As September approaches, the flurry of rumours and speculation about the iPhone 16 release are growing in momentum. The actual release date has not yet been confirmed but is rumoured to be Tuesday 10th September (so we could be potentially looking at less than a month before all is revealed).  Pre-orders could be on the 13th, with availability by the 20th September.  September is traditionally the month that new iPhones are released anyway, so whatever the exact date, we don’t have long to wait.

Some of the speculated new features don’t seem particularly enticing at first glance, but when you get down to the details, a few are actually quite promising.

Action Button

The action button which already appears on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, is due to be extended across all of the iPhone 16 models.  For anyone not already familiar with the action button  – it replaces the mute switch located above the volume controls on the side of the phone.  This action button can perform multiple functions and the user has the option to choose what function they’d best like to use, options include opening the camera app, activating the flashlight, voice memo, app shortcuts, plus others.  The default action is to turn Silent mode on or off.

Improved Camera Technology

The Pro models will have an improved 48 megapixel ultra wide lens, and it’s also rumoured that the Pro will have a 5 x optical zoom lens, a feature previously limited to the Pro Max models.  The Pro’s main camera could also include a large image sensor, which captures more light and means photos taken in low light conditions have much better outcomes.

New Camera Layout

Standard iPhones have previously had a diagonal camera layout with a square shaped camera bump to accommodate the lenses.  However, the iPhone 16 appears to have the camera lenses arranged vertically, with a much smaller pill-shaped camera bump (not unlike many Samsungs), with the flash being located on the back of the phone outside of the camera bump.  Not sure how this will impact the overall use of the phone or camera, apart from having to buy a new phone case, but it’s an interesting change.

Capture Button

All of the iPhone 16 models are thought to have the new capture button, which is great news for camera nerds.  This will be located on the right edge (same side as the power button) of the phone and is said to work in a similar fashion to a shutter button on a digital camera, using the soft press for focusing then the full press for capturing the image. 

Bigger Displays

The Pro and Max model screen sizes will increase to 6.3 and 6.9 inches respectively; the physical size of the phone will remain the same, but by trimming the bezels they have increased the screen size without increasing the actual size of the phone.  There will be no change to the standard models.

Apple Intelligence

AI is coming with the iOS 18 update, so it will also be available on the iPhone 15 Pro models when the update arrives, it’s unclear at the moment what benefits this will provide to iPhone users. It is potentially a conversational style Siri, not unlike ChatGPT. (Have a look at Apple Intelligence in 5 minutes on YouTube).  Other features include upgraded microphone, stacked battery technology, faster charging, and processor upgrades. 

New Colours

Most importantly, there could be some new colours coming into the mix, as well as (perhaps) some old favourites. iPhone 16 dummy models which have been revealed appear to be a slight move away from the pastel shades towards a bolder colour selection including blue and green, as well as pale pink, and the classic black and white.  The Pro models appear to be sticking to black, white, grey and pink.  There was a hint of a Rose Gold.

Having said all this, 2025 is touted to be the big year for iPhone change with the 17 Slim, a new class of phone.

However, this is all just speculation so we will just have to wait and see. The countdown begins…