Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

It looks like the iPhone 16 will get a big design upgrade

Bryan M. Wolfe
By
Someone holding the Natural Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Following the release of the iPhone 15 Pro series, several early adopters reported overheating issues. Apple later confirmed that the problem was caused by a software bug in iOS 17, which affected some owners of the phones. The company quickly resolved the issue with the release of iOS 17.0.3 and never acknowledged that hardware played a role in the overheating. Fast-forward to the present, and it now looks like Apple plans to make hardware changes on the iPhone 16 that would make the 2024 handsets less likely to overheat.

According to Apple prototype collector Kosutami, Apple will make two changes to the next round of iPhones. On X, formerly Twitter, they note: “Apple is actively working on graphene thermal system of iPhone 16 Series to solve the heating problem existing before. And the battery of Pro series would change to metal shell, for the same reason.”

Recommended Videos

The iPhone 15 series features a copper heatsink. Graphene offers four times better thermal conductivity than copper while also reducing weight.

Call of Duty: Mobile on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Although Apple has stated that the overheating problem with the iPhone 15 Pro was not related to hardware, it is still reassuring to know that hardware upgrades that could positively impact the temperature of future iPhones may be on the horizon.

Related

Before Apple addressed the overheating issues of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, some people speculated that titanium (instead of stainless steel) might have caused it. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, for example, suggested that titanium could affect thermal efficiency. Kuo also mentioned that while a software fix would eventually be released (which it was), Apple could also reduce the performance of the A17 Pro chip (found on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max) to resolve the issue.

After the iOS 17.0.3 bug fix was released, Apple confirmed it hadn’t changed the speed of the iPhone 15 Pro’s chipset.

The iPhone 16 series is likely to be announced and released next September. Rumors about the upcoming series sound promising.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
I tried the iPhone’s new Journal app. Here’s what’s good (and bad)
Apple Journal app on iPhone 15 Pro.

Apple's Journal app in iOS 17 is like a basic notetaking app supercharged with AI. It offers prompts and suggestions based on what you do throughout the day to help you journal your daily entries.

While the app is a basic white screen with a “+” icon, it's what happens after you tap on that icon that sets it apart from Notes or other journaling apps. I've been using the app for a little while now, and while it's not perfect, it is off to a really interesting start.
Using iOS 17's Journal app

Read more
I reviewed 20 phones in 2023. These are my 5 favorites
A person taking a photo with the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

This has been a fantastic year for smartphones due to the sheer variety of great devices at all prices. In other words, if you wanted a brilliant new phone this year, it didn’t have to be a $1,000-plus flagship.

I’ve used and reviewed a great many phones over the past 12 months, but the following five have left the biggest impression to become what I consider the very best you can get.
iPhone 15 Plus
Apple iPhone 15 Plus Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more
Why RCS for the iPhone is Apple’s biggest announcement of 2023
A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

Hell has frozen over. On November 16, 2023, Apple made the very unexpected announcement that it was bringing support for RCS on the iPhone in 2024.

In 2022, Tim Cook himself said that he’d rather sell you an iPhone instead of ever bringing RCS support to the iPhone because he thought customer demand for RCS wasn’t there. Google has made numerous attempts to shame Apple over its pushback of RCS over the years.

Read more