Apple Refines iPhone 16 with Sleek Camera Bump and Enhanced Button Design

Apple has been experimenting with various camera bump designs for the basic iPhone 16 models over the previous few months. Back in December, three of Apple's prototype designs were revealed; however, the company has since changed its priorities.

Apple Tests Small Camera Bump Design For Its Base Model iPhone 16

MacRumors built a set of mockups based on internal designs of Apple's latest prototype, which has a vertical camera configuration with a raised surface shaped like a pill, to assist readers in visualizing the shift.

Taking some artistic inspiration from previous prototype designs, the pill-shaped camera bump has two distinct camera rings for the Wide and Ultrawide cameras. Throughout the prototyping phase, Apple maintained a vertical camera layout, and this most recent upgrade does not alter the location of the flash or the camera lenses.

The publication stated that the findings align with the schematics Majin Bu recently posted on the social networking platform X. The new design is also present in Bu's leaked pictures.

Older iPhone models, including the iPhone X, inspired Apple's most recent camera design experiment. The iPhone X's other feature was its pill-shaped, thin-bump camera. The iPhone 12 likewise featured a vertical camera but had a bigger square bump that held the microphone and flash.

Fans anticipate Apple introducing spatial video recording to the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus base models due to the vertical camera arrangement. As of right present, only the iPhone 15 Pro models and the Vision Pro headset itself can record spatial video; the iPhone 15 models only have a diagonal camera setup.

iPhone 16 Prototypes Reveal Subtle Design Tweaks and Action Button Overhaul

As previously noted, more current iPhone 16 prototypes have minor adjustments to the Action and Capture buttons in addition to the revised camera bump design. The most recent prototype units have a pressure-sensitive Capture Button that lies flush with the device's frame and a smaller Action Button similar to the one seen on the iPhone 15 Pro.

A more major adjustment was made to the Action Button during the prototyping process, even though the camera bump design is a cosmetic improvement affecting the glass backplate. Apple's updates show that the company has abandoned its original plan to include a capacitive Action Button in the iPhone 16 series.

Photo: Amanz/Unsplash