What You Really Want From the iPhone 16

There is no iPhone 16 yet; it will not be until later this year. But people have their wishlists because when there’s talk of a possible update to their daily carry on the horizon, it inspires them to think of where they’d want to spend their money.

About a month ago, I asked you what you wanted from Apple’s next iPhone. With great conviction, you told me the features on your wishlist. Most of you are tired of Apple’s battery longevity promises, only to experience a phone that barely lasts the whole day. Some of you wish Apple would update the iPhone SE already because its no-frills affordability is the easiest way to get into the Apple ecosystem without buying anything second-hand. One person referred to foldables, which would be a pipedream were it not for recent rumors suggesting otherwise. Here’s what you had to say about what you want from Apple’s iPhone 16.

“The answer is always longer battery life.”

This is a direct quote from a user who put it simply:

Longer battery life.

The answer is always longer battery life.

Another commenter echoed the sentiment, adding, “They could release the same phone with double the battery life, and I’d buy it just for that.”

Although the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series performed impressively in Gizmodo’s internal battery benchmarks, these folks are not alone in their pleas. A glance through popular subreddits and online forums shows users becoming increasingly disappointed with the iPhone’s battery promises. The complaints usually tick up during an iOS update.

Make it smaller

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a wonderful package for diehard iOS users who want the ultimate in everything Apple offers. But as one user concedes, it’s not fair that the regular Pro—the 6.1-inch one—doesn’t have similar camera capabilities as its giant slab sibling:

A mini version with the max camera. I like having a phone I can fit in a pocket and use one handed.

Indeed, I often default to the larger Pro Max for my testing, though I’d prefer to bring around smaller devices since I’m usually toting around a few at a time.

This user isn’t the “only weirdo out here” who wants a smaller iPhone. Several of you are chanting to bring back the mini. Unfortunately, reports suggest the iPhone will get bigger with the next iteration. The regular iPhone 16 is purported to start at 6.1 inches, while Pro users will start at 6.2 inches.

Copy Android—just a little

Admit it, iOS users, there are some things Android does that you wish you could do. To sweeten the deal for us “green bubbles,” Google launched some helpful features on the default Messages app that ships with each Android phone. Some iPhone users would like to see similar features brought to their side of the walled garden.

One commenter wants the ability to funnel messages that aren’t from direct contacts into their own folder:

I’d like to be able to tab/page my imessages. I like pinning people and there’s a limit on them. Also I’d like to relegate texts I get from banks/amazon/uber to their own view.

I agreed with this person that scheduling messages to send when it’s more convenient for the recipient is another glaringly missing feature from Apple’s messaging offerings.

Not everyone is enthused by the prospect of more AI in the future iPhone. But one user hopes Apple will adopt a Magic Eraser-like capability for the Apple Photos app. With Samsung and Google offering versions of this, and Apple giving in to AI a tiny bit with the ability to blur your photos after the fact with the iPhone 15, it seems like it will be on the bill for the next iPhone.

Will the iPhone ever fold?

Only one person mentioned folding iPhones. It just so happens to be a prescient topic. There is reason to believe Apple has already concocted a foldable iPhone behind the scenes. While there aren’t specifics, it’s clear that a folding device isn’t happening anytime soon—not even in 2025.

Although this information comes from a trusted source, it’s always possible that Apple will nix the product category before it sees the light of day—as it did with its car.