iPhone 16 Reportedly Features Replaceable Battery & “Capture” Button

• Apple’s hotly-anticipated iPhone 16 is launching in September 2024.
• Key features in the updated device reportedly range from a faster A18 chip and vertical camera layout to a new Action button and replaceable battery.
• We’ll be updating this article right up until the official unveiling.

It’s that time of the year again when speculation surrounding Apple‘s next flagship device kicks into overdrive. And with the launch of the iPhone 16 less than three months away, we decided to collate the internet’s collective knowledge on what’ll soon be hitting shelves.

Check it out for yourself below.

Jump To:

• Everything We Know About Apple’s iPhone 16 So Far
• Has the iPhone 16 release date been confirmed?
• Do we know the iPhone 16 features?
  • “Apple Intelligence” & SiriGPT
  • iPhone 16 News, Rumours, & Leaks
• iPhone 16 Price (Australia)

Everything We Know About Apple’s iPhone 16 So Far

Has the iPhone 16 release date been confirmed?

The iPhone 16 is projected to follow’s traditional release date pattern and launch sometime in September 2024.

As you may recall, the iPhone 15 was officially unveiled on September 13th, 2023 and in consumers’ hands by September 23rd, 2024; with the iPhone 14 following a similar rollout scheduled.

While Apple have previously introduced new iPhones in months such as June, November, and October — drawing the curtains back on additional premium or budget models anywhere in between — by in large, September has been earmarked for this very purpose.

And currently, the Cupertino-based tech giant has provided zero indication they’ll “break tradition.”

Do we know the iPhone 16 features?

Yes and no. It’s more of a mixed bag of approximations, deductions, and the like at this stage.

“Apple Intelligence” & SiriGPT

Given the present-day tech landscape, AI was addressed at last month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) — an annual event solely rivalled by its consistently anticipated iPhone launch. But in this case, it doesn’t stand for “artificial intelligence.” It stands for “Apple Intelligence.”

“Powerful generative models right at the core of your iPhone, iPad, and Mac” will unlock incredible capabilities across Apple’s native apps, i.e. edit and generate images/emojis with Genmoji, writing assistance, sort and summarise text, heightened security. 

Then there’s the matter of Siri.

In addition to working far more seamlessly with the wider iPhone — providing more control over your experience, be it scraping info from emails or finding specific pictures — the upgraded voice assistant has just been married to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Essentially, for requests better suited to ChatGPT (powered by GPT-4), you’ll be provided with the option of handing it off. Totally free. No account required. Just straight-to-the-point execution.

Siri will also rely on LLMs to understand your speech prompts and lines of questioning (as well as follow-up inquiries) with greater depth; and now accepts requests via text.

RELATED: Apple’s Foldable iPhone Is Apparently In The Works

iPhone 16 News, Rumours, & Leaks

Design & Size

Both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to flaunt a redesigned camera island with a horizontal camera array.

The iPhone 16 Pro models will be slightly taller and heavier than their predecessors while retaining the same width and thickness; iPhone 16 Pro Max potentially flaunting 6.9-inch display to big dog the iPhone 15 Pro Max.​

Displays

The iPhone 16 series is rumoured to feature Multi-Lens Array (MLA) AMOLED displays, making them the brightest screens Apple has ever placed on an iPhone. The Pro models might also come with smaller bezels, potentially down from the iPhone 15 Pro’s 1.71mm to 1.2mm. Also… no notch and under-the-display Face ID?

Buttons

The iPhone 16 series is rumoured to adopt capacitive button, specifically a new “Capture” button designed to activate camera functions. Effectively, this would replace the traditional mechanical buttons, which might improve waterproofing and durability.

There’s also talk of Action buttons being standardised across the board (not just for the Pro models), placed on the right hand side. Customisable shortcuts and ease of use for all.

Battery & Thermal Management

The iPhone 16 series could be housing its battery in a new metal shell, thereby improving heat dissipation and possibly allowing for better performance (and of course, battery life). There’s also chatter surrounding a new graphene thermal system for enhanced heat management.

On the topic batteries, according to The Information, a replaceable battery is said to be on the cards in line with global regulations.

For those of you who didn’t hear, last year, the European parliament passed a ruling that smartphone batteries sold and distributed within the EU must adhere to certain design and recycling rules (which now entails being easily replaceable). 

As for capacity, for whatever reason, the iPhone 16 Plus is apparently set to shave down from 4,383mAh to 4,006mAh (that’s a potential 8% drop); while the iPhone 16 is going in the right direction with a 5.8% increase to 3,561mAh.

Cameras

The standard iPhone 16 seems to be on track for the same 48MP + 12MP ultra-wide dual-sensor setup as the iPhone 15, with potential software improvements.

The iPhone 16 Pro models, on the other hand, could be receiving an upgraded Sony camera sensors to accompany its 48MP ultra-wide camera; while the iPhone 16 Pro Max may up the ante even further with an advanced periscope ultra-long telephoto camera​ and 4K spatial video.

Chipset

The iPhone 16 series will either feature the proprietary A17 Pro or the new A18 chip, providing greater performance and efficiency (as per the obligation of these device releases). The Pro models might even pack some additional RAM for enhanced processing power.​

Colours

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus should be coming in black, green, pink, blue, and white; while the iPhone Pro models are said to be arriving in Space Black, White (Silver), Grey, and a new Rose/Purple colour​.

Connectivity

The iPhone 16 series is rumoured to support Wi-Fi 7, offering significantly faster data transmission speeds compared to the Wi-Fi 6E support on the iPhone 15 Pro​.

Although there are some contentions surrounding this: it’s entirely possible this will be reserved for the Pro models, leaving the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to simply make do.

Given it’ll supposedly leverage the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 as opposed to the iPhone 15’s current X70, enhanced 5G capabilities are also on the horizon.

iPhone 16 Price (Australia)

The general consensus is that iPhone 16 prices certainly won’t be any cheaper than what you paid for an iPhone 15. The good news? It’s not meant to be any more expensive, either. Which I suppose is a win in the current climate.

For reference, here’s how the different models were tiered in Australia.

Keep an eye out here for key updates between now and September 2024.