There's still about nine months until Apple unveils its next iPhone at the end of 2024, but a new leak claims to have revealed the design of the next phone. And there's one surprising change: The device will reportedly revert to the style Apple last used in 2020.
Over the past three generations (iPhone 13, 14, and 15), Apple's non-Pro smartphones have featured a pair of diagonally arranged rear camera lenses.It's never been completely clear why Is it arranged this way, or why did Apple choose to change the design twice, using a horizontal configuration for the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus, and a vertical configuration for iPhone X through iPhone 12? Did you do it? But whatever the reason*, we seem to be heading for a new change.
Industry news site MacRumors has published an exhaustive leak regarding Apple's current design plans for the iPhone 16, citing anonymous sources. And one of the leaked information is that the company plans to equip the next iPhone with a vertically arranged rear camera lens, very similar to the iPhone 16. iPhone12.
MacRumors is keen to emphasize that even though we're far from launch, plans remain fluid. This is partly to give the site an out if plans turn out differently, but also to explain why Apple appears to be pursuing multiple variations of the design. These are shown in mockup images, and the site claims they match very closely to prototypes created by Apple engineers. For example, one of the unresolved dilemmas is whether to put two separate lenses one above the other in the same style as the iPhone 12 (still in a big squircle bump), or to put them in one troche like on the iPhone XS / Can be combined into tablets. .
The vertical lens is the most immediately obvious design change introduced with the 16th generation iPhone, but it's not the only one. According to MacRumors, Apple also plans to revamp the hardware buttons. The integrated haptic volume buttons developed for the iPhone 15 Pro but ultimately canceled will not be available on the iPhone 16 yet. However, two new capacitive buttons have been added. Action buttons are now actually included. It's similar to the 15 Pro, but will be standardized across products in 2024. Additionally, a completely new capture button with an unknown purpose may only appear in some prototypes and may not make it into the final design.
As MacRumors says, these are early prototypes and may not match the final shipping product. To stay on top of the latest news and rumors, check out our regularly updated iPhone 16 Super Guide.
*The most widely accepted explanation is that Apple needs space to install additional or larger sensors, and the diagonal is best for this purpose. But that doesn't explain why the company doesn't need to do this anymore…unless you buy the second solution to the mystery, that's because Apple simply doesn't want to make visual differences between iPhone generations. Make a new model and you want everyone to know whether you bought it or not.
