As for the iPhone 16’s rear camera design, the rumors only point in one direction: towards a vertically stacked alignment for two camera lenses, in the style of the iPhone 12. Now there’s another leak to be addressed the same pile.
Well-known tipster Majin Bu (through MacRumors) has posted so-called camera lens molds, along with a mockup of the back of the iPhone 16 – and once again the two rear camera lenses are shown one above the other.
Take a look around the back of an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus and you’ll see the 48MP and 12MP cameras arranged in a diagonal pattern, with the flash and microphone also visible on a slightly raised, square camera bump.
We haven’t seen cameras like this on the back of an iPhone since the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, which launched side by side in October 2020 – so it’s looking increasingly likely that the older design will return.
Going spatial
Rumor has it that one of the reasons for the switch is so that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus can record spatial video, the 3D-like video format that Apple introduced with iOS 17.2 on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15. ProMax.
These videos give you a more immersive feel by recording from two slightly different angles at the same time – using two camera lenses. The only problem is that you need an Apple Vision Pro to get the 3D effect when playing them.
If the feature were available on all four iPhone 16 models, it would open up the format to a wider audience, and perhaps shift a few more Vision Pros at the same time. At this point, the only rumors we’ve heard about camera upgrades (rather than camera positions) involve the iPhone 16 Pro.
Apply the usual caution when assessing this latest leak: there’s no guarantee the information is completely accurate, and even if it is, Apple may make some tweaks to the iPhone 16’s design between now and September.