Apple's iPhone 16 Pro could have brand new look, leaks suggest

Tech sites 9to5Google and 9to5Mac have a theory as to what a polished titanium frame for the iPhone 16 Pro might look like: showing off a pic of Google's short-lived 2017 Essential Phone (above), which used that same metal in polished form

Apple fans disappointed by the dulled sheen of the iPhone 15 Pro's more rugged brushed titanium frame might want to save up for an upgrade later this year. 

A prolific, anonymous leaker reported that the tech giant may 'use a method that improves the previous titanium processing and color processing' for the next generation iPhone 16 Pro

The change may be to address complaints from iPhone 15 Pro users frustrated that their new phone's titanium frame had a habit of temporarily changing color when coming in contact with natural oil from human skin.  

The new rumor suggests that a new look for iPhone 16 could manage to hold onto the durability of the new titanium frame while restoring the older, sleek iPhone look.

'There will be no external scratches or scratches,' according to the leaker, compared to the existing stainless steel models of the iPhone, despite the 'more glossy' results.

A prolific, anonymous leaker reports the tech giant plans to 'use a method that improves the previous titanium processing and color processing' for the next generation iPhone 16 Pro — suggested a return to a shinier, glossier iPhone. Above, the stainless steel iPhone 14

The rumor suggests the updated methods will manage to hold onto the durability of the new titanium frame of the iPhone 15 Pro (above) while restoring the older, sleeker iPhone look 

One upset user opined that the color distortion issue was 'kinda wild considering the price of this tech.' Another said they would 'probably get the 15 pro buying a iPhone for the first time' but were 'afraid of that frame' losing its luster 

The leaked information arrived from 'a related company source' to the anonymous blogger 'yeux1122' who aggregates news and rumors on the South Korean social media company Naver's blogging platform. 

The blogger has suggested that a glossier, yet still sturdy iPhone 16 Pro would be a logical response to customer demands as Apple fights to maintain its reputation as the most stylish mobile device on the market.

When the iPhone 15 Pro premiered last September, several new owners took to social media to share pictures of their new smartphones, ranting about significant discoloration along the titanium metal sidebands.

One upset user opined that the issue was 'kinda wild considering the price of this tech.' 

Another said they would 'probably get the 15 Pro buying a iPhone for the first time' but were 'afraid of that frame' losing its luster.

While the titanium frame had been chosen for its ultra-strong and super light properties, the metal was also noted for presenting, sometimes charming, 'interference colors,' which make the surface look like a rainbow when heated.

Through a process called anodizing, the surface of the titanium reacts with the air and produces very thin layers of oxides which scatter the light and give the metal incredible colored finishes. 

But according to Associate Professor Walter Navarrini of the Polytechnic University of Milan, one of the major drawbacks to using titanium is that this also can lead to 'chromatic alteration that greasy traces of oily substances cause on the surface.' 

Apple debuted the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max in September, designed with aerospace-grade titanium that's strong yet lightweight - promising Apple's lightest Pro models ever

The iPhone 15 also has an OLED Super Retina display, which supports Dolby Vision content with 1,600 nits of brightness. However, the peak brightness of this display is 2,000 nits in sunlight, which is double that of the iPhone 14

READ MORE: iPhone 16 could be foldable! Leak says Apple developing 'at least two' phones that fold horizontally 

Apple is reportedly working on at least two prototypes for a folding iPhone that opens like a classic flip phone.

When titanium comes into contact with bare hands, in other words, thin layers of oil can stick to the surface, causing that same effect to occur, scattering light into unsightly oil-slick rainbows of grubby looking fingerprints and smudges.

Tech site 9to5Google and its sister site 9to5Mac had a theory as to what the rumored 'polished titanium' frame on the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro might look like — showing off a pic of Google's short-lived 2017 Essential Phone, which used that same metal in polished form.

In 2022, yeux1122 dropped advanced notice that the iPhone 14 would fail to include improvements to the device's 'wireless charging' function.

And true to the rumors, users quickly noted that the iPhone 14's design choices had actually made wireless charging with Apple's magnetized MagSafe charger less than ideal.

'The camera bump is not allowing it to lay flat and charge,' one iPhone owner posted to the company's support forum about a month after yeux122's leak. 'Boo Apple.' 

'Now what do we do after we have spent money on wireless charging devices?' 

This year, the leaker has already issued a wave of predictions about the Cupertino-based company's tightly held internal plans.

If you were thinking of splashing out on Apple's new iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you might want to think about grabbing a case. The tech giant has admitted the new titanium frame can temporarily change colour without protection 

In one post, the leaker suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could debut with the longest-ever battery life ever offered in an iPhone, and that iPhone 16 Pro models might come with an optional 2TB of storage.

But despite some major scoops in recent years, the person or person's behind 'yeux1122' has 'a mixed track record aggregating accurate Apple rumors ' according to MacRumor's senior editor Hartley Charlton.

Those less reliable rumors have included a revival of the tiny 12-inch MacBook design made from 2015 to 2019, which some long-time users of the brand are nostalgic for. 

The leaker has also claimed in recent months that an upcoming OLED iPad Pro will be vastly more expensive than existing Apple models, rising from $1500 to between $1,800 and $2,000 depending on specs.