Apple ‘Glowtime’ event – live reports ahead of the iPhone 16 launch. Plus AirPods, Apple Watch and more

Ding! Ding! Another iPhone 16 tidbit popping up in the last few hours before the Glowtime event. This one acts as more proof Apple will kill off its FineWoven cases at today’s iPhone 16 event. 

This is according to Majin Bu on X , who shared two images of what are claimed will be the new cases and the complete range of colors they will apparently arrive in. Majin Bu didn’t explain what material the new cases would be made from, other than to say that it would be something new to replace FineWoven.

A good few of the are colors that are the same as the existing FineWoven cases, including blue, green, black, and taupe. But Apple’s mulberry color has seemingly been replaced with a dark purple. There’s also supposedly a new gray version in the works too. 

You know what’s been itching the back of my brain? Why is Apple having a launch on a Monday (for the UK and US at least)? 

Traditionally, the folks over at Cupertino have carried out events on a Tuesday or Wednesday, giving journalists like me a moment to get back into the groove of work after the weekend. What’s also surprising is this launch comes very close to IFA 2024, which has been bubbling away for the past five days or so.  

Normally, I’d cite such shenanigans as a means to cover up a lackluster product launch. But this is Apple and the hype behind the house that Steve Jobs built never feels lacking. Apple is tight-lipped about why it does a lot of things, so I suspect I’ll never know why this event is being held today; maybe Tim Cook is going on holiday tomorrow… 

And here’s another last-minute rumor: we may not get an Apple Watch Ultra 3 today, but a new Apple Watch Ultra 2 color could be coming instead. 

That’s once again according to Mark Gurman. And I’m inclined to agree, as like I mentioned yesterday in this blog, we had an Apple Watch Ultra 2 last year and it feels like that smartwatch still has plenty going for it and scope to be improved with software rather than hardware. 

Given the likely iPhone focus of the Apple event, I can see a new Apple Watch Ultra 2 color being kicked out as a side note to the showcase. Part of me also hopes we don’t see a new Ultra, as I’m keen to see Apple take its time and really explore what it can do to make a future model different and more compelling. 

While I’m chewing over things to expect today, I think we can all count out the potential for a foldable iPhone reveal. There have been no hints that it could be a classic “one more thing…” from Apple. And not many rumors have percolated around the tech sphere for a while. 

Now given my aforementioned love of the iPad mini, I’d really like to see an iPhone that can act as both a smartphone and compact iPad. Plus, I think Apple could nail the foldable phone concept given its history of waiting for others to develop tech that it then, arguably, perfects. But we could be waiting for some time before we see a folding iPhone or iPhone Flip if you will. 

Got a last-minute leak for you! And it comes in the form of pricing and battery life for the iPhone 16. 

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro’s starting price isn’t likely to be raised beyond the $999 of the iPhone 15 Pro. Gurman didn’t discuss pricing in other regions, but for reference the current model starts at £999 / AU$1,849 in the UK and Australia. 

On the battery life side, Gurman said we’ll see noticeable battery life improvements for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. And that their bezels will be noticeably smaller than on the current models. Given his track record for accurate Apple tips, this is all rather promising. 

So it’s not related to today’s event but in the vein of what not to expect, Bloomberg reporter and all-round Apple tipster Mark Gurman has reported that Apple could announce new iPads in October. 

And it could be the return of the iPad mini, a tablet I thought was some what mothballed; it hasn’t been reworked since 2021. Apparently, the iPad mini 7 will get a redesign and a new chip (naturally), plus some potential for an OLED display. 

As a fan of the smallest iPad, I’m keen to see this become a reality. But equally, I’d not hold my breath as this could be one of those tips that doesn’t amount to anything.   

Well hello again! Itsa me Roland Moore-Colyer! I’m back to take you on the fun and occasionally weird run-up to today’s Apple event. 

And I don’t know about you but I’m a bit hyped. I don’t expect there to be a revolution on the iPhone front or crazy new Apple Watches. But I feel today is going to be a big day for Apple. That means there’ll be some bleary-eyed tech journalists tomorrow but we’ll have a lot to talk about. 

So strap in and get ready for some last-minute leaks as well. 

Will the Apple Watch Ultra 3 be worth the wait?

As far as the Watch Ultra 3 goes, it’s again not expected to have many major design upgrades over the Ultra 2. But that doesn’t mean it won’t have any new features; that would be stupid, after all!

So the question is whether it’ll be worth waiting to ? That’s a question we’ve attempted to answer in our Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Watch Ultra 2 comparison feature, which pits the rumored new device against the existing model, based on what the leaks so far have told us.

Read more: Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Ultra 2: Upgrade or wait?

Wait… Apple Watch 10 or Apple Watch X

One intriguing rumor around the Apple Watch 10 concerns its name, with one tipster suggesting that it could be called the Apple Watch X instead. That moniker would obviously be a hat tip to the iPhone X, which arrived 10 years after the first model and ‘replaced’ the iPhone 10.

Against that, the original Apple Watch appeared in April, 2015, so we’re not quite at the 10-year anniversary yet. Plus, the iPhone X brought with it a notable design change from previous models, whereas the Apple Watch 10 is not expected to be a massive departure. 

File this one under ‘uncertain’ for now.

Could the Apple Watch 10 get sleep apnea detection?

We said earlier on in this live blog that the Apple Watch 10 isn’t expected to bring huge upgrades to the wearables party, but there is one intriguing feature that’s been mooted of late.

A recent rumor pitched that the Watch Series 10 might offer sleep apnea detection, a feature that is also found on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. The idea is that your watch would monitor your breathing as you sleep and alert you if it detects that you might have the condition, then suggest you talk to a doctor. 

However, the same rumor speculates that the new feature may not be ready for day one and will instead arrive on the Watch 10 – and Watch Ultra 3 – at a later stage via a software update to watchOS 11. Watch this space on this one.

As to how likely it actually is that we’ll see the AirPods Max 2 today… well, it’s very much in the balance.

Mark Gurman – him again – says that while he believes we will see two new AirPods models today, the AirPods Max 2 will “be coming later”. That could tally with the mooted October event I mentioned below. 

Or maybe Apple will just quietly release them without any fanfare; a strange decision if so, but it does have form for this kind of thing, having announced new MacBook Air M3 models back in March via a press release. 

Then again, it is now four years since the original AirPods Max arrived, so you’d think Apple would want to shout a little more about a newly upgraded version. Our money is on October for now, but we’ll be pleasantly surprised if they do show up today.

Will the AirPods Max 2 finally get max sound quality?

Here’s our reviews editor Josh Russell on his main hope for today’s Apple event:

“If we do see the launch of the AirPods Max 2 – and boy, I hope we do, based on how long in the tooth my AirPods Max are getting – there are quite a few features we’ve been hearing on the grapevine. A switch to USB-C charging would be appreciated and a rethink of their weird bra-style carrying case is long overdue.

“But without a doubt the rumored feature that’s going to be the real deal-breaker for me is the inclusion of lossless audio. The fact that owners of the far-cheaper AirPods Pro 2 can now listen to decent resolution audio, while AirPods Max users are stuck with lossy streams feels backwards. Let’s hope Apple take the opportunity to rectify this with an update of its premium over-ear headphones.”

Don’t expect iPads today… but they could be coming soon

You might wonder why there’s been no mention of iPads in the run-up to the ‘It’s Glowtime’ launch, but that’s simple: we’re not expecting Tim Cook to unveil any today. 

That doesn’t mean they aren’t on the way, though. Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman says Apple could announce new iPads in October, possibly alongside a redesigned Mac mini and maybe M4-powered MacBooks. 

If so, it would be great news for those of you who are eagerly awaiting the iPad mini 7, because an upgraded version of Apple’s smallest tablet is a strong contender for that October event. Given that the last model debuted in 2021, it’s long overdue.

Good morning from the UK. Marc McLaren here to take over for an hour or two while Lance and Jake (hopefully) get some much-needed sleep ahead of the event. 

Now, we’re just one sleep away from seeing what Apple has in store at the “It’s Glowtime” special event. Lance and I will be at Apple Park bright and early tomorrow, along with the entire TechRadar team, to help unpack it all. 

We’re expecting a whole bunch of new Apple devices, including the iPhone 16 family, potentially a trio of new Apple Watches, new AirPods, and plenty of software infused with Apple Intelligence. After all, the invite hints at the redesigned Siri, which is no longer a floating orb at the bottom of your screen but takes over the edges. 

It will undoubtedly be an exciting event and likely a jam-packed one. So until the morning, dear readers, Lance and I hope you dream about new Apple gadgets. 

Jacob Krol back here and with all the AirPods rumors going around, I can’t help but think Apple is retiring the original look. The longer stem-plastic molded earbuds really established Apple’s dominance in the wireless earbuds space. 

With the reported introduction of two AirPods 4 models that will result in the retiring of AirPods second-generation and third-generation, the lineup will look quite a bit different. Currently, it’s the second-gen with long stems to the third-gen with slightly shorter ones, and then the AirPods Pro – kind of a nice progression, but if the rumors turn out true, all of the new AirPods will sort of resemble Apple’s flagship earbuds. That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s something to consider. 

The win here, though, is that Apple is trickling down features and likely a more comfortable design that fits more ears. I’m curious how Apple will differentiate noise cancellation from the AirPods Pro to the rumored new mid-tier AirPods – might it be lesser quality or drop support for Adaptive Audio?  The other question is price. Will Apple stick with an above $100 USD price tag, or will a more budget-friendly price emerge?

The wild card could be that AirPods second-generation sticks around and gets a major price drop.

Can Apple Intelligence drive upgrades?

Apple makes money through wearables, Mac and iPad sales, services (more every quarter), and iPhone sales. Of all of them, though, iPhone sales remain the chief revenue driver, so upgrades matter – a lot.

The question I pondered in an opinion post today is whether or not Apple Intelligence in all these new iPhones will be the catalyst to super-charge upgrades. Is this the moment that everyone turns in their old iPhones (iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14, even 15)?

I’m not so sure. The various Apple iPhone 16 models will certainly be an upgrade over iPhone 15 models, but there won’t be a lot of big changes and that means the biggest update might be Apple Intelligence. All that artificial intelligence is certainly interesting and maybe exciting to some subset of iPhone owners. I just don’t know if it’s a reason – yet – to upgrade.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have enough buttons

Perhaps the most talked about potential update coming to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is a new camera button. I just have one question: why?

I’m sorry but the idea of a separate button on the iPhone 16 just so it can get a little bit closer to being a true prosumer camera makes no sense.

I don’t need another confusing button. I assume it would end up on the left corner of the iPhone so that if you hold the iPhone in portrait mode, it’ll feel like a camera’s shutter button.

The idea of it mimicking what it feels like to press halfway to focus and then fully to snap a photo is fun but pointless on a smartphone where fast computer processing handles focus and exposure before you can even think to “slowly press.” I have almost zero faith that this prediction will come true and I’m happy about that. We do not need a button for everything.

Lance Ulanoff here in Cupertino, California, not far from where my colleague Jake Krol is staying. Like me, he’s pondering what we’ll learn approximately 17 hours from now. It’s so much that you almost don’t know where to focus.

To seek inspiration, I took a stroll around my hotel’s neighborhood (also Apple’s neighborhood), where isn’t uncommon to stumble on signs like this for bits and pieces of Apple real estate scattered throughout Cupertino.

The color of the Apple logo reminds me of how lower-end iPhones like the anticipated iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will get some fun, playful colors while the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be more grownup Space Black, Midnight, Titanium, and other variants of silver, metal, and black. Yes, Rose Gold would be grand but I think people who pay upwards of $1,000 for their phones would like as many color choices as possible.

The other thing that occurred to me is how tuned in people are around here to what’s about to happen in their backyard. Other than a line of campers parked suspiciously alongside my hotel, there’s no buzz. Just the sound in my head as I think of what tomorrow will be like when Apple likely unveils four new iPhones, two AirPods models, two or three new Apple Watches, and who knows what else.

If you ever find yourself at an Apple launch event, my only advice to you is to get a good night’s sleep and then drink a lot of coffee in the morning.

With four new iPhones expected – the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – I’m curious what Apple will keep the same across all of them. Yes, the new iPhone 16′ will run iOS 18, and likely all keep the Dynamic Island with Face ID and have similar builds, but a new commonality might be the Action Button.

In 2023, with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, it was pitched as the do-anything – within reason – button. You could set it to open a specific part of the Camera, enable the flashlight, turn on an Accessibility feature, or have it run a Shortcut. That last one really opened up the possibilities; you could use it to run through a smart home routine, unlock a connected vehicle, or do a number of other things.

Apple might have some new customizations planned this year, but given that it will likely arrive on the base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus as well as the Pros, I’m curious about what Apple speaks to as the key advantages of the button. 

The other question is around processor – Apple could, in theory, trickle down the A17 Pro, which already supports Apple Intelligence features, to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, and introduce an entirely new chip for the iPhone 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max. I have a feeling that this is most likely the case, but Apple could roll out a new chip for all four phones.

Jacob Krol here. I’m live blogging from sunny and warm Cupertino, California, on the eve of Apple’s “It’s Glowtime.” special event. As Roland went through, Apple will likely have quite a bit to show off tomorrow, from iPhones to AirPods, with Apple Watches, plenty of platforms, and, of course, Apple Intelligence in between. 

With new tech on the horizon, I was reminded on my flight today how the iPhone 15 Pro Max and AirPods Pro work together pretty darn seamlessly for a great experience. Also that, AirPods Pro’s Adaptive Audio listening mode can make a long flight enjoyable.

Ok, dear readers it’s late here in the UK so it’s time for me to take a break so I can bring you more live blogging tomorrow. 

However, Managing Editor of News, Jacob Krol, should be heading to Cupertino, with Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff, several hours behind. So expect them to pop in here with some updates and insight. 

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a video from TechRadar’s TikTok, with what NOT to expect at the upcoming Apple event. 

@techradar
♬ original sound – TechRadar

So that’s a whole lot of AirPods. How likely it’ll be that we see all of these AirPods in a single event is unclear. Apple likes to tightly curate its events and go into detail about certain features, so a whole host of headphones could muddy the clear metaphorical waters. 

At the same time, new AI features could be facilitated hands-free by upgrades to new AirPods, so there’s logic for them to make an appearance. 

For me, I’d be keen to see the AirPods Pro 3. While pricey, Apple’s Pro earbuds offer great sound, solid active noise-cancellation and… well… just work so seamlessly with other Apple devices. Boost those capabilities and add in so smart features and I’d be sorely tempted to upgrade from the original AirPods Pro. 

Now to round off the products we think will be released at the Glowtime event, it’s AirPods time. So It’s here that I pull upon the wise words of my colleague and Audio Editor becky Scarrott. 

AirPods 4, or four sets of AirPods? 

“Of all the Apple earbuds or headphones we may see at Apple’s September 9 ‘It’s Glowtime’ shindig (and remember, we could potentially see four: Apple AirPods 4, a cheaper AirPods Lite, the AirPods Pro 3 and even the AirPods Max 2 over-ears) I think the actual AirPods 4 feel most due. 

Why? It’s not just because the original AirPods launched in December 2016, followed by the second generation in March 2019, then the AirPods 3 in October 2021, thus making the AirPods 4 overdue after the first quarter of 2024.

No, it’s largely because recent rumors suggest Apple may actually release two versions of the AirPods 4: the regular version and a cheaper, simpler variant (that may or may not take a ‘Lite’ moniker). Analysts Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo have both referenced a lower-cost version of the standard AirPods, and Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman has reiterated it a few times (most recently in his August 18 Power On newsletter).

Gurman even suggested that the regular AirPods 4 will benefit from noise cancellation and a case equipped for Find My alerts, when he recently doubled down on his prediction of two AirPods 4 models. 

It’s been well over two years since the Apple AirPods 3 (the most recent AirPods offering from the Cupertino giant, because we’re not counting the September 2023 addition of a USB-C case charging port, OK?) hit shelves, and if we don’t see at least one new pair of shiny-white new earbuds for around, oh, $179 / £169 / AU$279, I’ll be hugely surprised…”  

There’s also chatter of an Apple Watch Ultra 3. Given the Apple Watch Ultra 3 was only released last year, I’m a little skeptical Apple with kickout an upgrade so soon But there’s scope for new Apple Intelligence features, so who knows… 

Expect improved specs if there is a third-generation Apple Watch Ultra and new complications, and hopefully some battery life improvements. There’s also a rumored microLED display tipped for it but information on that is scant. 

I suspect the bigger changes for the next-gen Apple Watches, including the Ultra, will come via watchOS 11, which is set to have the ability to track training loads, vitals,  offer smarter stacking of information, improved personalization and more. In fact, I’d day iths the Watch upgrade to look out for, especially if you have an older but still recent-ish Apple Watch. 

Now for some wearables. The most pertinent of them is likely to be the Apple Watch 10, It’ll likely start at $399 / £399 / AU$649, come with a boosted chip, a thinner case, potentially have an Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, there’ll be two sizes to choose from: 45mm and 49mm. 

Hopefully, there’ll be improvements to battery life and likely more health features that potentially tap into generative AI. But overall, don’t expect the Apple Watch 10 to bring in dramatic changes over its predecessor. 

My answer to Barlow’s concerns is that Apple would likely use some form of meta data or watermark to indicate an image has been made or manipulated by AI. After all, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 phones do that. 

As for Genmoji, I’m not so sure. Perhaps there’ll be some clever image detection to prevent images of people being used unless they are given an iPhone to take a selfie snap as proof of approval. It does raise some interesting questions. 

Then again people can easily steal photos from the likes of Instagram and use them with AI tools, so perhaps this is a bigger issue that’s beyond Apple. 

Hmmm… I’m not sure I have the answer to Barlow’s query or one that I can speculate on. It’ll be disappointing if there aren’t any significant AI features on the new iPhones, but Photo Clean Up could be a standout one. 

Over to Barlow for his thoughts and how the feature could open a question of trust: 

“Apple’s new Photo Clean Up feature produces images that look utterly realistic. We’re impressed, but now we live in an AI-generated world where you can never be quite sure if the image you’re seeing is real or fake. Should there be some sort of warning that comes with photos that have been manipulated by Apple Intelligence features?” 

And my colleague also question the use of the upcoming Genmoji feature: 

“I wonder what safety features Apple will put in place to prevent people making Genmojis of friends and family without their permission, and is that something it can actually police?” 

Over to my colleague and AI Senior Editor Graham Barlow, who has posed a few interesting questions: 

Will the iPhone 16 launch without Apple Intelligence?

We’re expecting the iPhone 16 to launch with iOS 18.0, which appears to come without any of the much-lauded Apple Intelligence features. We’ll have to wait for iOS 18.1 for those, and then iOS 18.2 for the full Siri 2.0 experience, but how will Apple announce this staggered roll out? Should you start queuing now for your iPhone 16, or wait until iOS 18.1 comes out for a fuller AI-powered experience?

Now for Apple Intelligence. We got a good glimpse at Apple’s foray into generative AI at WWDC 2024, but we’re hoping to see how smart features will come to next-gen iPhones, Apple Watches and more. 

But the problem is, is down to what products will be able to support what smart features…

And that’s the premised smarter Siri. 

The improved Siri is set to be part of iOS 18, and it could be one of the more transformative of iPhone updates in recent years. 

While I’m not the biggest user of virtual assistants, I’ve found Siri to be one of the worst. So the promise that it can do more, be smarter and use generative AI to be more proactive rather than reactive in what it serves up, certainly has my attention. 

Equally, I’m expecting a whole host of nips and tucks to iOS to all add up to a big change. I think iOS 17 is fantastically slick and optimized but things like not being able to place home screen apps where I want them is low-key staggeringly frustrating. iOS 18 promises to fix that. 

Ok, so that’s been quite the iPhone 16 discussion, which isn’t surprising as they are set to be the biggest, most universal products Apple will surely announce when it’s Glowtime.  

But now it’s time to talk iOS 18 and more. Speaking of the former, which is currently in a berta, we will get the full release of iOS 18 with the new iPhones. And it’ll bring in a load of features from a redesigned Photos app, advanced home screen customization, upgraded to the Control Center, Wallet and the Mail app, and a whole lot more. 

Our Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff already described the iOS 18 beta as a “breath of fresh air” so the release should be good. But for me, I’m all about another upgrade… 

Now for the iPhone 16 price conversation. Going by the rumors so far, it looks like there could be a mild price increase on the cards. That would mean the iPhone 16 would sit somewhere between the iPhone 15’s starting price of $799 / £799 / AU$1,499 and a starting price of around $899 / £899 / AU$1,649. But I suspect the it and the Plus with track with their predecessors’ pricing. 

Same goes for the predicted iPhone 16 Pro price, which will probably start at $999 / £999 / AU$1,849, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max starting at $1,199.99 / £1,199 / AU$2,199. 

iPhones are already somewhat pricey so I can’t see Apple jacking up the starting prices, especially if it wants people to get into using AI features. 

In terms of other camera upgrades for the Pro phones, the iPhone 16 Pro Max could also get a new main sensor, one that the smaller Pro won’t have. While the camera’s resolution will apparently stick to 48-megapixels it could have larger 1/1.14-inch sensor. 

There are also reports that the ultra-wide camera for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will jump up to 48MP from 12MP. And that one or more of the iPhone 16 Pro’s lenses will have a new type of coating. 

Finally, there are some hints that the the iPhone 16 Pro Max might get a ‘super telephoto’ camera. This would extend the zoom range from the current 5x to 10x or beyond. However, that rumor is a tad tenuous. Check out the rumored camera specs table for the iPhone 16 Pro below.  

Zoom zoom! One of the tipped iPhone 16 Pro camera upgrades is it could get the 5x optical zoom periscope camera of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. 

As a big fan and current user of the 15 Pro Max, I do appreciate the flexibility of a 5x telephoto camera – it’s not overly long like the 10x zoom found on the Galaxy S23 Ultra but it’s also more flexible than a 3x zoom; I think Samsung realized that and dropped the 10x for a 5x zoom in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

However, I do still prefer the more compact size of a non-Max iPhone, so I’m enthused by the rumours that the iPhone 16 Pro could get the 5x camera; more zoom in a phone that can be mostly used one-handed, what’s not to like? 

Time to talk iPhone 16 cameras. But don’t hold your breath as we’re not expecting any big upgrades. According one leaker, the iPhone 16 will have the same 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera as its predecessor, and will once again have two rear cameras. 

The big upgrades are likely to come on the software side, ideally with improved image processing helping deliver more dynamic photos; sometimes iPhones can lean too hard on natural colors and produce occasionally flat images. 

I’m not too fussed on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus not sporting any major camera hardware upgrades, as I think two cameras that perform well in point-and-shoot scenarios are plenty for most people. Sure the best camera phones offer more, but you’ll pay for the privilege and not always find yourself leaning on the likes of a 5x telephoto zoom. 

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Over to the potential iPhone 16 Pro design and we could be looking at the phones getting larger displays. We’ve repeatedly heard that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch screen, making its display 0.2 inches bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s, and that the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.3-inch screen, a jump up from the 6.1-inch display of its predecessor. 

This change will apparently be achieved by having slimmer but taller phones with trimmed-down bezels, which is a-ok in my book. And I feel to be really ‘Max’ the iPhone Pro Max does need a display boost. 

Both iPhone 16 Pro models are also tipped to have a so-called ‘Capture button’ which is meant to act as a camera shutter button but also a means to physically trigger focusing with the likes of a half-press. This has me intrigued and could be a way to make the Pro phones feel more tactile and content-creation focused (pun partially intended). 

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So I may have inadvertently glossed over this earlier, but in terms of the rumored iPhone 16 design changes, it’s been tipped that the standard and Plus models could have a vertical rear camera arrangement and sport an Action button.

I can’t say the latter gets my heart racing, as I’ve always liked the diagonal orientation of the rear cameras on the previous models; a vertical layout is a tad dull and the same as many other phones. But the potential addition of an Action button does have my attention.

While the volume up button could work as a camera shutter trigger, the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro models just feels better for this. But I also have it configured to switch on the camera flash to act as a quick torch; it’s a minor thing but in real-world use is often hugely handy and avoids me needing to tap away at a display. So bringing such a feature to the more affordable iPhones would get a thumbs up from me.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on charging upgrades. So even with last year’s move to a USB-C port, bringing an end to Lighting port iPhones with the exception of older models, Apple doesn’t appear poised to up the electrical throughput the newer ports can support. 

That could be a pity as faster charging is one of the 4 things we reckon the iPhone 16 Pro needs to beat the iPhone 15 Pro and one of the 7 upgrades we want from the iPhone 16. 

On the battery side of things, three out of the four tipped iPhone 16 models are expected to have a bigger battery, with the Plus missing out. 

That information is based on leaked battery capacities from Weibo user OvO Baby Sauce OvO, who claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will apparently have a 4,676mAh battery, which would make it 5.7% larger than the 4,422mAh cell inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And the iPhone 16 Pro will reportedly have a 3,355mAh battery, which is up just 2% from the 3,290mAh iPhone 15 Pro. 

The standard iPhone 16 is tipped to have a 3,561mAh battery, which is up 5.8% from the iPhone 15’s 3,367mAh cell. But he poor Plus could get a smaller battery coming in at 4,006mAh, while the iPhone 15 Plus sports a 4,383mAh power pack. 

Of course, take this with a dose of skepticism and do bear in mind that size isn’t everything on the battery side; efficiency and optimization is almost as important at getting a phone that has the electrical juice to get you through more than a day’s worth of use. 

On the iPhone 16 Pro specs side, it’s predicted that the standard and Max Pro models will have a new chip, likely the aforementioned A18 Pro. But to help power AI tools, 8GB of RAM has also been tipped for the iPhone 16 Pro models. 

While I think there’s some cool potential to AI features, I’m more enthused about the extra power an new A-series Pro chipset could bring to the table. The A17 Pro could handle genuine console-quality games, albeit with limited frame rates and lower-end settings. So I’m hoping a new chip for the Pro iPhones will improve upon that and give a genuine performance boost to the likes of Death Stranding, which got ported over to iOS. 

Right enough about colors and my peculiar preferences. Let’s talk specs. 

As you’ll see in our rundown of the tipped iPhone 16 specs, not a lot of change is expected externally. But under the hood, so to speak, we can expect a new chip, likely one that’ll have enough power to drive Apple Intelligence features. So that means Apple could equip the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus with the current A17 Pro chip or perhaps a rumored A18/A18 Pro chip. 

My hope is Apple will aim to use the same chip for all four tipped iPhone 16 models so there’s a degree of parity between them all, meaning they’ll be ready to run with new AI features. And that should then aid the adoption and use of such smart tools, given the large reach of iPhones. 

Take a look at the rumored specs table below. 

Speaking of colors, we’ve got a roundup of rumored iPhone 16 colors and the tipped iPhone 16 Pro colors. 

As someone who perhaps lack a bit of imagination when it comes to colors, the Space Black shade that’s been hinted at for the iPhone 16 Pro could be the color for me; it’s likely to take after the Space Black iPhone 14 Pro. 

Equally, I’d love to see the return of the dark green color Apple cooked up with the iPhone 13. As I write this I’m wearing a watch with a similar colored leather strap and just adore how the color looks close to British Racing Green; but I’m a Brit so of course i’m going to take a fancy to that. 

Another rumor that caught my eye and has somewhat turned my stomach is one claiming the iPhone 16 Pro will come in a so-called ‘Desert Titanium’ color. 

This shade seems to sit in between gold and bronze. But whereas real bronze can develop a patina from age, which makes it mellow rather nicely in my humble opinion, it won’t do that on a titanium chassis. From my experience using the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the titanium on the phone doesn’t seem to scratch let alone stain and age in the same way as the steel on the rather lovely iPhone 13 Pro. 

So I’m not convinced that ‘Desert Titanium’ is the color iPhone fans have been waiting for. But I am prepared to be proved wrong, if indeed this rumor does come to fruition.  

I feel the camera quality of the models you’ll find on our best phones list are so high (at least for smartphones) that there’s not much to differentiate the top models besides a preference for certain photography styles.

However, video capture could be the next frontier for phones to really battle it out in. And Apple has long led the way, so it’s promising to see that the Cupertino crew could embrace 4K at 60fps video capture to put the next-gen Pro iPhones in line with the on-paper capabilities of the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra but add some Apple video processing magic on top of it. 

For more on the cameras we’re expecting to see from the higher-end iPhones, check out our rundown on the iPhone 16 Pro camera rumors and predictions. 

Right then, let’s start at the latest leaks or rumors. And they come in the form a storage bump and improved video recording tipped for the iPhone 16 Pro models. 

This comes courtesy of analysts at TrendForce who have claimed that both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max are going to start at 256GB of storage this year. That would be a bump for the smaller phone, and a change I’d certainly welcome; after all the iPhone 15 Pro starts at 128GB of storage, which seems a tad miserly for a phone of its price. 

On the video recording side, 9to5Mac ‘s sources claim the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be capable of capturing footage at a 4K resolution at 120 frames per second. That’s a boost from the 60 frames per second on the current models. So for content creators, such a capability could be a worthy upgrade. 

Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, wherever you are. We’re a little over 24 hours away from the September 9 Apple event, which will almost certainly be one of the biggest tech product launches of the year. 

I’m here to give you a rundown of what to expect, the juiciest rumors so far, what I want to see, and more. So let’s do this!