Apple's iPhone 16 series could be equipped with a revamped thermal management system, according to information leaked by a tipster. The company's purported successors to the iPhone 15 lineup — that was affected by heating issues — could be equipped with a material that could offer improved thermal conductivity compared to Apple's current solution. Android smartphone makers have, in recent years, adopted novel mechanisms — including vapour cooling chambers — to keep temperatures in check. Apple is also tipped to house the battery of the iPhone 16 with a metal bracket for better cooling than the company's existing models.
The Cupertino company is developing a graphene-based thermal management system that will arrive with the iPhone 16 series, according to a post by tipster Kosutami (@KosutamiSan) on X (formerly known as Twitter). Apple's current smartphones — including the current-generation iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max — are equipped with a copper heat sink to keep temperatures in check while the phone is in use.
In addition to the rumoured adoption of graphene, Apple will also equip the iPhone 16 with a metal bracket that will house the handset's battery, according to the tipster. The combination of these changes is expected to offer better heat dissipation for the ship and the battery.
If Apple does change the material used for thermal management on the iPhone 16 series, it could potentially help the company resolve challenges with heat dissipation at the hardware level. Earlier this year, the company admitted that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were affected by heating issues, but said these problems were related to software bugs and app optimisation issues — the company said it fixed these issues with the iOS 17.0.3 update that rolled out last month.
However, it is advisable to view these claims with a degree of scepticism — it has only been a couple of months since Apple launched the iPhone 15 and we are likely to hear more details about the iPhone 16 in the coming months, ahead of its expected arrival in the second half of 2024.
