What To Expect from the New iPhone 16 Pro

Historically, iPhone Pro Max models carried better value than the regular Pro iPhone models – larger battery and bigger screen.

This was reflected in an obviously better viewing experience and longer on-screen sessions with the Pro Max phones.

iPhone 15 Pro Max dwarfed the 15 Pro phone with a massive 5x tetraprism zoom against the 3x zoom in the 15 Pro.

For those who were not happy with the discrimination, there’s good news. 

Apple seems to narrow down the gaps this year with the iPhone 16 Pro closely catching up with the 16 Pro Max.

Let’s dig into what it could mean and how to maximize the reaps.

More Powerful Zoom, Better Resolution

This year’s iPhone 16 Pro will get the same zoom capacity as the pricier Pro Max model. That means you will be able to catch the shots from far away with the mighty 25x digital zoom without having to pay for the privilege. The iPhone 15 Pro was limited to the 15x zoom which left it far behind in the race.

Both phones might have a more advanced 48MP main snapper utilizing cutting-edge technologies like the stacked design for improved performance, and Digital Gain Control for better noise control and dynamic range. The Pro Max model may be equipped with a 12% larger sensor; giving it an edge with the background blur, better low-light performance, and better dynamic range.

If you like to capture a wider area in the shots, then the 16 Pro might bring along an improved 48MP Ultra wide lens. This enhancement should allow for better light-capturing power which will translate into better photos while shooting in 0.5x mode, especially in low-lighting conditions. It might use pixel binning which combines four pixels into one super pixel to get better image quality.

Reports suggest that the 48MP wide-angle lens in the 16 Pro Max will have an 8-part hybrid lens with two glass elements and six plastic elements. It might also get improved telephoto and ultra-wide lenses.

Display that’s Big Enough

Another major jump for this year’s iPhone 16 Pro is expected to be around a bigger screen. Rumours suggest that the Pro model will feature a 6.3-inch display compared with the 6.1-inch display of last year’s Pro model. Most users will find this size enough for everything they would wish to do on the phone. The Pro Max will go bigger as well, from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches with reports of thinner bezels coming out.

For people who regularly use eyesight glasses, the 6.3-inch OLED screen is more than sufficient. The good thing is that the phone can easily slide into your pockets.

The iPhone 16 phones are expected to utilize a new micro-lens OLED display technology in the wake to embrace better brightness and reduced power drain. This could result in better battery life. This will be a remarkable jump from the iPhone 15 phone series.

Apple is believed to adopt Border Reduction  Structure technology for minimizing the bezels and this change will be available across the board.

New Chipset

The iPhone 16 Pro will share the new chipset with the Pro Max model – a new A-series A18 processor. This new chip will be built on the same 3-nanometer node as the A17 Pro.

The new chip is expected to have an upgraded Neural Engine with more cores, which will be reflected into improved artificial intelligence/machine learning performance. Experts believe the chip might feature a larger die size for improved AI capabilities. Also, the chip will feature the same 6-core GPU as the A17 Pro.

Buttons

As of now, the buttons in the new iPhone 16 Pro are expected to follow the same arrangement as the iPhone 15 Pro; power, volume, and Action buttons with no changes or updates. Apple has plans to introduce a new ‘Capture button’ though.

This new Capture button will reside on the same side as the power button, the same area that contains the 5G mmWave antenna in the US.

The Capture button, like other buttons on the phone, will be mechanical and not capacitive. But, it will be enabled to respond to pressure and touch. The users could zoom in and out by swiping left and right on the button. Besides that, they can focus with a light press and start a recording with a more forceful press.

The Capture button will act like a two-step shutter button just like the buttons we come across on digital cameras. This multiple-level pressure detection is a feature many users are familiar with. The button will be available in all the models and will be used for taking pictures and shoting videos.

The CAD renders show the expected button changes, an added Capture button on the right side which is flush with the side. The button is shown to be slightly larger but it is not confirmed yet if Apple will stick with the same design.

Larger battery

As per some rumours, the iPHone 16 Pro will use stacked battery technology which is expected to boost the battery capacity and lifespan. These types of batteries are commonly seen in electric vehicles and medical devices, but are fairly new technology when it comes to smartphones.

The stacked battery is expected to be chargeable with 40W fast wired chargers and 20W MagSafe wireless chargers.

AI Capabilities

Apple is believed to be introducing new Siri features with iOS 18. These changes are expected to be driven by large language models and some of the cutting-edge generative AI features can be limited to the iPhone 16 model only.

Besides new Siri features, the iOS 18’s updated AI utilities might include improved interactions between Siri and the Messages app, auto-generated Apple Music playlists, integration with productivity apps, etc.

Microphone

The AI power will not be limited to the messaging nad multimedia playback alone. The iPhone 16 Pro and other models from the family are expected to feature an improved microphone enhanced by the AI-driven Siri experience. It will have improved water resistance and a better signal-to-noise ratio that can significantly improve the Siri experience. The new microphone is expected to better hear and understand the voice commands.

Conclusion

Overall, we are very optimistic about the iPhone 16 Pro for being good enough to be your next flagship. The more powerful zoom camera, a larger display, a new processor, an improved battery, and handy AI capabilities will be worth the money that you will spend on this new model. You may expect it to act like an iPhone 16 Pro Max Mini. And as per the rumours heard so far, if Apple decides to keep the price difference you could be getting every cool feature of the Pro Max model for a $200 less.