We’re seeing a steady stream of iPhone 16 leaks now, and the latest comes from a proven source of advance information: cases. A newly leaked case appears to have once again revealed the rear camera redesign heading to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
This particular leak comes from a serial tipster @SonnyDickson (through MacRumors), and shows the vertical pill-shaped look that Apple is apparently going for this year when it comes to the two lenses on the back of the cheaper iPhone models.
It’s a rumor we’ve come across before, but the more leaks we see along the same lines, the more likely we are to believe they’re accurate – although nothing is certain until Apple gets around to an official launch (probably in September) . ).
As well as images showing off the new design, we’ve also seen leaked schematics and case shapes and dummy units revealing the new camera alignment, so that’s a lot of leaks that must be wrong if this isn’t the design approach Apple is taking this year .
More spatial video?
First cases for iPhone 16 pic.twitter.com/xCUOldA8I2March 29, 2024
Recent iPhones have placed the two rear cameras diagonally on a square bump. The vertical alignment we see in these new leaks has been used by Apple before, but you’ll have to go back to the iPhone 12 in 2020 to find it.
As for why the switch could be made back, it looks like spatial video could be the reason: while the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can record this special 3D-enhanced video format (visible on the Apple Vision Pro), its the two cheaper 2023 models are not possible.
With the dual cameras aligned vertically, spatial video can be recorded, making it available to more handsets and more people. Perhaps Apple engineers also like the look of the new alignment and feel it’s time for a change.
The three cameras we expect to see on the back of the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max don’t appear to be changing positions and will most likely end up in the standard triangle formation used on the current models.