by Tim Hardwick
A photo claiming to show a mold of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 standard model has appeared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical camera arrangement.
Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical camera arrangement.
The latest prototype features the same arrangement with two separate camera rings for the Wide and Ultra Wide cameras, housed within a pill-shaped raised surface, suggesting Apple has drawn inspiration from older iPhone models, such as the iPhone X.
With the vertical camera layout, Apple is expected to bring Spatial Video recording to the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models. Current iPhone 15 models have a diagonal camera arrangement and are not able to capture spatial video, a feature that is limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and the Vision Pro headset.
In addition to the updated camera bump design, recent iPhone 16 prototypes have also featured a smaller Action Button, similar to the one used on iPhone 15 Pro, along with a pressure-sensitive Capture Button for shooting horizontal video that sits flush with the frame of the device.
When MacRumors first revealed the latest prototype earlier this month, we cautioned readers that it was sourced from pre-production information, and so may not ultimately reflect the final design that goes into mass production.
Likewise, the existence of case maker molds at this early stage does not necessarily confirm that Apple has settled on this design for the iPhone 16. The molds could simply be being used as test samples based on early schematics. Case makers also often base their initial case designs for upcoming iPhones on leaks and rumors, so the images may not be true representations.
The latest images were shared by Majin Bu on X (formerly Twitter). Bu has a mixed track record for accurate rumors, but schematics and images Bu has previously leaked show the same design and align with our own information independently sourced from the supply chain.
We should know more when the devices move closer to the Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) phase of development. For additional details on Apple’s next-generation 2024 smartphones, check out our dedicated rumor roundups for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
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