Now that we know almost everything about the iPhone 15, rumors about the iPhone 16 are already spreading. Once again, Apple is reportedly planning major changes to the Pro models.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 16 Pro’s display will be “slightly larger” than the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro, allowing it to get a periscope zoom lens. The periscope lens, which will reportedly provide 6x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom, is expected to arrive in 2023, but only on the iPhone 15 Pro Max; would need a size increase to make room for it on the 16 Pro. In comparison, the current zoom lens on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max has 3x optical zoom and 15x digital zoom.
Notably, the report Unknown21 on Twitter claims that the new periscope camera will require a repositioning of the cameras. As he explains, the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses have been swapped, meaning the telephoto lens is now on the right side. The iPhone 16 Pro will presumably get the same layout.
A previous report from DSSC CEO Ross Young claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will grow to 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively. These will be the largest Pro models since the line debuted with the introduction of the iPhone 11 Pro. Apple increased screen sizes from 5.8 inches and 6.5 inches to 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches when the iPhone 12 arrived, but kept the same dimensions for the 13 and 14 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro will reportedly the same size.
But with this latest rumor, the iPhone 15 Pro has suddenly become a lot less attractive. Rumor has it that the iPhone 16 Pro will have a few features missing from this year’s phone, including:
Solid state buttons: Apple is reportedly ditching the new buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro due to technical issues, but will bring them to the phone next year.
Face ID sensors under the display: We’re not sure if the entire camera array will fit under the screen yet, but Apple will reportedly put at least some of the TrueDepth camera components under the display to reduce the size of Dynamic Island.
Best battery life: As we saw with the Apple Watch Ultra, a few millimeters can make a big difference in battery life. We expect the iPhone 15 Pro to use the extra space to increase battery capacity and add at least an hour to our day.
So don’t get too attached to the iPhone 15 Pro this year. There’s a good chance you’ll want to upgrade as soon as the iPhone 16 arrives.