iPhone 16 Price, Release Date and Feature Rumours

03 July 2024

Robert Duke

It’s that time of year again! A groundswell of rumours is emerging about the upcoming release of the next iPhone, and we’ve gathered all the key info here for your perusal!

iPhone 16 Release Date

Apple has been consistent with release dates of iPhones in recent years, so it’s almost certain they’ll unveil the iPhone 16 in September 2024.

The exact date is a little harder to predict, but if they stick to a similar pattern to previous years, we’ll likely see preorders available from Friday 13th September (hopefully not a bad omen!) and then the handsets should hit stores the following week on 20th September 2024. Exciting!

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iPhone 16 Price

There’s been a bit of fluctuation in the last few years with the launch-day prices of iPhones, but word on the street is, that the range of iPhone 16s will be released with the same price tags as last year. So that’d be £799 for the basic handset, £899 for the Plus, £999 for the Pro, and £1,199 for the Pro Max. 

As usual, these prices are at the high end of the smartphone market (and borderline eye-watering in the case of the Pro Max), but they are at the cutting edge of technology, so that’s to be expected. 

iPhone 16 Design

Apple has taken an ‘if it ain’t broke’ approach to the design of their handsets in recent years, but we do predict a few changes with the iPhone 16.

Usually, there’s a bit of a variation to the design of the camera block on the rear of the phone, so we’ll probably see a slight reorganisation of the camera array, even if they don’t add any extra lenses.

We may see a slightly smaller notch on the handset too (unfortunately there haven’t been any credible rumours about Apple going notch-less with the upcoming generation; so that’s probably at least another year or two away). 

Also, we may see larger screens across the whole range of phones, with thinner-than-ever bezels around the edges. As always, there’ll likely be a different range of colours available compared to the previous iterations. They’ve gone for quite subdued, pastel-esque colours in recent years, and we expect a continuation of that trend. 

Long story short, it’ll still probably look quite similar to the iPhone 15, even if they change a lot under the hood.

iPhone 16 Features

Rumour has it, that we may see a redesigned control system for the iPhone 16, possibly even with the reintroduction of extra physical buttons that allow more tactile control, similar to bygone generations of iPhones. For those of us who struggle a bit with the gestures and swiping, this would be a very welcome change. 

As usual, they’ll improve the processing power and the battery efficiency of the latest handset. The rumoured A18 Processor (and the souped-up A18 Pro for the Premium versions) will apparently be one of the biggest leaps forward in recent years, partly because Apple want to make sure they’re strides ahead of the competition with new and upcoming AI features (which require a bit more oomph).

One other feature that may arrive with the iPhone 16 is an ‘always on’ screen across all versions. This wasn’t available on the base iPhone 15; only on the Pro and Pro Max versions, so this would be a welcome addition if they offer it across the whole range this year. 

iPhone 16 Camera

As always, the next generation of iPhone will offer better camera technology, likely improving the handset’s ability to shoot and film in low-light scenarios, and capture colours better.

Apparently, Apple has also been working hard on upgrading the ultrawide camera to enable higher-resolution photography of panoramic views. This also ties in with improvements to Spatial Video technology, enabling improved filming of 3D scenes that you can play back on a VR headset.

Apple has some staunch competition in the camera field these days, so they’ll need to keep pushing the boat out to stay ahead of the game. 

iPhone 16 Operating system

The iPhone 16 should launch with iOS 18, and in all likelihood, will make the best use of the new features rumoured to be on their way with the new version of the operating system.

As with the hardware, the software will be overhauled with generative AI in mind. More ‘on-device’ AI features should be available, allowing you to generate and edit text and images quickly and seamlessly. AI will be a huge differentiator in years to come with mobile tech, so don’t be surprised if Apple continues to make even bigger strides in this area in the next 12 months.  

Will it be worth an upgrade?

People’s lives are being shaped by AI more than ever before, and with the rumoured significant improvements to the processor and the operating system, the iPhone 16 could provide a much bigger leap forward than we’ve seen in recent years.

If Apple can make generative AI features work quickly and feel effortlessly integrated and accessible, then they’ll be onto a winner. 

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* Underwriter Assurant General Insurance Limited. Gadget age restrictions, T&Cs and excesses apply. Customer UK 18+. Insurance with Protect Your Bubble for the iPhone 16 will become available soon after the handset is officially announced. 

** Trustpilot Score 4.4, 21,370 total reviews as of 28th June 2024.

*** Phones purchased in the last 30 days only. Valid when insuring 2 items or less.