Science & Technology

New iPhone 16 Leak Reveals Apple’s Stunning Design Decision

Apple has settled on the design of the next iPhone. The most recent leaked CAD files reveal the ultimate choice in design. In addition, another Apple product has achieved a significant victory.

The CAD blueprints for the back of the iPhone 16, as leaked by famous tech leaker Majin Bu, reveal the new placement of the camera island on the forthcoming iPhone 16 (and likely the iPhone 16 Plus). Like the previous model, the iPhone 16's cameras will now be stacked vertically rather than horizontally. As far as the eye can tell, the flash is perched between the primary and secondary lenses.

Apple's mixed reality headset will be a major perk of this deal. Stereo videos can be played back by the Apple Vision Pro. Apple has given its take on spatial video the name spatial video. When used in the standard landscape orientation for video recording, the iPhone 16's vertical arrangement of the camera lenses will make them appear as digital eyes arranged side by side.

The iPhone 15 Pro has this setup so you can watch those videos with the headset; however, the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus do not have this option.

The Apple Vision Pro is still a high-priced luxury item with no apparent use beyond "defining a blue ribband product for Apple's future." However, the firm's loyal customer base hopes prices will drop, and more people will use the hardware in the coming years. That means the new owner of Apple Vision may have a treasure trove of personal and family photos stored in iCloud, ready to be enjoyed in virtual reality.

That is a strong network effect that could boost sales of headsets in the future.

Although many design cues are partially obscured in the CAD view of the iPhone 16's back plate that Bu has released, their influence on the design is evident. Around the design's edge, you can see all the buttons that control different parts of the device. Above the two volume buttons, you can see the action button, which was introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro.

Opposite the home button on the iPhone 16 is a fourth button. Although it has not been officially announced, many speculate that Apple might include a second customisable button on the smartphone, called the capture button. The CAD designs show what appears to be a physical capture button that Tim Cook and his team have decided on for this year's iPhone, though there was some speculation that it could be capacitive.