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The iPhone 16 Plus probably isn’t going to be the most popular phone in the iPhone 16 line. In fact, based on past performance, it’s likely to be the least popular, with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max likely to take the top sales spots, but this could still be an exciting handset.
Thanks to leaks and rumors, we already have a good idea of what to expect from the iPhone 16 Plus, even though it’s likely not released until September. Below, you’ll find everything we’ve heard so far, including rumored release date, price, design, and specs.
We’ll undoubtedly hear plenty more rumors about this phone before its launch, and we’ll be rounding them all up here. So keep checking back if you want the most complete look possible at the iPhone 16 Plus pre-launch.
Get to the point
- What is it? The larger screen alternative to the iPhone 16
- When is it coming out? Probably September 2024
- How much will it cost? Probably at least $899 / £899 / AU$1,649
iPhone 16 Plus: expected release date and price
- This will probably be announced in the first half of September
- Must ship before end of September
- Can cost around $899 / £899 / AU$1,649
Based on previous reports, the iPhone 16 Plus will almost certainly be announced in the first or second week of September, likely on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
Pre-orders will likely start on Friday, with the iPhone 16 Plus release date likely the following Friday. That means buyers could get their hands on the device before the end of September. According to reliable leaker Mark Gurman, the iPhone 16 series will most likely launch on September 10.
As for the iPhone 16 Plus’ price, the phone could cost around the same as the iPhone 15 Plus, which starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,649. However, it could also cost a little more, and there’s even a chance it could cost less.
According to a report from Nikkei Asia, the high production costs could push up the price of the iPhone 16 line. However, the publication did not say by how much.
On the other hand, a rumored change in the manufacturing process for Apple’s smartphone chipsets could lead to a lower price. In either case, we don’t expect a drastic difference.
Keep in mind that while the iPhone 16’s announced upgrades may be enticing, rumors surrounding the iPhone 17’s potential specs have been circulating, suggesting this could be the phone we’ll have to wait for.
iPhone 16 Plus: expected design
- Could have a new ‘Capture button’
- May include iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button
- The cameras can be mounted vertically
When it comes to the iPhone 16 Plus design, one of the biggest changes we could see coming to the iPhone 16 Plus is its camera layout, which this year could see the lenses arranged vertically instead of diagonally. We first heard this back in May 2023, but since then an iPhone 16 component leak and iPhone 16 molds have confirmed it by revealing this design.
We’ve also seen this design in leaked iPhone 16 prototype images, which you can see below. These show three designs that were apparently under consideration, with the black one expected to launch, though all of them have vertical cameras.
Image 1 by 3
Since then, a set of iPhone 16 series dummy units have leaked, which you can see below. Another similar photo of an iPhone 16 series dummy unit has also surfaced, and in both cases they show a vertical camera layout for the iPhone 16 Plus.
Some of these images also reveal two new buttons: there’s an action button where the mute button used to be, as seen on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and even more interestingly, there’s a new button below the power button, rumored to be called the “record” button.
According to one source, this new button will be for recording videos, while another source says that the Capture button will let you zoom in and out with a swipe, focus the camera with a light press, and take a photo or record a video with a hard press.
The same source claims that the Capture button will be mechanical, which contradicts previous leaks that said the Capture button would be capacitive.
As for the iPhone 16 Plus colors, one leak suggests it will come in pink, yellow, blue, green, black, white, and purple, while another, more credible leak of the iPhone 16 Plus colors reportedly points to black, green, pink, blue, and white.
That second selection of iPhone 16 sunglasses has now surfaced in a photo of dummy models, which you can see above.
We’ve also heard that the iPhone 16 Plus may get colored glass, like its predecessor.
iPhone 16 Plus: expected display
- Rumor has it that it will have a 6.7-inch display
- It is rumored that the refresh rate will be 60Hz
- May have a brighter screen than the iPhone 15 Plus
The iPhone 16 Plus probably won’t see any major changes in terms of display. Rumors are that this phone will get a 6.7-inch display, just like the iPhone 15 Plus.
Unfortunately, the same source also reports that the iPhone 16 Plus is once again stuck at a 60Hz refresh rate.
However, we’ve heard that the iPhone 16 Plus may have a brighter display than its predecessor at 2,000 nits, and that the iPhone 16 Plus may also have smaller bezels.
iPhone 16 Plus: expected cameras
- Reportedly a 12MP ultra-wide camera like last year
- Likely the same 48MP main and 12MP selfie cameras
- Ability to record spatial video
We haven’t heard much about the iPhone 16 Plus’ cameras so far, but that’s likely because there aren’t many meaningful changes camera-wise.
According to analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 16 Plus will get a 12MP ultra-wide camera, just like the iPhone 15 Plus. They didn’t mention the main camera, but since last year’s was upgraded to 48MP, we don’t expect any further upgrades this year.
And we don’t expect any extra lenses either, as there’s no mention of a third lens in the leaks and leaked images only show two. So if you want a telephoto lens, you’ll probably have to go with one of the Pro models.
There’s no news yet on the iPhone 16 Plus’ front-facing camera, but chances are it’ll be a 12MP camera like last year, especially since even the iPhone 15 Pro Max only has a 12MP selfie camera.
There may be some upgrades to the camera software and functionality, including the ability to capture spatial video for use with an Apple Vision Pro. There is speculation that the rumored vertical lens setup should make this possible.
iPhone 16 Plus: Expected specs and features
- It is rumored to have an A18 chipset
- Can have 8GB RAM
- The battery could be smaller this year
There’s some uncertainty surrounding the iPhone 16 Plus’ specs and features, particularly its chipset. The iPhone 15 Plus features the A16 Bionic, which is carried over from last year’s Pro models. So if Apple continues that pattern, it would make sense for the iPhone 16 Plus to feature the A17 Pro, which is currently found in the iPhone 15 Pro line.
We specifically heard the A17 Pro mentioned in an iPhone 16 Plus leak, but a more recent leak suggests all four expected iPhone 16 models will get an A18 chipset.
In that case, the iPhone 16 Plus could get a serious power upgrade over its predecessor – though it’s possible that there will be multiple versions of the A18. For example, the iPhone 16 Plus could get the standard A18, while the iPhone 16 Pro could get an A18 Pro. Either way, it should be more powerful than the A17 Pro.
That said, the device may not be significantly more powerful. One leak claimed the A18 Pro would be 10% faster than the A17 Pro, while another leak suggested the device could be less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 that will likely power Android rivals.
The A18 Pro also reportedly won’t support fast LPDDR6 RAM, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 may.
Speaking of RAM, the iPhone 16 Plus could come with 8GB of the stuff, compared to 6GB in the iPhone 15 Plus. We’ve heard rumors of 8GB of RAM for the iPhone 16 Plus multiple times before, and we’ve also heard that the iPhone 16 – and thus likely the iPhone 16 Plus – could start with 256GB of storage, double that of its predecessor.
This increase in RAM, storage, and power could contribute in part to AI, which Apple is expected to play a big role in this year. Still, 8GB of RAM may not be enough to take full advantage of AI.
Considering the introduction of Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, we can be fairly certain that the iPhone 16 Plus and the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup will feature AI-powered features and a smarter Siri. Such features could necessitate a new, more powerful Apple Intelligence chipset.
There could be bad news for the phone’s battery, however, as the iPhone 16 Plus will have a battery that’s around 9% smaller than its predecessor, according to a leak.
The iPhone 16 Plus’s exact battery capacity will reportedly be 4,006mAh (down from 4,383mAh), which we’ve heard from multiple sources now, so it’s likely true. That said, the same sources say the other iPhone 16 models will have larger batteries than their predecessors; it would be strange if Apple only decreased that of the Plus model.
Still, the iPhone 16 Plus could at least benefit from a graphene heat sink, which would help keep the device cool.
We’ve also heard that the iPhone 16 Plus may have better microphones, allowing this improved Siri to better hear and understand your requests.
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