The thinnest bezels on any smartphone currently available
Each September, Apple draws a line between what we carried and what we will carry next — and on September 9, 2024, that line arrives again with the iPhone 16 series. This cycle brings not only larger screens and faster silicon, but a quieter shift in how premium technology reaches consumers in India, where local assembly and reduced import duties may make the most powerful iPhones meaningfully more accessible. It is a reminder that the story of a device is never only about the device itself, but about the economic and geographic forces that determine who gets to hold it.
- Apple's Pro models are growing in every direction — larger 6.3" and 6.9" displays with the thinnest bezels of any smartphone on the market signal a firm pivot toward bigger as the new premium.
- The A18 Pro chipset powers the Pro line while a slightly restrained A18 runs the standard models, maintaining Apple's careful hierarchy of performance without splitting its silicon roadmap entirely.
- In India, Foxconn's Tamil Nadu facility is training thousands of workers to assemble Pro models locally, and combined with reduced customs duties, prices could fall by as much as 10% — a significant concession in a price-sensitive market.
- A 48MP ultra-wide camera on the Pro Max, a slightly larger battery, and new colorways including Desert Titanium and a returning Gold option are positioned to convert the undecided and reward the loyal.
- The September 9 "It's Glowtime" event is less a reveal than a confirmation — the real suspense now lies in pre-order demand and whether Apple's pricing strategy lands as intended.
Apple's September 9 event will bring four new iPhones to market — the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, and the premium Pro and Pro Max — capping months of leaks that have already sketched the devices in considerable detail.
The Pro models are growing. The iPhone 16 Pro moves from 6.1 to 6.3 inches, and the Pro Max from 6.7 to 6.9 inches, both wrapped in displays built with Border Reduction Structure technology that promises the thinnest bezels currently available on any smartphone — narrower even than Samsung's Galaxy S24 or Google's Pixel 9. Apple is clearly betting that the market wants more screen, not less. Powering the Pro line is the new A18 Pro chipset, while the standard models run a slightly tuned A18 — a tiered approach that preserves performance differentiation without requiring entirely separate chip designs.
For Indian consumers, the more consequential news may be economic. Foxconn has been training workers at a Tamil Nadu facility to assemble the Pro and Pro Max locally, and when combined with the Indian government's recent customs duty reductions on mobile phones, the result could be price cuts of up to 10 percent on Apple's most expensive models — a meaningful shift in a market where cost remains a decisive factor.
On the camera front, the Pro Max gains a 48MP ultra-wide lens and carries forward its tetraprism telephoto system, while the battery grows modestly from 4,441mAh to 4,676mAh. Apple is also refreshing its color story, introducing a warm brownish Desert Titanium finish and reportedly reviving a Gold option — choices that may seem cosmetic but often prove decisive for buyers who treat their phone as personal expression.
The shape of these devices is already known. What September 9 will reveal is how Apple chooses to tell their story — and what pre-order numbers will say about whether the world is ready to listen.
Apple's next flagship smartphones arrive on September 9, and the company is bringing four new models to the stage: the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, alongside the Pro and Pro Max variants. While Apple has maintained its traditional silence on the details, a consistent stream of leaks and industry reports has painted a clear picture of what to expect.
The Pro models are getting noticeably larger screens. The iPhone 16 Pro will jump from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, while the Pro Max grows from 6.7 to 6.9 inches. This signals Apple's decision to abandon any pretense of catering to users who want a smaller premium phone—the company is betting that bigger is what the market wants. Accompanying these larger displays is a new manufacturing technique called Border Reduction Structure technology, which promises to shrink the bezels around the screen. If the rumors hold, these will be the thinnest bezels on any smartphone currently available, narrowing the gap even compared to Samsung's Galaxy S24 and Google's Pixel 9 series.
Under the hood, the Pro models will run Apple's new A18 Pro chipset, a successor to last year's A17 Pro. The standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will use the A18 chip, which is essentially the same processor running at lower speeds. This tiered approach lets Apple maintain performance differentiation without requiring entirely separate silicon designs.
For India specifically, there are signs of meaningful price relief. According to Bloomberg reporting, Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn has begun training thousands of workers at a facility in Tamil Nadu to produce the Pro and Pro Max models locally. This shift toward Indian assembly could reduce prices on these premium devices by as much as 10 percent. The Indian government's recent cut to customs duties on mobile phones provides another avenue for price reductions, giving Apple room to pass savings along to consumers in a market where price sensitivity remains high.
The camera system on the Pro Max is getting an upgrade too. The ultra-wide lens will jump to 48 megapixels, a meaningful increase from previous generations, while the tetraprism telephoto lens introduced last year will carry forward. The battery in the Pro Max is expected to grow slightly, from 4,441mAh to 4,676mAh—a modest but welcome improvement for a device this size.
Apple is also refreshing the color palette. A new brownish shade called Desert Titanium is expected to join the lineup, and there are whispers of a Gold option returning to the Pro series, a move that could appeal to users who've been waiting for warmer tones in the premium range. These cosmetic changes matter more than they might seem; color choices often drive purchasing decisions among consumers who view their phone as a personal statement.
The September 9 event, branded "It's glowtime," will be the official unveiling, but the contours of these devices are already well known to anyone paying attention. What remains to be seen is how Apple positions these changes—whether it emphasizes the display improvements, the local manufacturing story for India, or the camera and performance gains. The real test will come when pre-orders open and real-world demand becomes clear.
Notable Quotes
Apple's key partner Foxconn has started training thousands of workers at a factory in Tamil Nadu to produce iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max variants— Bloomberg reporting on manufacturing plans
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Apple keep making the Pro phones bigger if some people clearly want smaller flagships?
Because the data probably shows that's where the money is. Smaller phones are nice in theory, but most people who buy Pro models want the biggest screen they can get. Apple's betting on that trend continuing.
The India pricing angle—is that actually significant, or just noise?
It's real. India is one of Apple's fastest-growing markets, but price is still a barrier. A 10 percent cut on a Pro Max could move the needle for a lot of people who were on the fence. Local manufacturing also signals Apple's long-term commitment to the market.
These bezels sound like a technical achievement. Does it actually matter to users?
Marginally. Thinner bezels mean slightly more screen real estate in the same physical footprint, which is nice. But honestly, the difference between this year and last year won't be dramatic. It's more about Apple staying ahead of the conversation.
Why introduce new colors when the phones themselves aren't changing that much?
Colors are cheap to produce and they drive upgrades. Someone with an iPhone 15 Pro in silver might not care about performance gains, but Desert Titanium? That's a reason to trade in. It's psychology as much as engineering.
The A18 Pro versus A18 split—is that enough differentiation?
For most people, no. The standard A18 will handle everything fine. But Apple needs to justify the Pro price tag somehow, and a faster chip is the easiest story to tell. The real difference will be in the camera and display quality.
What's the one thing people should actually care about here?
The India manufacturing story. That's the structural shift. If Apple can build Pro phones in India at scale, it changes the economics of the entire market. That matters beyond just one product cycle.