Table of Contents
The iPhone 16 and its ilk will undoubtedly feature a number of improvements over the iPhone 15, but according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – a journalist and Apple leaker with a strong track record – these phones may not be a huge improvement over their predecessors overall.
To illustrate this prediction, Gurman highlighted the six major upgrades he believes are coming to the iPhone 16 line.
Below, you’ll find all six rumored upgrades, along with our (and Gurman’s) opinions on whether or not they matter.
1. One action button for all models
One leak we’ve heard multiple times (and which Gurman also highlights) is that all four iPhone 16 models will apparently have an Action button.
This would be a customizable hardware key, though it’s not actually a new feature since the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max already have an action button. Instead, this would simply mark the first time the standard and Plus models have one.
However, Gurman notes that with iOS 18, Apple is adding more customization options to the lock screen and Control Center, which could make the Action button less useful since you can already add several shortcuts to the phone.
This is a fair point, but having shortcuts on a physical button is still arguably faster and better than having them on the lock screen or Control Center. The bigger problem might simply be that the Action button isn’t going to be a new feature on Apple’s most popular phones (read: the Pro models).
2. A Capture button for the Pro models
Another much-rumored upgrade for the iPhone 16 is the Capture button. This would be something truly new, as no current iPhone model has one.
Gurman echoes an earlier leak by saying that this Capture button will function like a button on a DSLR camera, with a light press activating autofocus and a harder press taking a photo. Meanwhile, swiping the button will zoom in and out. The Capture button will also control the video camera, according to Gurman.
Interestingly, Gurman suggests that the Capture button may only come on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, while many previous leaks suggested it would come to all four models.
We’re not sure who’s right here, but this will likely be a pretty big upgrade for whatever phones get it. How exciting it really is, however, depends on how passionate you are about photography.
3. Larger Pro screens
We’ve also heard repeatedly that the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 15 Pro), while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch display (up from 6.7 inches on the previous model).
This should provide a noticeable increase, which is useful if you want to watch videos on your phone or do other things where a larger screen is desirable, but it’s going to be less useful if you want a high-end phone that isn’t too big.
4. Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is the name of Apple’s upcoming suite of AI features. These features aren’t exclusive to the iPhone 16 line, but will also work on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Despite that – and the fact that Apple Intelligence likely won’t arrive until after the iPhone 16 series launches – it’s likely to be one of the new phones’ biggest selling points.
However, Gurman is skeptical about how interesting the initial Apple Intelligence features will be, arguing that they alone likely won’t be a reason to upgrade.
5. New colours
As always, there will undoubtedly be a number of new iPhone colors this year. For example, Gurman revealed that the blue hue of the iPhone 15 Pro will be replaced with a rose gold variant this year.
It’s something we’ve heard before, with previous leaks suggesting that iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro colors will be black, white, pink, and gray, while iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 colors will be black, green, pink, blue, and white. There’s a small chance we might see yellow and purple shades on offer, too.
However, the colors largely resemble those of the iPhone 15 series, so it’s not the most exciting choice.
6. More power
Finally, Gurman notes that the iPhone 16 line will feature a new A18 chipset. He doesn’t say whether every model will use that chipset, though, and we’ve heard elsewhere that the Pro models could use an A18 Pro instead.
Still, even if the base models only get a standard A18 (or even last year’s A17 Pro), that would represent a power upgrade for all four models. All four phones will also reportedly come with 8GB of RAM, as that capacity is reportedly required for Apple Intelligence to function. That would be a 2GB upgrade for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, with no change for the Pro models.
More power is always welcome, but the current iPhones are already very capable devices. Aside from their respective AI smarts, you’ll likely barely notice a difference in performance between these future phones.
A quiet year for Apple
With all that in mind, Gurman may have a point when he says that this year’s iPhones may not set record sales. But next year could be a bigger year for the company, with both the iPhone SE 4 and iPhone 17 Air reportedly planned.
But if you currently have an iPhone that is a few years old, or in less than stellar condition, then a model from the iPhone 16 line could definitely be worth buying.
