now been backed up by a second report. For reference, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max use 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens, respectively, with every iPhone 15 model sporting an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.

The below mock-ups – created by 9to5Mac – illustrate just how much taller and narrower the iPhone 16 Ultra will appear versus the equivalent model in the iPhone 15 series.

Why might Apple be thinking about beefing up its already-beefy iPhones? Well, these larger iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Ultra screen sizes will supposedly make room for some serious camera upgrades (more on these later).

Ross Young notes that the standard iPhone 16 will stick with the same 19.5:9 aspect ratio as today’s best iPhones, though these dimension changes will potentially trickle down to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus in 2025.

Beyond the sizes, the iPhone 16 line might have brighter screens than their predecessors – at least when viewed from the front. Apple is reportedly considering incorporating tech that would allow for this, while also being more power efficient, so battery life might be improved.

However, this would increase the production costs of the phones, and would reportedly make the screen seem less bright when viewed from the side, so it wouldn’t be a complete upgrade.

We haven’t heard too many iPhone 16 design rumors so far, but there are a handful of predictions already out in the wild.

The first refers to the arrangement of Face ID components on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and South Korean outlet The Elec report that both phones will have their Face ID components hidden under the screen, similar to how many of the best Android phones now have under-display fingerprint scanners. This won’t completely eliminate the selfie camera cut-out – as the sensor itself will reportedly still be visible – but it could allow Apple to reduce its size down to a small punch-hole module.

The Elec claims that this design change will simply act as a stopgap for Apple, whose ultimate goal is to develop a completely uninterrupted, cut-out-less iPhone display.

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