When the iPhone 14 launched last year, it seemed we were the only people to miss the iPhone mini. Apple unceremoniously offed its handy compact device, replacing it with the iPhone Plus, a phone that seems to exist only to make the jump in price to the iPhone Pro seem smaller.
But if Apple's tagline for the iPhone 14 range was 'big and bigger', it sounds like it might go with 'even bigger and even more bigger' for the iPhone 16 – at least for the Pro models (see the best camera phones for our pick of the best from all brands).
The iPhone 14 Pro was the same size as the 13... and the 12 (Image credit: Apple)
Apple usually unveils a new range of iPhones every September, so we're expecting the iPhone 15 to make its appearance in just four months from now (and we've seen plenty of iPhone 15 rumours about what might be in store). But Inevitably the rumour mill is already moving on to the iPhone 16, which will presumably be released in September 2024.
One of the most intriguing rumours so far is that iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will be larger. Ross Young from Display Supply Chain Consultants has suggested that the 2024 Pros will have displays measuring more than 6.2in and 6.8in respectively. That compares to 6.1in and 6.7in for recent generations (and presumably the iPhone 15) and would make them the biggest iPhones yet.
Enough about the iPhone 15, is it time to start leaking about the iPhone 16 yet? Hearing about some new sizes on the Pro models...May 9, 2023
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Young said that the aspect ratio will also increase slightly and that the rumoured iPhone Ultra will be slightly larger at 6.9in (if indeed it turns out to be an additional device and not a replacement for the Pro Max). What he didn't say is whether the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone Plus 16 will also have bigger screens (they're currently the same sizes as the Pro and Pro Max respectively). He says he will reveal more exact sizes for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max to two decimal places in his speech at the Los Angeles Display Week conference on May 23.
The iPhone 14 and 14 Pros had the lowest proportion of five-star reviews in a decade (Image credit: Apple)
This iPhone 16 rumour actually makes a lot of sense. The drop in the proportion of five-star iPhone 14 reviews suggests that people were disappointed that the phone was so similar to the previous year's model. That could give Apple some food for thought if its aim is to continue to convince people that there's a reason to buy a new phone every year. If it's not finding a great number of new directions in terms of functionality and design, making the phone slightly larger would at least be a clear differentiation.
I think there are other priorities that people want from the iPhone before size, but the response to the rumour suggests there is an appetite for a larger screen, with many suggesting it should be even bigger. Some are already showing a degree of scepticism, however. "I predict the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 will look exactly like all the other iPhones. The camera bump will get bigger and bigger and the prices will keep increasing. The end," was one reply to Young's tweet.
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Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
