iPhone 16 series might lack significant design changes: Ming-Chi Kuo

HIGHLIGHTS

• Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says there won’t be any significant design changes on the iPhone 16 series.
• iPhones are currently missing out on two biggest trends on flagships right now: foldable designs and generative AI features.
• Kuo Apple is unlikely to offer “more comprehensive” generative AI features until the iPhone 17 series next year.

After the iPhone 15 lineup, which introduced some notable improvements and hardware upgrades, the company will launch the iPhone 16 models later this year. Now, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, there won’t be any significant design changes on the iPhone 16 series. He further added that the Cupertino giant is unlikely to offer “more comprehensive” generative AI features until the iPhone 17 series next year.

Separately, Ming-Chi Kuo also shared predictions for the iPhone in 2024. The analyst says his latest supply chain survey suggests Apple has “lowered its 2024 iPhone shipments of key upstream semiconductor components to about 200 million units.”

iPhone 16 series might not bring major design changes

• Kuo says that Apple will not launch new iPhone models with significant design changes this year.
• The more comprehensive/differentiated GenAI ecosystem/applications will arrive in iPhone models, probably dubbed iPhone 17 only in 2025.

• The foldable design and generative AI features are the two biggest trends for high-end flagships right now, as per Kuo.
• The analyst believes iPhone shipments could decline in 2024 as a result of Apple not introducing products focused on these trending features.
• Rumours suggest the notable hardware change coming to the iPhone 16 lineup is the ‘capture button‘ for video-related actions.
•  According to reports, the button will respond to pressure and touch. For example, users will be able to zoom in and out in the camera app by wiping left and right on the button.
• The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are tipped to feature larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, compared to 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

In a new investor note, an Apple analyst says his latest supply chain survey suggests Apple has lowered its 2024 iPhone shipments of key upstream semiconductor components to about 200 million units. This marks a decline of around 15 percent YoY for iPhone shipments, according to Kuo. The analyst says that this fall includes factors like the slowdown of iPhone sales in China and the lack of notable design and software innovations, as said. “Apple’s weekly shipments in China have declined by 30–40% YoY in recent weeks,” noted Kuo.

iPhone 16 series might not bring major design changes

• Kuo says that Apple will not launch new iPhone models with significant design changes this year.
• The more comprehensive/differentiated GenAI ecosystem/applications will arrive in iPhone models, probably dubbed iPhone 17 only in 2025.

• The foldable design and generative AI features are the two biggest trends for high-end flagships right now, as per Kuo.
• The analyst believes iPhone shipments could decline in 2024 as a result of Apple not introducing products focused on these trending features.
• Rumours suggest the notable hardware change coming to the iPhone 16 lineup is the ‘capture button‘ for video-related actions.
•  According to reports, the button will respond to pressure and touch. For example, users will be able to zoom in and out in the camera app by wiping left and right on the button.
• The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are tipped to feature larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, compared to 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The iPhone 15 will likely pack Apple’s Bionic A16 chipset under the hood, which powered last year’s iPhone 14 Pro models. This is something that the company started last year – offering one-year flagship phone lower priced models. Hence, the same is expected to happen with the new ones too.