iPhone 16 Innovates with Vertical Cameras and New Action Buttons

Apple added design tweaks such as a curved frame and a frosted glass back with the release of the iPhone 15. Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 will build on these enhancements, including changes to the controls and camera configuration.

iPhone 16: How Apple's Next-Generation iPhone Will Look?

MacRumors has data on the iPhone 16's early pre-production designs, including a peek at the variations and hardware configurations that Apple has investigated thus far. The knowledge is preliminary, but it gives fans an idea of what to anticipate from the iPhone 16, or DeLorean as Apple engineers refer to it internally.

The news outlet provided renderings of what the iPhone 16 may look like based on Apple's internal designs, right down to the precise colors the firm is testing with. The yellow iPhone has the first known button design, with an Action Button, unified volume button, and an iPhone X-style camera bump.

The pink iPhone includes an Action Button and separate mechanical volume buttons, but the midnight iPhone has a bigger Action Button and a new Capture button. At this time, we are anticipating the iPhone to be depicted in black.

Apple has prototyped numerous hardware combinations as part of the iPhone 16 design process. While these appear to be identical at first glance, there are several variances between them.

The most noticeable and physically noticeable alteration is a new vertical camera layout. The iPhone 16 will have vertically aligned back cameras, unlike its predecessor, making the phone instantly identifiable as the newest generation. While the vertical position of the back cameras has stayed consistent across several phases of development, Apple is investigating two distinct camera bump designs:

• Two camera lenses are positioned one above the other in an iPhone 12-style arrangement.
• Design similar to the iPhone X, with a single pill-shaped casing

In comparison to the iPhone 15, the positioning of the flash is the same in both designs, implying that Apple does not intend to modify the position of the flash. While both designs have been studied, Apple's prototype devices have largely employed the iPhone 12-like camera configuration with two different lenses.

The earliest known prototypes of the iPhone 16 contained a unified volume button designed as part of the now-cancelled Bongo project, which was initially supposed to be released alongside the iPhone 15 Pro.

The unified button would have offered haptic feedback to consumers, but it was shelved early this year due to unsolved technical concerns. Following the cancellation of the Bongo project, Apple returned to mechanical buttons for the iPhone 16.

Another carryover from the iPhone 15 Pro is the Action button. The fact that we're seeing the Action button so early implies that Apple opted last year to phase away the mute switch, with intentions to standardize the Action button throughout the whole iPhone 16 lineup.

The size of the Action Button has vary depending on the arrangement. Some designs and prototypes had a much bigger Action Button, which was designed as part of Project Atlas in Apple effort to switch the Action Button from mechanical to capacitive, while others have the same button as the iPhone 15 Pro. At the moment, all indications point to a capacitive Action Button.

Apple is also experimenting with a new button on the iPhone 16's right side. According to MacRumors, the iPhone 16 will incorporate an all-new capacitive Capture Button created internally under the codename Project Nova.

According to our sources, this button will have a force sensor in addition to "tact-switching" capability, but the latter is currently unknown. Because the Capture Button is positioned in the same location as the mmWave cutout on iPhone models marketed in the United States, the mmWave antenna has been relocated to the left side of the device with the iPhone 16.

While it appears that we will be receiving a new button, Apple has devised an alternate hardware configuration that does not include a Capture Button, which it may revert to if hardware concerns arise during the development of the button.

The face of the iPhone 16 has not changed significantly, and it still uses the Dynamic Island. The base model iPhone 16 is believed to have a display comparable to that of its predecessor, with no significant modifications. The iPhone 16, like the iPhone 15, includes a USB-C port on the bottom of the smartphone.

Early prototypes have been observed in three colors: yellow, pink, and midnight, with documents indicating that further color possibilities originally designed for the iPhone 15 were also utilized for testing at one time.

To summarize, while the iPhone 16's chassis will not change significantly, it will receive the following essential updates:

• Vertical camera configuration, comparable to the iPhone 12.
• Capture Button with Capacitive Touch
• Button with Capacitive Action

The material supplied here properly depicts and characterizes early iPhone 16 designs, although the presence of several hardware variants indicates that Apple's design plans have not yet been finalized. The iPhone 16 is still a long way off, and more revisions are always imaginable.

iPhone 16: Everything We Know So Far

Now that the iPhone 15 has been released, we can shift our focus to Apple's future iPhone 16. This new series will be unveiled later in 2024. An iPhone Ultra model might be one of the highlights. So far, here is everything we know about these gadgets.

Apple is predicted to offer three separate ranges of iPhone 16 models in 2024, totaling five different models:

• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16 Ultra

Mark Gurman teased this new Ultra line in his Power On email for February 2023. Interestingly, by November, he stated that "the iPhone 16's hardware won't have any major advances next year." That said, this is what we know.

“Apple’s plan to draw a greater distinction between the Pro and Pro Max has spurred speculation that the company will opt for a new top-end brand: the Ultra. (…) But instead of renaming the Pro Max “the Ultra,” Apple could add an even higher-end iPhone above both Pro models. Internally, the company has discussed doing just that — potentially in time for the 2024 iPhone release,” Gurman stated.

Despite prior speculation that this Ultra brand will be available for iPhone 15 models, Apple has postponed it until 2024. However, it is unknown which features will be added to this phone, owing to the fact that the iPhone 15 Pro Max includes a titanium frame and an innovative periscope lens with up to 5x optical magnification.

Display analyst Ross Young expects Apple will provide a pill form cutout on all models (standard and Pro) in the 2024 iPhone range. Following the debut of the iPhone 15, all iPhone 16 models will include the Dynamic Island, however, ProMotion and Always-On Display technologies will be reserved for higher-end versions.

Interestingly, Young claims that the normal versions will retain 6.1 and 6.7-inch displays, while the Pro variants will have 6.3 and 6.9-inch displays. This possibility was also confirmed by a Weibo leaker. This would effectively eliminate the bezels on the Pro versions. The normal iPhone 17 models would follow this display size increase in 2025.

According to The Elec, the next iPhone display might be considerably brighter since Samsung and LG have supposedly shown Apple micro-lens array (MLA) OLED screens. By incorporating the MLA layers of lenses into the OLED screen, reflected light would be directed toward the user.

This would improve the brightness of the device while consuming less power. The ability to reduce power usage when operating the OLED display at typical settings would be an instant benefit. After all, the iPhone 14 Pro has a maximum brightness of 2000 nits.

However, the MLA layer would have an effect on viewing angles. Furthermore, OLED panels with MLA technology would be more expensive to manufacture.

For the time being, Apple may go with the same finishes as the iPhone 15: glass and aluminum for normal models and titanium and glass for Pro variants. The standard versions will also retain 60Hz screens since ProMotion will be limited to the Pro range.

Photo: David Grandmougin/Unsplash