The iPhone 15 series isn’t even out, and we already have an increasing number of iPhone 16 Pro leaks. That’s not entirely unusual, as we sometimes see reports detailing Apple’s iPhone roadmap for the following years, focusing on specific iPhone features. But the iPhone 16 Pro leaks already deliver CAD designs that show the purported size increases that Apple is devising for next year’s Pro handsets.
A different leak explained the reasoning for Apple increasing the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro display size. Apple might need more internal space for components like the periscope camera, which should make its way to the iPhone 16 Pro. But I still don’t appreciate any size increases that Apple might be mulling for the iPhone.
In the past few weeks, a series of reports said that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max (Ultra) will have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays. That’s only a 0.2-inch increase compared to the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens Apple has been using for several years.
But that diagonal change means the phones will be both wider and taller. That might make them slightly bulkier and heavier. And more difficult to operate with one hand.
I’m worried about the iPhone 16 Pro more than the 16 Pro Max, as that’s the most likely phone I’ll buy. Even if I’d skip the iPhone 16 series entirely, I’d expect the size increases to trickle down to the non-Pro iPhone 17 or iPhone 18 models.
As I explained recently, Apple has plenty of time to decide on the iPhone 16 Pro design, which won’t hit manufacturing for over a year. And I speculated that Apple might have ideas in place to make the handset as comfortable to use as possible. Utilizing a titanium case and further shrinking bezels could do the trick.
This brings me to 9to5Mac’s new exclusive. The blog received iPhone 16 Pro Max CAD designs, which is the kind of iPhone 16 development I wasn’t expecting. Sure, Apple is working on next year’s iPhones already. But I still hope the new leak is fake. That’s because it delivers the size increases I was fearing.
The blog has the purported measurements for the iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- Width: 77.2 mm
- Height: 165.0mm
- Screen Size: 6.9″
Here are the leaked iPhone 15 Pro Max’s measures:
- Width: 76.7mm
- Height: 159.8mm
- Screen Size: 6.7″
If the image above is accurate, it looks like Apple wants to keep the iPhone 16 Pro Max design as close as possible to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But the 2024 Pro Max (or Ultra) will be significantly taller.
I’d assume similar size changes would be in order for the iPhone 16 Pro if the leaked CAD designs are accurate.
Separately, leaker Unknownz21 delivered news of another potential design change for the iPhone 16. The base model and the Plus should feature a vertical rear camera setup, like the iPhone 12.
That design change isn’t as big as the display increase for the iPhone 16 Pro models. But it might lead to potential camera module size changes, and I’m only speculating here. Apple moved to a diagonal camera lens set up for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 to accommodate the wide camera’s larger footprint. The primary shooter comes with sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which requires more space.
As for the iPhone 15 series, the phones should have the same sizes as the iPhone 14 variants. And I expect the same camera module design, although size changes might be in order. The big design change coming with the iPhone 15 series concerns the phone’s edges. According to most reports, Apple is dropping the flat sides in favor of curved edges.
