New iPhone 16 Thermal Design High on Buyers' Wishlist, Survey Suggests

A recent survey conducted by SellCell suggests that a significant majority of iPhone users are planning to upgrade to the upcoming iPhone 16 series, with many expressing a preference for a better thermal design to prevent overheating issues.

iPhone 16 Pro Mock Article
The survey, which polled over 2,000 US-based ‌iPhone‌ owners (1,000 males and 1,000 females), found that 61.9% of respondents plan to purchase an ‌iPhone 16‌ model upon release.

Competitive pricing emerged as the most crucial factor, with 30.9% of respondents citing it as the primary influence on their decision to upgrade. But it was improved heat management that turned out to be another key area of interest, with 26.8% of users hoping for better thermal performance to prevent overheating issues.

Shortly after the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max were released last September, some customers began to experience an issue with the devices overheating. Apple eventually mitigated the problem with an iOS 17 update, but ‌iPhone 16‌ models are expected to be equipped with a new thermal design to address potential overheating.

The SellCell survey also revealed significant interest in Apple Intelligence capabilities for the ‌iPhone 16‌. A striking 82.1% of respondents expressed willingness to wait up to a month after release for the AI features to be fully implemented. Apple plans to release ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in an iOS 18.1 update that is expected to arrive in October.

Another intriguing finding was the interest in larger displays for the ‌iPhone 16‌ series. Despite the current ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max already boasting a 6.7-inch screen, over half of the respondents (54.9%) indicated they would welcome even bigger iPhones. The finding chimes with expectations that the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models will have slightly bigger displays.

However, there was a notable gender divide on the issue of display size. The majority of men (62.1%) were in favor of larger displays, while women are more evenly split, with 47.8% expressing interest in bigger screens. Some female respondents cited concerns about handling and holding larger devices comfortably.

For those who said they won't be buying the ‌iPhone 16‌, most people (34.2%) cited the expense as the reason, closely followed by people who won't invest because they are keeping their existing phone (34.1%).

Apple is expected to announce its new ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup next month at an event that could take place on Tuesday, September 10, although Apple has not yet provided official confirmation of the date.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro is Vulnerable to Scratching, But Not Where You Might Think

Tuesday September 23, 2025 2:18 pm PDT by
Early reports have suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air are more vulnerable to scratches and scuffs, primarily due to damage spotted at Apple Stores. Apple customers have discovered that the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models Apple has out for display at its retail locations have scratching in the area of the MagSafe charger. Those devices are handled by hundreds to thousands of...

Top Rated Comments

marco114 Avatar
14 months ago
I've never had an issue with overheating.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JitteryJimmy Avatar
14 months ago
I'm not sure what kind of "survey" this is, but I find it awful weird that "thermal design" is one of the most important purchase decisions for the average buyer. Battery life, appearance, and durability were not even survey options. WTF?

It feels like a PC fanboy dream: "Thermals are most important to me, and I hope they use the amazing thermal paste and water cooling like I have on my home-built gaming rig"

My guess is that respondents saw the word "design" and clicked that one, assuming that "thermal design" means "appearance". After all, 99% of people I know have no idea what "thermal design" actually means, despite the survey's attempt to explain it in a half sentence.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swissglide Avatar
14 months ago
Survey: “do you want tech to prevent overheating?”
Respondent: “oooh, overheating sounds real bad, I don’t want my phone to start doing that! Better mark this one high.”
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunapple Avatar
14 months ago
The iPhone 6S got a stronger frame to prevent bending and the iPhone 4S got better antennas for better reception. Still some people felt the need to defend Apple on their initially flawed designs. Always an interesting phenomenon.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mblm85 Avatar
14 months ago
I bet if you asked 100 people in the real world what they wanted from the next iPhone, a grand total of zero would say “I want a new thermal design”..
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
14 months ago

I've never had an issue with overheating.
Watch a YouTube video in picture and picture and see the phone go red hot
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)