Apple is expected to release the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus devices later this year to replace the current iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and we've been hearing rumors about those new handsets for a few months now. One of those rumors is that Apple plans to redesign the camera layout for the new models and now newly leaked cases appear to confirm exactly that.
Apple has long been rumored to have plans to ditch the diagonal camera arrangement on a square plateau of the iPhone 15 family of devices in favor of a vertical arrangement that will be more akin to that of the iPhone XS. The cases that have appeared in this leak show that new design, with the cases arguably easy to mistake for iPhone XS accessories thanks to the familiar layout.
Alongside the elongated pill shape that will expose the iPhone 16's two cameras, we also see what appears to be a cutout for an LED flash, too.
Apple Vision Pro-inspired
The claimed iPhone 16 cases were shared on the X social network by leaker Sonny Dickson (seen below) and are clear with a black bumper section.
First Cases for iPhone 16 pic.twitter.com/xCUOldA8I2March 29, 2024
The vertical camera arrangement is thought to be designed to allow iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus owners to capture spatial video content that can then be viewed back on the Apple Vision Pro. Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can record the 3D videos for viewing on Apple's spatial computer and it's thought that Apple intends to bring that same feature down the lineup to the non-pro models next time out.
If Apple follows its expected release pattern the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models will be unveiled alongside the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models this September.