It's no secret that the iPhone 16 is coming in just a few weeks, expected on September 10, but that seems to be just an appetizer for the main course next year.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman's latest Power On report, the iPhone 16 lineup "won't be significantly different from the current models or add any major new features." That’s not surprising if you’ve been following the rumors about the lineup over the past 12 months. After all, Apple hasn't introduced any major changes to the iPhone's design since the iPhone 12 in 2020.
iPhone 16 is not much different from its predecessor.
Key iPhone 16 features mentioned by Gurman include a new A18 chip with 8GB of RAM on all models to power Apple Intelligence; an Action button for non-Pro models with new iOS 18 customizations; a new touch-sensitive Camera Control button on the side of the Pro models that “will act like a button on a DSLR” with the ability to take photos, autofocus, and zoom; slightly larger screens of 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches for the Pro models; as well as new colors including “the return of the popular rose gold from a few years ago.”
Overall, Gurman described the iPhone 16 as a good upgrade but one that won't create a "gold rush for Apple" when it launches. However, things will change next year with the iPhone 17, which will most notably feature a new smartphone separately from the standard, Pro, and Pro Max models.
Gurman said the new model will replace the iPhone 16 Plus with the name iPhone 17 Air, similar to what Apple did with the MacBook Air more than a decade ago.
The iPhone Air is considered the "MacBook Air" of the iPhone world.
Apple's pitch for the iPhone Air might be: "If you want something nicer than the standard iPhone but don't really need the performance, screen size, or camera of the Pro model, you can buy something that looks much nicer while still having the specs of the standard iPhone."
Like Apple will equip a new button on the iPhone 16 Pro, which functions as a dedicated camera button.
According to the latest leaked information from Apple, a new physical button is added for iPhone 16 Pro models, designed to work like the shutter button on a mechanical camera. This physical button will integrate more functions than simply being a camera button, according to CultofMac.
So, how will the iPhone 16 Pro's dedicated shutter button work?
Details on how the dedicated camera button works on iPhone 16 Pro - 1
iPhone has provided users with many options to control increasingly sophisticated photography functions. In 2023, Apple added an Action button to iPhone 15 Pro models.
Users can configure this action button to open the camera app and then act as a shutter button along with many other very versatile options. And any iPhone volume up/down button can take photos. There's also a camera button on the iOS Lock Screen.
And with the upcoming iPhone 16 series coming next September, Apple is expected to add a new camera button to the iPhone 16 Pro models with many unique integrated features.
"There will be a new camera control button on the right side of the iPhone," Bloomberg expert Mark Gurman revealed in the latest Power On newsletter this week. “It will work like a shutter button on a mechanical camera, you can press lightly to activate autofocus. Press harder to take photos. You can also swipe along this shutter button to zoom in and out while taking photos and videos.
This new camera button will definitely be available on iPhone 16 Pro models. But whether it will appear on the two cheaper versions in the upcoming product range is still a question mark.
Gurman reports that cheaper iPhone 16 versions will have the action button from the iPhone 15 Pro. Control Center will be more customizable and the lock screen will have new options in iOS 18. These new features will likely make the action button less valuable.
iPhone 16 Pro can upgrade the ultra-wide angle lens from 12MP to 48 MP, but currently there is no difference. The iPhone 16 series will continue to launch with 4 variants including iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. In particular, the Pro Max variant will receive exclusive upgrades and comes with the most expensive price.the iPhone X, Gurman said the new iPhone Air will be the first step toward “something better,” eventually transitioning the entire lineup to the new design.
