iPhone is Apple's best-selling product and is updated every year. 2024 is expected to bring the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup with a much more exciting feature set than what we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro.
capture button
All four iPhone 16 models are set to get an entirely new button on the right side of the device below the power button. In the US, the mmWave 5G antennas are here, so Apple will move them to the other side.
This additional feature, which Apple calls the “Capture Button,” is for taking photos and videos when your iPhone is held in landscape orientation. This appears to be specifically for capturing 3D landscape videos as seen in Apple Vision Pro, but it will also be useful for taking general video and photos.
Rumor has it that these buttons will be standard mechanical buttons like the power and volume buttons, but will support different levels of pressure. You can press lightly to focus, then press longer to take a photo or start recording. The feel is similar to a multi-function camera shutter button.
As a bonus, the standard iPhone 16 model also comes with the Action Button introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, so you can use both the Action and Capture buttons across the entire lineup.
display size
Apple has been using 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes for every iPhone generation since the 2020 iPhone 12 models, but 2024 will finally see a slight increase in display size. The iPhone 16 Pro display is expected to be around 6.3 inches, while the iPhone is expected to be around 6.3 inches. The 16 Pro Max display is approximately 6.9 inches.
The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have larger screen sizes, being about 3 mm taller and about 1 mm wider. The thickness does not increase, but the size jump only increases the weight slightly.
Unfortunately, the size change is limited to this year's iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus still measuring 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches respectively.
camera upgrade
Apple is preparing camera changes for all iPhone 16 models. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will have a new vertical lens arrangement that does away with the diagonal arrangement that Apple has been using for the past few years. This change is expected to allow iPhone 16 models to capture spatial video, a feature currently limited to the 15 Pro and Pro Max.
But the biggest update is limited to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. Apple has upgraded the Ultra Wide camera to 48 megapixels, providing improved images even in low lighting conditions. The lens is expected to work like a 48-megapixel wide camera, combining data from four pixels into one “superpixel” using pixel binning for better image quality.
Spatial video recording gets a boost with the new Pro models as it uses both wide and ultra-wide cameras.
Apple is also planning to equip the iPhone 16 Pro with a 5x telephoto lens this year, possibly due to the aforementioned size increase. 5x optical zoom is currently available on the 15 Pro Max, but both Pro models will be supported in 2024.
Faster 5G
Apple plans to adopt Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X75 modem chip with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. The modem chip isn't a major feature we're highlighting, especially since the move to 5G, but the X75 will be faster while using less power.
Provides 10-carrier aggregation for mmWave and 5x carrier aggregation for sub-6GHz. Carrier aggregation improves data rates, so higher numbers mean lower latency and higher data throughput. The modem chip will feature a second-generation AI processor, which will improve speed, coverage, link robustness and location accuracy, Qualcomm said. This may reduce connectivity issues in parking lots, elevators, and subways.
The X75 integrates sub-6 GHz transceivers and mmWave transceivers, consuming 25% less circuit board space and consuming less power. So far, rumors suggest that the X75 will be limited to the 2024 Pro model, while the standard model will continue to use the X70 in the current iPhone 15 lineup.
Apple may introduce Wi-Fi 7 in iPhone 16 Pro models along with better 5G. Wi-Fi 7 supports speeds of up to 40Gb/s, which means less latency and more stable connections. The iPhone 16 is expected to be upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E, allowing it to connect to 6GHz networks. The 15 Pro model supports Wi-Fi 6E, while the standard iPhone 15 model is limited to Wi-Fi 6.
Generating AI
Apple is focusing heavily on AI, with the goal of catching up with companies that have invested heavily in generative AI, such as Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI, by 2024. Of course, AI is software-based, but it requires hardware to support it.
With iOS 18, Apple is rumored to be making some major AI-based improvements and introducing AI across its operating system, and some of the most advanced features may be limited to the iPhone 16 lineup due to the processing power required. there is.
All four iPhone 16 models are expected to feature the A18 chip (presumably the A18 Pro for the Pro lineup), which will be built on Apple's 3-nanometer process for improved performance and efficiency. The current iPhone 15 Pro models use the 3nm A17 Pro, while the iPhone 15 models use the previous generation A16 chip technology.
The upgrade to 3-nanometer chips across the iPhone 16 lineup will allow Apple to offer the latest AI features in even its cheapest flagship model, with the A18 expected to include a faster Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores. Rumor has it that Apple wants to perform AI processing within its devices for privacy reasons, and that will require significant performance to make it possible.
Learn more
For more details on what's coming to the iPhone in 2024, check out both our iPhone 16 recap and iPhone 16 Pro recap.