iPhone 16 Pro design predictions: expected designs for the top two models

Apple iPhone 15 Pro
The iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are set to be Apple’s top phones for 2024, so it’s reasonable to expect the company will try and make them look as good and premium as possible.

Does that mean drastic design changes compared to the iPhone 15 line? Well, not necessarily, as Apple’s handsets are undeniably well-designed already. But leaks and rumors do suggest some changes are coming for these approaching models.

Below, we’ve detailed all the design leaks we’ve encountered so far, which combined provide a fairly clear picture of what to expect visually from the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

iPhone 16 Pro design predictions

A leaked image of iPhone 16 Pro dummy units

A leaked image of iPhone 16 Pro dummy units (Image credit: Sonny Dickson)
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iPhone 16 Pro design (rumored)
Dimensions:TBC
Weight:Over 187g
Material:Glass and titanium
Screen size:6.3 inches

The iPhone 16 Pro could be bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro and packing an additional button, but otherwise look similar to its predecessor, if leaks are to be believed; see the leaked iPhone 16 Pro image above.

On the size front, while we aren’t sure of the exact dimensions yet, multiple sources have claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.3-inch screen, up from the 6.1-inch display of its predecessor.

So that will probably make the overall handset bigger than the 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm iPhone 15 Pro, that said, the iPhone 16 Pro’s bezels are apparently smaller, shrinking from 1.71mm to 1.2mm.

So that could help keep the size palm-friendly, though with a rumored aspect ratio change to 19.6:9 from 19.5:9, the iPhone 16 Pro will probably be taller and narrower than the iPhone 15 Pro.

We’d think the likely increase in screen size will also mean it weighs more than its 187g predecessor, though hopefully there won’t be a drastic difference in weight.

The other particularly noticeable design change we’re expecting is the addition of a Capture button positioned alongside the power button. This widely rumored feature would reportedly let you take photos and shoot videos, while a lighter press might engage the autofocus, and swiping across it could zoom in and out.

Beyond this and some new iPhone 16 Pro colors, we expect Apple’s upcoming Pro phone to look much like its current model, with a glass back, a titanium frame, the same basic shape and button layout, and the same camera arrangement.

One early leak did suggest the Face ID components could be hidden under the screen, making the Dynamic Island much smaller, as it would only have to house the front-facing camera. But we haven’t heard this reported elsewhere, so we doubt it will happen.

iPhone 16 Pro Max design predictions

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iPhone 16 Pro Max design (rumored)
Dimensions:163.024 x 77.575 x 8.26mm
Weight:Over 221g
Material:Glass and titanium
Screen size:6.9 inches

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is likely to have the same design as the iPhone 16 Pro, just in a larger size. Which is to say it will probably also look similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, just larger and with an extra button.

That button is thought to be called a Capture button, and as detailed above it will reportedly control the camera, and be housed under the power key on the right edge.

As for the size, we’ve heard repeatedly that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch screen, making its display 0.2 inches bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s.

That will presumably make the overall phone larger, though we’ve heard elsewhere that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have the slimmest bezels of any handset, which might mean there’s not much difference in the overall footprint.

You can see just how small these bezels might look in a leaked image comparing the iPhone 16 Pro Max's supposed bezels to those of its predecessor, and it's a very noticeable difference.

One leak details the exact dimensions of the iPhone 16 Pro Max too, claiming that it will be 163.024 x 77.575 x 8.26mm. That would make it taller, wider, and thicker than the 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm iPhone 15 Pro Max, though not by much. Part of that change in dimensions could also be down to a rumored 19.6:9 aspect ratio for the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s display, rather than the 19.5:9 of its predecessor.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is likely to also be heavier than its 221g predecessor, but for now we don’t know by how much.

Other than that, and the possibility of some new colors, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will probably look much like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, complete with a titanium frame, a glass back, and the same general layout and shape, as you can see in the leaked iPhone 16 Pro Max images above.

Finally, one source has suggested its Dynamic Island could be much smaller, with the Face ID components hidden under the screen, but we’re skeptical of this.

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James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.