Apple is gearing up to launch its highly anticipated 2024 flagship iPhone lineup, with an event date expected to be September 10.
While the event is still weeks away, credible rumors have given us a glimpse of what's to come on the upcoming iPhone 16 series, but the latest leaks include photos that are said to be iPhone 16 mockups.
Weibo user Witty Cat has posted a photo of what is believed to be an iPhone 16 mockup. The images show the back of the device with two finishes and a rear camera system.
specifically, Apple will vertically align the rear cameras, seemingly to allow for spatial video recording on non-Pro models. The regular models are also likely to adopt the Action button, currently only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.
Notably, the LED flash appears to have been removed from the main camera cluster. Instead, Apple has placed it separately on the right side of the “camera island.” While many users may find this an objection, this placement saves the company from unnecessarily increasing the diameter of the camera cluster.
In addition to white and black variants, the iPhone 16 could come in blue, green, and pink variants. Unlike last year's faded models, Apple could opt for more saturated colors in the upcoming release.
Finally, the keynote is less than a month away, so we should get some concrete answers soon. However, it’s safe to assume that this is the final look of the iPhone 16, as the release date is getting closer and Apple has probably finalized its design.
It's no secret that the iPhone 16 will launch 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 Mark Gurman's latest Power On newsletter from Bloomberg, the iPhone 16 series "will not have many significant differences from current versions or add important new features". That's no surprise if people have been following the rumors about this product line over the past 12 months. After all, Apple hasn't introduced any major iPhone design changes since the iPhone 12 in 2020.
The main points of the iPhone 16 mentioned by Mr. Gurman include the new A18 chip and 8 GB RAM on all models to be able to run Apple Intelligence; Action button for non-Pro models with new iOS 18 customization capabilities; A new touch-sensitive Camera Control button on the side of Pro models “will function like a button on a DSLR” with photo capture, autofocus and zoom capabilities; Slightly larger screens are 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, Mr. Gurman described the iPhone 16 as a good upgrade but will not create a “gold rush for Apple” when they launch. However, everything will happen next year with the iPhone 17, notably the appearance of a new smartphone separate from the standard, Pro and Pro Max models.
Mr. Gurman said the new model will replace the iPhone 16 Plus with the name iPhone 17 Air, just like Apple did with the MacBook Air more than a decade ago.
iPhone Air is considered the "MacBook Air" of the iPhone world.
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 standard iPhone specs.”
Like the iPhone X, Gurman said the new iPhone Air will be the first step toward "something better," eventually transitioning the entire product line to the new design.
