The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are nearing their September debut. With it comes leakers, analysts, and insiders who are dropping valuable information on what these devices will bring to the market. This article will discuss all the pre-release rumors for the Pro Max models—but Apple still has months to jump ship.
For this reason, these leaks are not set in stone and may change during the final release if Apple updates the design. Nevertheless, here’s everything available about the latest Apple flagship model.
Table of Contents
iPhone 16 Pro Max: All the rumored features and leaks to know before release
Bottom line
iPhone 16 Pro Max: All the rumored features and leaks to know before release
1. Size and design updates
One of the more noticeable updates will be the sizes. According to leaks, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have larger display sizes than their 15 counterparts. Large displays translate to bigger body dimensions, too.
Hence, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be taller and wider than the 15 Pro models, with only slight changes to thickness. Here’s a table showing the expected changes compared to the previous flagship models.
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Weight | 225 grams | 221 grams |
| Screen border | 1.15 mm | 1.55 mm |
| Display | 6.9” (174.06 mm) | 6.7” (169.98 mm) |
| Width | 77.58 mm | 76.70 mm |
| Height | 163.0 mm | 159.9 mm |
| Thickness | 8.26 mm | 8.25 mm |
The iPhone 15 Pro models featured a dual-ion exchange glass process for a unique frosted effect. There’s a good chance that Apple will use it for the iPhone 16 Pro models for a beautiful contrast. Here are some other design updates worth knowing.
MagSafe updates
After the iPhone dummy model leaks surfaced in April, it gave a clear look at some design updates. One noticeable difference was the MagSafe alignment. The iPhone 16 Pro Max may have slimmer magnets than previous models, reducing the magnetic ring needed for MagSafe-compatible cases.
Colors and finish
The leaks say the iPhone 16 Pro models will come in white, silver, black, natural titanium/gray, a shade of gold, and rose. They also suggest that Apple will remove blue titanium in favor of a more catchy rose gold color.
2. Display technology
The iPhone 16 Pro models may feature Samsung’s new high-performance M14 OLED panel, which delivers better brightness and longevity. Rumors say the iPhone 16 Pro Max will offer 20% more brightness than current models, reaching up to 1,200 nits of typical SDR brightness.
Apple may also use BRS (Border Reduction Structure) technology to reduce the bezel sizes on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Famous leaker “UniverseIce” even claims that the latest flagship will have thinner bezels than the Samsung Galaxy S24.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max may also have minor Face ID system changes. However, the leaks don’t say exactly what will change. What it does show is that Apple dropped one of its suppliers in England because of plans to overhaul Face ID.
3. Buttons
While the power, volume, and Action buttons will remain the same, Apple plans to add the new “Capture Button” to all iPhone 16 models. The new button will be on the same side as the power button and will be mechanical instead of capacitive—though leaks say it will still be sensitive to touch and pressure.
The capture button will allow users to zoom in and out by swiping it left or right. Users will also be able to start a recording with a forceful press and focus their shot with a lighter press. This ability to detect multiple pressure levels will also let the Capture Button serve as a two-step shutter button.
Note: These upcoming button changes are visible on the iPhone 16 Pro Max CAD renders.
4. A-series chips
Apple recently dropped the IOS 18 beta, and the code revealed some information about the upcoming release. Experts discovered all iPhone 16 models will use the same next-generation A18 chip. However, it could still do something different with the iPhone 16 Pro models.
For instance, Apple could release the iPhone 16 Pro chips with better GPUs. The chips may also have different names, like “A18 Pro.” But there’s more. The next-generation A18 chip may have an enhanced Neural Engine and more cores for upgraded machine learning/AI performance.
Thermal upgrades
The leaks also suggest the iPhone 16 models will have improved thermal designs to reduce overheating. They say Apple is working on a graphene thermal system with metal battery casings for better heat dissipation. Graphene offers enhanced thermal conductivity, which pushed Apple to use it over copper for their latest flagships.
5. Camera technology
Rumors say the iPhone Pro models will have an impressive 48-megapixel Ultra Wide Camera. This upgrade will allow the Pro models to capture more light and produce enhanced photos in 0.5x mode (especially in low-light conditions). However, the iPhone Pro Max models will have a bigger primary camera sensor.
Industry insiders expect the new sensor to use Digital Gain Control for better noise control/dynamic range and a stacked design for better performance. The iPhone 16 Pro Max will also have Tetraprism Telephoto lenses, granting the models at least 25x digital and 5x optical zoom.
Super periscope
A Weibo account suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro Max may feature a super telephoto periscope camera for a significant optical zoom increase. Although the account has a reputation for providing accurate information, the super periscope leak is yet to be backed by another reliable source.
6. 5G modem chip
The iPhone 16 Pro Max will have an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem for more efficient and faster 5G connectivity. Qualcomm states that the X75 comes with improved carrier aggregation, takes 25% less circuit board space, and consumes 20% less power. Qualcomm’s X75 can also handle the “5G Advanced” standard with machine learning and AI upgrades for better 5G connectivity.
7. WiFi updates
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 16 Pro Max may use the next-generation WiFi 7 technology. This upgrade can potentially reach speeds of 30 Gb/s at a minimum and up to 40Gb/s at max.
WiFi 7 will also support 4K QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) technology and 230MHz channels to provide speeds up to 2.4X faster than Wi-Fi 6. The iPhone 16 Pro Max will benefit from Wi-Fi 7’s lower latency, more reliable connections, and faster maximum transfer speeds.
8. USB-C port and battery
Since Apple transitioned to USB-C technology with the iPhone 15 lineup, the upcoming iPhone 16 models will follow the same trend. On the other hand, rumors suggest the battery technology for the latest models will undergo multiple changes.
First, the leaks say Apple will release the iPhone 16 Pro Max with stacked battery technology for higher capacities and longer lifespans. The new flagship will also come with 40W wired charging support and 20W MagSafe charging, based on rumors from China. Currently, the iPhone 15 models only support 27W wired charging and 15W MagSafe charging—though the rumors have not been confirmed yet.
With EU law requiring smartphone manufacturers to create easily replaceable batteries, Apple already plans to promote a new battery replacement method using metal battery cases instead of foil for at least one iPhone 16 model—no more tricky adhesives.
The battery specs leaks say that the iPhone 16 models will slightly increase battery life. If the information is correct, here’s what the changes will look like.
| iPhone 15 lineup (2023) | iPhone 16 lineup (2024) | % Change | |
| Standard | 3,349 mAh | 3,561 mAh | +6% |
| Plus | 4,383 mAh | 4,006 mAh | -9% |
| Pro | 3,274 mAh | 3,355 mAh | +2.5% |
| Pro Max | 4,422 mAh | 4,676 mAh | +5% |
Bottom line
The iPhone 16 Pro models already look promising. But the icing on the cake is the fantastic features of the iOS 18 update, such as new Siri features powered by large language models. However, Apple may lock some of these cutting-edge generative AI features behind the iPhone 16 models.
Some mixed rumors say an “iPhone Ultra” could be in the works, maybe the fifth, even higher-end phone in the iPhone 16 lineup. Alternatively, it may replace the iPhone 16 Pro Max instead. While these are still leaks and rumors, they paint a great picture of what to expect from the iPhone 16 Pro Max launching in September 2024.
