First Alleged iPhone 16 Molds Show Vertical Camera Layout

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.

iphone 16 mold majin
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.

iphone 16 molds
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.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 16 (Caution)
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

matrix07 Avatar
18 months ago

I hope they do Samsung style 3 cameras on the pro
Please God no. That's super ugly.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
abatabia Avatar
18 months ago
I sure hope he’s wrong about that fidget spinner on the pro that made the rounds this weekend.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MayaUser Avatar
18 months ago
100% will be vertical to record video for the AVP
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zombierunner Avatar
18 months ago
I hope they do Samsung style 3 cameras on the pro
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Total Respray Avatar
18 months ago
Imagine how ugly some of the cases are going to be for the camera/flash…
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Steve-Jobz Avatar
18 months ago

This will look ugly in the case I think.
But maybe Apple has some clever design idea for the case to make it not look ugly?
By the way, I always remember the arrival of the Dynamic Island.

All previous supply chain leaks had shown that they were two holes in the shape of an exclamation point, and many people were praying that weren't real, or starting to criticize it too soon.

Apple may have a surprising design on the camera this time… Maybe? ?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)