Tag Archives: phones

RedMagic VC Cooler 5 Pro attaches to any phone using magnets or clips

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As smartphones become more powerful, the need to keep them from overheating becomes even more critical. Relying on simple heat dissipation is no longer enough, and sometimes even the more advanced passive cooling solutions, like vapor cooling chambers, are unable to compensate as well. This is especially true for phones used to play games, whether they’re formal gaming phones or just high-end models that have enough muscle but not the right cooling systems. RedMagic, nubia’s gaming sub-brand, believes that the answer lies in an external accessory, and it is now sharing that technology with others so that they, too, can benefit from it, even if they don’t have a nubia or RedMagic phone.

Designer: RedMagic

Smartphones generate a lot of heat when pushing their capabilities to the limit, and this causes not only discomfort but also degradation in performance, not to mention potential safety hazards due to the volatile battery powering the device. Unlike laptops and especially desktops, you can’t fit a reasonable cooling system inside a very thin phone, especially if it involves fans or more liquid. Delegating that to an external accessory is certainly possible, but the effort to attach and detach that gadget might be too much of a hassle.

The RedMagic VC Cooler 5 Pro remedies that by utilizing a feature that’s becoming more common among smartphones these days: magnetic wireless charging. This small squarish block can attach to any smartphone that supports this feature, which of course includes Apple’s MagSafe. What’s interesting is that RedMagic isn’t making it exclusive to these phones only, thanks to an optional back clip that can attach to any smartphone, making the VC Cooler 5 Pro almost universally compatible with all models.

But why would you want to stick or clip a small box onto the back of your phone? The RedMagic VC Cooler 5 Pro includes a 7-blade fan 3,060 sq. mm. vapor chamber liquid cooling plate that helps further pull the heat away from the phone and, consequently, away from your fingers. RedMagic claims it can drop the phone’s temperature by as much as 1­°C, though your mileage may vary.

Rather than just offering a simple fan and cooling plate, RedMagic is unsurprisingly advertising the use of some AI to automatically adjust the VC Cooler 5 Pro’s speed. This feature, along with the customary RGB lighting controls, is available through RedMagic’s “Goper” app. Unfortunately, this is only available on Android, so while iPhone owners can still use the cooling add-on, they won’t be able to take advantage of AI-powered dynamic settings as well as custom RGB lights. The RedMagic VC Cooler 5 Pro launches on April 15th at 59 EUR ($64) for the magnetic version and 64 EUR ($69) with the optional back clip.

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Nothing pokes fun at Apple for discontinuing the iPhone Mini with the Phone (2a) Micro

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There are some people who still buy the iPhone 13 Mini in bulk because it’s the last small smartphone Apple ever made. In the pursuit of ‘bigger and better’, smartphone companies have abandoned the very concept of ergonomics, and phones nowadays are so large and heavy, people quite literally have indented pinky fingers as a result. The iPhone 13 Mini and perhaps the Asus Zenfone 9 were perhaps the last ‘small’ phones before the concept was retired – so Nothing decided to do something about it. Or rather, poke fun at it at least.

Meet the Phone (2a) Micro – an alternative to the Plus and Max phones of today’s world. Announced as a rather fitting April Fool’s Prank, the Phone (2a) Micro is functionally miniscule, measuring probably no larger than a Zippo lighter. However, it still manages to hold up rather well considering its size. The prototype (although we’re 99% certain it’s CGI) features a rather usable (yet tiny) screen that still somehow manages to be usable. The video above is a tiny (no pun intended) demonstration of the phone in action… and it also takes aim at major smartphone companies for abandoning the relatively large (again, no pun intended) audience of people with small hands!

Designer: Nothing

Roughly 3 inches tall, the Phone (2a) Micro comes with the same design as its predecessor, albeit scaled down. It ditches the dual camera on the back for a single one (there’s really no real estate for 2 lenses), but still retains every aspect of the phone’s design including even its Glyph Interface (which apparently works, in the video demo). Flip the phone over and you’ve got a virtually bezel-less screen (clearly even the tiniest of bezels weigh heavily on a phone that size), but the lack of bezels is made up by a whopper of a front-facing camera, which eats into a significant portion of the display. I guess good selfies are an important part of owning a phone, right?

I’ll be honest, April Fool’s Day jokes have all but died down ever since the pandemic, when corporates decided it just wasn’t worth the effort. Sure, sometimes a company like Volkswagen DOES crack a joke about rebranding to Voltswagen, sending economies and stock markets into a flurry, but overall, larger companies have sort of lost their sense of humor (Google used to crack elaborate jokes every year before Sundar Pichai took the reigns). However, it’s good to see newer companies taking things in their stride and trying to engage with their fans and communities using humor. Whether it’s Nothing’s tiny phone, or Razer’s chair with robotic arms, a good corporate joke just makes large brands feel more human, allowing people to resonate and connect with them on a deeper level… but as far as the Phone (2a) Micro goes, does it have a 3.5mm audio jack, though??

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Google Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL renders show a less dramatic design change

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There are a few designs in the smartphone market that have become synonymous with the brands they represent. Although some phones followed in its footsteps, Apple wholeheartedly embraced the iPhone notch for several generations. Samsung’s S Pen is something very few manufacturers have imitated, and Nothing’s Glyph lights have made dynamic LED lighting a thing on smartphones. And then there’s Google’s camera design, which has been dubbed by some as a visor, that gave the Pixel 6 onward a visually unique character. Unfortunately, brands and designs change, and it seems that the Pixel 9 trio will bid farewell to that distinctive design, though its replacement is admittedly a bit less egregious than other leaks would have us believe.

Designer: Google (via 91mobiles, MySmartPrice, Steve Hemmerstoffer)

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Truth be told, the “visor” camera design on the recent Pixel phones isn’t exactly the sleekest and most elegant design around, but it has enough elements that make it interesting and distinctive without being obnoxious or garish. It also has the side effect, intentional or otherwise, of raising the phone at an angle without making it wobble. Based on leaks confirmed by these unofficial renders, we might have seen the last of that design and will behold another variation that may be even more controversial than the original design on the Pixel 6 from 2021.

Google Pixel 9

Google Pixel 9

Instead of a raised strip that goes from edge to edge, the Pixel 9 phones will instead have a long pill-shaped camera bump that still spans the entire width of the phone. But unlike blurry leaked photos of prototype models, these renders show a better picture of what is allegedly the final design of that camera bump. It will follow the same two-tone theme as the Pixel 8 before it, giving it a bit of style and visual interest.

Google Pixel 9

It will definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially those who have regarded the visor design to be the signature mark of the Pixel phones from the past three years. But more than just brand identity, this capsule-shaped bump also has the effect of making its thickness even more noticeable and abrupt, as if someone just glued a large chunk of metal and glass onto the back of the phone. The Pixel 8’s camera bump is just as thick, but the curved edge and smoother curves give the impression that it is thinner than it really is.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Another detail coming out from these leaks is that Google will launch three models this year instead of just two. That will be the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The “XL” model hasn’t been seen since the Pixel 5 XL in 2020, so it will be interesting how Google will position these three phones in the market.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

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Interchangeable emoji camera covers give smartphones more character

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The back of our phones is always visible to the people around us, which makes it the most expressive part of the smartphone. That’s why manufacturers spend a lot of time and resources on the design of the phone’s rear, using a variety of materials for the cover and designs for the camera. Those designs, however, are decided by companies and never change once production starts. They don’t always reflect the owner’s tastes, and definitely not all the time. Being able to change your phone’s “face” to fit your mood offers a lot of freedom of expression, and it all takes is putting a different emoji on top of your camera.

Designer: Yifan Hu

Smartphone cameras are becoming more powerful and with that power comes bigger enclosures. What were once just two eyes looking at you from the back of the phone has become a large circle that adds a face to those eyes. It’s just a metaphor, of course, but one that can actually be used to design a set of accessories that turn your mobile partner into some sidekick character, complete with a face and a personality.

These emoji-inspired accessories simply put a smiley or one of its comical variants on top of the camera circle of a smartphone. It takes advantage of how most of these cameras are designed, with two of the cameras placed side by side and near the top of the circle. It’s a perfect location for eyes and a face, one that perhaps more accurately expresses your own personality or just your mood for that day.

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Of course, there are obvious limitations to this design, the biggest of which is how not all camera bumps are circular. And those that are circular aren’t always located in the middle of the phone, making it a bit awkward but not entirely unattractive to put an emoji in the corner. That said, this camera design is actually becoming more popular these days as manufacturers try to figure out the best location for the growing number and sizes of cameras on a phone.

There’s also the consideration that a smartphone might have more than just two cameras, and their locations might not perfectly align with a smiley face. That simply needs a bit of creativity to design around those restrictions, like adding mouths to the face or having asymmetrical eyes that convey even more facial expressions than a traditional smiley. It’s really a simple concept that goes a long way in adding fun to the smartphone experience, while still giving you the freedom to go back to a pristine and “normal” look from time to time.

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Experience a combination of minimalism and productivity with an E-Ink QWERTY Minimal Phone

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Some people opt for a minimalist smartphone to reduce distractions and enhance productivity. These devices typically offer only essential features, such as phone calls, messaging, notes, calendars, internet browsing, and key Android apps. This setup allows users to focus on what’s crucial without interruptions from numerous app notifications. Furthermore, these simplified phones often have extended battery life due to their limited features. If you’re drawn to a minimalistic device, the Minimal Phone could be ideal for you. It’s the product of an experienced team with a combined 60 years in design, engineering, and technology entrepreneurship. Their vision is to deliver a product that eliminates all unnecessary features.

Designers: Andre Youkhna and Armen Youssefian

Click Here to Buy Now: $325 $450 ($125 off, exclusive perk for YD Readers only). Hurry, only a few left!

The Minimal Phone is equipped with a high-performance MTK 6769 CPU and 4GB RAM, ensuring a smooth user experience. It has 128GB of storage space for apps and data and operates on Android 13, which features the latest security and system updates. The display is a 3.5” E-Ink touch screen with a resolution of 300 PPI and a high refresh rate for clear images and smooth transitions. It has an 8MP front camera and a 16MP rear camera for photography. The phone supports 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4GHz/5GHz WiFi Direct and Bluetooth 4.1 and is compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks. It features a sizeable 4000mAh battery with QC 18W and wireless charging support less than 20W. The most appealing feature is the integrated tactile QWERTY keyboard.

The e-ink display of the Minimal phone offers users a comfortable, glare-free reading experience, significantly reducing eye strain even during prolonged use.

Incorporating a tactile, responsive QWERTY keyboard into a smartphone design can be complex. However, the team behind the Minimal Phone has tackled this challenge directly. The ergonomic design of the keyboard has been carefully considered to provide a comfortable user experience. The team has analyzed various factors such as keyboard layout, key size, and key travel distance to ensure they meet the expectations of a wide range of users. They understand that speed and accuracy are crucial for a satisfying typing experience, so they’ve strived to optimize these factors in the design.

The team has selected high-quality materials for the phone, considering durability and regular use over its lifespan. Recognizing the need for the keyboard to maintain its quality and responsiveness, they’ve carefully chosen the construction materials and methods. As a result, the keyboard must feel comfortable to the touch and built to last. Other standard features include NFC, GPS, A-GPS, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, face unlock, a G sensor, a compass, a gyroscope, a proximity sensor, and a light sensor. Additionally, it also includes a 3.5mm headphone jack located on the top left-hand corner.

The Minimal Phone, thoughtfully designed for ease of use and comfort, measures 121 x 72 x 10mm (4.74″ x 2.83″ x 0.39″), akin to the ergonomic shape of a passport. Its well-proportioned layout makes it extremely comfortable to hold and type on the physical keyboard. The microphone at the bottom left of the device complements the central USB-C plug-in port flanked by speakers on its right. The phone’s left side hosts the volume control buttons—up and down—with an e-ink refresh button nestled between them. The power button is on the phone’s right side, just above the conveniently placed SIM card slot, contributing to a well-balanced and intuitive design. Plus, its slim profile allows it to disappear into a pair of jeans pocket or slip easily inside a suit coat.

The major advantage of the Minimal Phone is its e-ink display, which provides a reading experience that closely mimics reading from physical paper. The display uses ambient light to illuminate the text, reducing eye strain associated with backlit screens found in tablets and smartphones. Furthermore, e-ink displays are easier to read in bright sunlight, making the Minimal Phone perfect for outdoor reading. Additionally, e-ink displays consume significantly less power, leading to the Minimal Phone’s longer battery life, which is ideal for extended reading sessions.

Click Here to Buy Now: $325 $450 ($125 off, exclusive perk for YD Readers only). Hurry, only a few left!

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Sandmarc’s new iPhone lens gives you a bonkers 6x optical zoom AND an adjustable focus wheel

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You call that a camera bump? Hold my beer…

The smartphone camera is officially the most popular camera in the world today, accounting for a staggering 92.5% of all images taken in any given year. Conventional photographers (who make up the remaining paltry 7.5%) will argue that smartphone photography isn’t ‘real photography’, but that’s only because digital cameras offer tonnes of more variety in terms of being able to shoot on multiple types of lenses. Batting for the mobile photography team, however, is SANDMARC with their newly unveiled whopping 6x telephoto lens for the iPhone. Not only does it boost your smartphone camera’s existing zoom (which is around 30x for the iPhone 15 Pro) by an additional 6x, it also gives you the benefit of an adjustable focus wheel – probably the first for any smartphone camera lens – bridging the gap between phone and traditional camera photography.

Designer: Sandmarc

Even though a smartphone camera is ridiculously powerful for its small size, there are certain things you really wouldn’t do with it, like take wildlife shots, telephoto shots of objects far away (architecture, birds, etc.), or ultra-low DoF portrait shots. Well, maybe you’d take the latter, but that’s a legitimate gray area because artificial bokeh can never compare to the real deal. SANDMARC’s Telephoto 6x Lens wants to change that. Designed to be good enough to take on a wildlife photoshoot or to capture objects from far away because they aren’t really accessible, the zoom lens does a phenomenal job of enhancing your smartphone’s vision without causing any sort of loss in quality because of the limitations of smartphone lens structures.

Aside from extending your zoom range, the Telephoto 6x Lens prioritizes superior image quality over the limitations of your phone’s digital zoom. Crafted with high-quality, multi-coated glass, this lens promises to deliver noticeably sharper images with enhanced detail, even in challenging low-light conditions. Unlike typical add-on lenses that can be cumbersome and offer limited functionality, the SANDMARC lens boasts a unique feature: an adjustable focus wheel. This empowers you to take complete creative control over your photos. By fine-tuning the focus, you can ensure intricate details in close-up shots are captured with razor-sharp precision, adding a whole new dimension to your mobile photography repertoire.

The lens design incorporates a shallow depth of field, a technique beloved by professional photographers. This means realistic bokehs that highlight your subject beautifully, without any of those errors or artificial blurring created as a result of computational photography done by smartphone algorithms. This setup, in its truest sense, is the closest thing to bringing conventional camera tools to smartphone photography. Sure, professional camera evangelists would still say this isn’t ‘real photography’, but they also won’t deny that the results from this phone and lens setup are just immaculate.

While the $159.99 price tag might seem steep, it’s worth considering the significant enhancements it offers. The extended zoom range, improved image quality, and creative flexibility the lens provides can elevate your mobile photography to a whole new level.

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Sony Xperia 1 VI phone design might lose what makes it special

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It might come as a surprise to some that Sony actually makes smartphones. Actually, it might even come as a bigger surprise that it still makes smartphones at this point in time. Its mobile business has definitely fallen on hard times, forcing the brand to exit some global markets and sell only through online channels in others. Despite all that, Sony still believes that a smartphone has a place in its portfolio, especially as a means to access its treasury of entertainment-related content. That has been the guiding principle behind the design of its premium Xperia 1 smartphone series, but it seems that the product line’s sixth iteration will make some small but significant changes that almost undermine all of that in one fell swoop.

Designer: Sony (via zackbuks on Weibo)

Truth be told, the Sony Xperia 1 design has always been an oddity among its peers even today. It easily stands out from the crowd almost literally because of its extra tall and narrow body, designed to support a 21:9 screen aspect ratio that Sony has been advertising as the perfect format for ultra-wide content. It also distinguished itself with its 4K display resolution when all its competitors continue to play in 2K or even 2.5K figures only.

The latest rumor, however, changes the narrative a bit. According to the source, Sony will be downgrading that 4K resolution to something like 2K+ or QHD+, more in line with other high-end smartphones in recent years. More importantly, it is also making the screen a bit wider and shorter to achieve a more “normal” 19.5:9 aspect ratio, again similar to flagship devices from the likes of Samsung and Apple. It’s by no means going to be significantly smaller, as these leaked images show, but it definitely changes the shape of the phone to be less distinctive.

It sounds perplexing that Sony, which has never really minded smartphone trends and fads, would make such drastic changes, but it might all boil down to price. Sony Xperia phones have been notorious for their higher price tags compared to their peers, so downgrading one of the most expensive and uncommon components could actually do a lot to drive the cost down. Unless, of course, Sony decides to offset those savings by including features and hardware that incur just as much expenses.

That’s not to say that the Xperia 1 VI will be bereft of any notable features. Another selling point of the phone is its use of camera hardware close to Sony’s own Alpha line of mirrorless cameras. That said, its photography prowess has rarely been praised mostly because the phone barely reaches people’s hands, so making the next Xperia flagship more affordable could actually help remedy that situation.

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Infinix NOTE 40 phones blend sleek urban aesthetic with super-fast charging

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Of the many things that smartphone buyers look for, cameras and battery life probably rank the highest, even over display quality. Capturing memories is a very important part of what people use smartphones for, but an extremely short battery life can ruin even the most powerful smartphone. In fact, the more powerful a device is, the faster it will drain its battery. While batteries themselves haven’t evolved as fast as smartphones, charging technologies have been growing in leaps and bounds. In the past, super-fast charging speeds have been exclusive to high-end, premium phones, but the new Infinix NOTE 40 smartphones are bringing that technology and convenience to a wider and younger audience that also cares just as much about style as they do the rest of the phone’s specs.

Designer: Infinix

Although there are research and innovations that attempt to improve the quality of smartphone batteries, they’re pretty much still the same packs that we’ve been using for years. Manufacturers have poured their efforts into improving charging speeds instead, making sure that people spend as little time as possible when they do need to plug the phone in. That’s what Infinix’s new All-Round FastCharge 2.0 technology is trying to accomplish, bringing speed and versatility to users’ charging experience.

Infinix NOTE 40

Infinix NOTE 40

This technology supports rapid charging at 70W for the new Infinix NOTE 40 and NOTE 40 Pro (4G), as well as blazing fast 100W speeds for the Infinix NOTE 40 Pro (5G) and NOTE 40 Pro+ 5G. Thanks to Infinix’s self-developed Cheetah X1 chip, these phones can boast reaching 50% in just minutes (8 minutes for the Infinix NOTE 40 Pro+ 5G, to be precise) while still providing safety and longevity. Additional charging highlights include Bypass Charging 2.0 to minimize heat generation when playing games while the phone is plugged in, 20W wireless charging, and, perhaps most interesting, Infinix’s own brand of magnetic wireless charging technology, MagCharge.

Infinix NOTE 40 Pro (4G)

Infinix NOTE 40 Pro (4G)

Infinix NOTE 40 Pro (5G)

The Infinix NOTE 40 series is designed to cater to a younger audience that appreciates a more distinctive and livelier aesthetic than most gray, black, or even white phones in the market. That’s why Infinix adopted an urban theme for the phone’s designs, creating a sleek and modern appearance through smooth curves, colors, and materials. The Vintage Green, for example, tries to evoke a sense of charm for retro styles and uses vegan leather to add a bit of luxury to the finish. Titan Gold’s mix of blue and yellow tries to capture the image of the sun setting over the city’s horizon.

Infinix NOTE 40 Pro+ (5G)

Infinix NOTE 40 Pro+ (5G)

In terms of hardware, the Infinix NOTE 40 runs on MediaTek’s mid-range chips, paired with 8 or 12GB of RAM. All four models in this series get a 108MP main camera, though only the Pro variants put optical image stabilization (OIS) on it. The brand also introduces an AI-powered Active Halo lighting feature for dynamic notifications and accents to give a little life to your smartphone usage. The Infinix NOTE 40 series launches globally this month, available in Vintage Green, Obsidian Black, and Titan Gold colorways. A special BMW DesignWorks Racing Edition will be coming later this year to truly drive home the phone’s super-fast charging speed.

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World’s First E-Ink Smartphone with a QWERTY Keyboard will get your eyes and hands to fall in love

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It’s like if the smartphone, Kindle, and Blackberry had a baby… and frankly, it’s gorgeous.

The Minimalist Phone stands at a rather unique junction of two trajectories – one, with smartphones getting more and more advanced, and being able to do much more than they previously did, and another, with phones that are designed to be ‘dumb-phones’ that just handle the basics, and don’t have you becoming a screen addict. Strangely enough, even though the two of them should really never have an intersection point, it seems like the Minimalist Phone IS that intersection point. It’s a unique combination of traditional smartphone features, coupled with a no-nonsense design that cuts all the clutter, but reintroduces the QWERTY keyboard, bringing a world of user-focused functionality back. And just if you’re wondering, yes, the Minimal Phone works exactly like any other smartphone – it runs Android 13, supports all your favorite apps, has a fingerprint reader, 4G LTE, and surprisingly enough, both rear and front-facing cameras so you can click color photos just like you would on a regular phone. (You’ll still need to view them in color on a regular screen though)

Oh, and it also has a 3.5mm jack.

Designers: Andre Youkhna and Armen Youssefian

Click Here to Buy Now: $325 $450 ($125 off, exclusive perk for YD Readers only). Hurry, only a few left!

“Live more. Scroll less,” say Andre Youkhna and Armen Youssefian, the folks who designed the Minimal Phone, a smartphone designed to switch the existing relationship where we’re slaves to our technological devices. Here, the smartphone empowers you, giving you the features of a phone without the layer of addictive interfaces and notifications. In essence, the Minimal Phone behaves just like your existing smartphone but has a different approach to interface, features, hardware, etc.

The e-ink display of the Minimal phone offers users a comfortable, glare-free reading experience, significantly reducing eye strain even during prolonged use.

Just like the Fairphone focuses on supply-chain transparency, the Minimal Phone focuses on a user-centric design. The device boasts a 3.5-inch-wide e-ink touchscreen that runs all your apps, lets you send/receive messages, watch videos, and even browse the internet. It has a 300PPI resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, which even by regular OLED screen standards, is pretty impressive. However, the e-ink screen notably, trades color for high-contrast, daytime visibility, and a much longer battery life. The lack of color isn’t really a bug, but rather a feature that helps deliver information without any distractions, ensuring you use your phone for exactly what you need and don’t spend more time on it than necessary.

Under the screen lies a 43-key QWERTY keyboard that brings back the glory days of being able to type out messages without accidental presses and those godawful typos that are still a problem with touchscreen keyboards. The Minimal Phone’s QWERTY keyboard is 70mm wide, and each key has a respectable travel of 0.15mm, giving you a confident and reliable typing experience.

When you’re not typing out messages and emails (or sh*tposting on X), the phone’s touch-sensitive screen lets you easily browse the internet, use apps, and perform regular smartphone-related functions. Building on the ongoing trend of the minimal OS courtesy brands like Nothing, the one on the Minimal Phone is fairly utilitarian too, with clear text, easy-to-navigate menus, and even widgets. The only difference, however, is the landscape nature of the display, which means apps look/feel different on the Minimal Phone. Nevertheless, you can still use all your favorite Android apps like Uber, Spotify, Instagram, WhatsApp, even Maps.

Its software capabilities aside, the Minimal Phone has some impressive hardware too. Under its hood you’ve got a MediaTek 6769 processor with 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4000mAh battery that should last up to a week on a full charge. The Minimal Phone has Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band WiFi, NFC, and 4G LTE. The phone stands at 4.7 inches tall, 2.8 inches wide, 0.39 inches (or 10mm) thick. It’s got a fingerprint reader built into the power button, a USB-C port, a single SIM tray, a 12MP main camera and an 8MP front-facing selfie-cam, and most impressively, still retains a 3.5mm aux input, quite literally giving you the best of all worlds! The Minimal Phone starts at a discounted price of $325, and is designed to be completely repairable, complying with the latest EU regulations.

Click Here to Buy Now: $325 $450 ($125 off, exclusive perk for YD Readers only). Hurry, only a few left!

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The iPhone 16 might just be a snoozefest… History tells us why.

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Historically, every three years, the iPhone’s design gets a ‘boring’ upgrade. Do you remember the iPhone 8 or the iPhone 13’s most exciting features? Neither do I.

The iPhone X and 11 had radical new designs with the notch, the iPhone 12 introduced 5G and MagSafe… but after two consecutive years of exciting features, the iPhone 13 barely had anything worth talking about (unless you consider ‘Cinematic Mode’ to be a game-changing feature). Skip to the next year and the iPhone 14 Pro had the Dynamic Island and Satellite Connectivity. The iPhone 15 had the Action Button, the USB-C port, and a titanium construction. All indications show that the upcoming iPhone 16 won’t really dazzle much. Aside from a few hardware upgrades and perhaps one or two extra camera features (probably tied to the Vision Pro), there isn’t any thrilling rumor regarding the upcoming iPhone 16’s design. Not that there needs to be – Apple’s entitled to taking a short break every few years and just focusing on fine-tuning the product rather than wowing people. If you’re thinking of upgrading to the 16 this year, I’d probably give it a miss and go for the 15 instead. The iPad, on the other hand, is due for a BIG refresh with rumors of a glass-back, MagSafe, and perhaps some more camera upgrades to support the Vision Pro.

The rumor mill for the latest iPhone often begins around a year prior to its release. Once a model of the iPhone launches, analysts and experts begin speculating what the next year’s model could look like. Speculations turn into rumors by January. Rumors turn into leaks by April or May. And renders emerge online by July or August, approximately a month before Apple announces its newest iPhone. So far, the rumors have been rather underwhelming at best, with some minor upgrades being touted for the iPhone 16.

So far, outlets like MacRumors haven’t specified any ‘game-changing’ new features for the iPhone 16. Sure, you have a chipset upgrade every year and the 16 Pro will run Apple’s latest A18 Bionic chip. Cameras get upgraded too, and there’s speculation that the Ultrawide camera could get a 48MP bump this year. The new iPhone 16 series will apparently have larger displays (so maybe smaller bezels), better 5G, WiFi 7 capabilities, and a new stacked battery architecture for better battery life. Visibly, the iPhone 16 might have a different camera layout, defaulting to the original vertical orientation seen with the iPhone 11 and 12 (although the bump around them may be capsule-shaped instead of square like older models). There’s also speculation about a new physical ‘capture’ button for clicking photos or recording videos… although all indications show that this might just be one of those rumors that end up staying a rumor. Apple’s famously trying to move away from buttons and ports, so adding an extra button to the new phone just doesn’t sound like something the company would do. Moreover, the volume buttons already work as capture buttons when the camera app’s active… so a dedicated capture button feels rather redundant.

The iPhone 16 Pro might see some extremely small incremental changes, with barely any visible differences. The rendering below shows a possible iPhone 16 Pro with a design that’s indistinguishable from last year’s 15 Pro model. Apple will almost certainly stick to titanium for the Pro series, potentially with newer colors to help differentiate them from last year’s models.

All eyes, however, are on Apple’s software development team this year. The company famously canceled its rumored Apple Car project, moving the entire Project Titan team to work for the in-house AI development department. Analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo speculate that Apple might announce AI-based features like a next-gen Siri powered by Apple’s own LLM, or other generative AI capabilities. These announcements, however, may just come with the iOS 18 debut during WWDC in June. To push the latest iPhone series, Apple may also limit these AI features only to the iPhone 16 range, forcing consumers to make the upgrade. However, until these speculations are confirmed, the iPhone 16 may just be worth a miss this year.

Images via MacRumors

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