Even before the iPhone 15 was launched, there were rumors about the iPhone 16 getting a new rear camera module with the lenses aligned vertically rather than diagonally. The rumor gained more traction after the announcement of the iPhone 15 Pro, which can record Spatial Videos for Vision Pro thanks to the new camera arrangement. Now an alleged iPhone 16 schematic seems to corroborate these rumors.
iPhone 16 may have vertically aligned cameras
The iPhone 16 schematics shared by Majin Bu on X show that Apple has indeed been considering changing the camera design on the base models to align the lenses vertically. With the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, Apple changed the position of the lenses so that the wide and ultra-wide lenses are aligned when the phone is in landscape mode.
This enables the iPhone 15 Pro to record Spatial Videos using both lenses. Although these videos look like regular videos on the iPhone, users can watch them in 3D on a Vision Pro. If the rumors are true, the non-Pro models of the iPhone 16 will also have the ability to record Spatial Videos.
Citing its own sources, MacRumors claims that the schematics shared by Majin Bu are accurate and that the iPhone 16 will feature a “vertical camera arrangement with a pill-shaped raised surface.” This should make the camera module look similar to the one in the iPhone X, although the lenses should keep their own individual ring rather than both being placed under a single piece of glass.
As for the 16 Pro models, Majin Bu says that Apple is still testing ways to fit a periscope lens for better optical zoom on the smaller version. Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a periscope lens.
More rumors about the next-generation iPhone
According to recent reports, Apple also has plans to add a new button to the iPhone 16 Pro that will respond to both touch and pressure, allowing users to quickly open the camera, adjust focus, and zoom in and out by swiping left and right on it. The idea is to replicate buttons found on DSLR cameras.
The new devices should also get more RAM, faster Wi-Fi and 5G, and more storage options. Apple might add the Action Button to the regular iPhone 16 – as it’s currently exclusive to the 15 Pro models. As usual, the new phones are expected to be announced in September.
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