This new iPhone 16 Pro rumor has killed our excitement for the iPhone 15 Pro

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The best is yet to come, rumors suggest

iPhone 14 Pro Max review front straight handheld
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

We’ve made a big song and dance about the rumored upgrades coming to the iPhone 15 Pro, but new intelligence suggests prospective buyers may actually be better off waiting for the iPhone 16 Pro, instead. 

While Apple’s next Pro-level iPhone is expected to feature a super-fast A17 chip and much thinner bezels than the iPhone 14 Pro, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the iPhone 16 Pro will get a periscope lens and a larger display – arguably two more substantial upgrades. 

In other words, the iPhone 16 Pro could be a smaller (and potentially cheaper) version of the much-rumored iPhone 15 Ultra, which is expected to arrive this year in place of an iPhone 15 Pro Max. 

As Kuo notes, the Ultra is rumored to get a periscope lens in 2023 owing to its superior screen size to the iPhone 15 Pro. We expect the upcoming devices to measure 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively, but bumping up that 6.1-inch figure for the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024 would allow Apple to house a periscope lens on the rear of the device.

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iPhone 15 Pro renders obtained by 9to5Mac
iPhone 15 Pro render obtained by 9to5Mac(Image credit: 9to5Mac)

Kuo’s comments follow previous rumors hinting that the iPhone 16 Pro will hide its Face ID and front-facing camera components under its screen, much like how many of the best Android phones now have under-display fingerprint scanners. This upgrade would presumably arrive in the form of an improved Dynamic Island, the fancy digital cutout Apple introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro. 

What’s more, both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra were widely rumored to get solid-state volume and power buttons, but Apple analysts now predict that these buttons will arrive with the iPhone 16 line, instead.

Solid-state buttons use haptic vibrations to simulate the sensation of being touched, despite not actually moving, however Apple reportedly needs more time to develop the haptic engines required to power this new technology. 

If these solid-state buttons do indeed arrive with the iPhone 16 Pro, then, they’re yet another reason why Apple’s 2024 Pro-level iPhone might be worth waiting for – especially since the iPhone 15 Pro could be the most expensive Pro-level iPhone ever.

For more on Apple’s 2023 iPhones, read our guides to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra. Alternatively, our iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Ultra comparisons detail how the iPhone 15 Pro could stack up against other Apple iPhones. 

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Axel Metz
Axel Metz
Phones Editor

Axel is TechRadar's UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site's Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.  Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.