When the iPhone 16 arrives this autumn, it will seem very similar to previous iPhone models. That’s the nature of smartphones these days, where unless you’re showcasing a new foldable design — and we won’t see an iPhone Flip until 2027 — phones don’t change all that much from year to year, let’s see iPhone 16 and 16 Pro how it looks like.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be any design variances between the iPhone 16 variants. Rumors suggest a few new features that, while not drastic departures from previous iPhones, could help the new phones stand out in a crowd. The alterations on the iPhone 16 Pro models, in particular, may be simple to detect.
So here’s what we know about Apple’s iPhone 16 design ambitions, with the phone’s tentative release date still a few months away. These are the most significant design changes rumored for the four new iPhones due this fall.
Action buttons on every iPhone
Last year, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max removed the mute switch on the phone’s side and replaced it with a new Action button. Early reports suggest that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will follow suit this fall with their own Action button.
According to what we’ve heard, the iPhone 16’s Action button will function similarly to the existing Pro versions. A lengthy press silences calls, mimicking the Mute switch’s effect, with the phone vibrating to indicate the sound is muted. However, within the Settings app, you can also configure the Action button to perform a specific shortcut, such as launching an app, turning on the flashlight, activating the voice recorder, or completing a certain action within selected apps. You can even link the Action button to a sequence of actions created using the built-in Shortcuts program.
What we don’t know is if Apple will solve the Action button’s one limitation—the fact that it can only be associated with one single action. It’s possible that Apple will introduce additional pushes related to distinct shortcuts, but if we had to guess, we’d say Apple would keep things the same when it adds the Action button to more of its phones.
A second button
This year’s iPhones will include more than just the Action button on their sides. Apple is also believed to be adding a Capture button, which, unlike last year’s Action button introduction, should be available on all iPhone models, from the iPhone 16 to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The Capture button’s real use is unknown, but based on its name, we believe it will be used to launch the Camera app and begin snapping images or recording video without having to unlock the phone. In principle, this would free up the Action button to support another shortcut, as camera operations would be handled by the Capture button.
The button’s location is supposedly immediately below the power button. According to initial reports, the Capture button will be a solid state capacitive button with haptic feedback that mimics how a physical button would behave when pressed.
New phone sizes
This rumor only refers to the iPhone 16 Pro versions and will be recognizable to anyone who have heard the most recent iPhone 16 display reports. According to reports, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have larger displays than their iPhone 15 Pro predecessors, measuring 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively.
According to this speculation, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will keep their respective 6.1- and 6.7-inch screens.
The larger screens would necessitate a greater phone size. According to rumors, the iPhone 16 Pro will be 3mm higher and about 1mm broader than the iPhone 15 Pro. Similarly, the iPhone 16 Pro Max should expand in identical dimensions, with both phones having the same thickness as their predecessors.
Greater physical size increases the weight of the two new phones, with the iPhone 16 Pro expected to weigh 7 grams more than the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max to weigh an additional 4 grams. Additionally, the two Pro models are expected to have larger batteries than their predecessors, so that account for the uptick in weight, too.
Smaller bezels on the Pro phones
There is one more specific adjustment that explains how Apple may be able to squeeze larger panels with only a minor increase in height and width. According to reports, both iPhone 16 Pro versions will feature lower bezels, with the iPhone 16 Pro having the thinnest bezels of any phone.
The phone is expected to sport a 1.2mm bezel, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s bezel reduces to 1.15mm. To put that in context, the iPhone 15 Pro’s bezels measured 1.71mm and did not appear very thick. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 1.5mm bezel, thus Apple would outperform the competition with this modification.
It does not appear that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will receive the same treatment because the Border Reduction Structure method, which compacts the copper wiring beneath a phone’s screen, can be difficult to master. Because it is difficult to build displays in large amounts using this technology, Apple is apparently putting its weight behind lower bezels on the Pro models – another distinction in our hypothetical iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro comparison.
Repositioned cameras on the iPhone 16
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus should have their own unique design changes, which concern the camera arrays on the back of the phone. The main and ultrawide lenses are now placed diagonally, as they have been since the iPhone 13. According to leaked iPhone 16 renders, the lenses may be vertically stacked once again.
There are more than simply aesthetic considerations for this overhaul. When you record spatial video, you capture footage with both the main and ultrawide cameras at the same time, resulting in recordings with the appropriate immersive depth. This is easier to accomplish with vertically stacked lenses, so consider this change motivated by Apple’s aim to have more people capturing spatial video to be seen on the Apple Vision Pro headset. Every little bit helps when you’re trying to convince people to try out a $3,499 device.
