iPhone 16 dummy units show off Capture button, new camera bump

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited April 4

A range of small design tweaks are coming to iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, and some dummy units used by case makers provide a first glance at what's coming.

Two rendered iPhones. One face down with a three camera bump. One face up with a colorful wallpaper.
iPhone 16 could get new features like a Capture button



Dummy units are industry tools used to ensure prototype cases fit the upcoming iPhone designs. There's no way to know if a dummy unit is authentic, though, and some case makers end up getting the wrong ones.

Sonny Dickson posted photos of dummy units for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max on X. The metal units showcase many of the rumored features expected for the products.

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are nearly identical to their iPhone 15 counterparts minus the Capture button. These models are expected to get slightly bigger displays, but that is difficult to ascertain from photos.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have a new vertical camera bump similar to the iPhone X, but the flash is outside of the bump. The Action button and Capture button are visible on these models too.



The vertical camera bump enables the base models to capture spatial video for Apple Vision Pro. The Capture button on all four models is expected to be mechanical and used for the Camera app.

Apple will announce the iPhone 16 lineup during an event in September 2024. They are expected to feature next-generation chipsets with upgraded Apple AI capabilities and improved camera specs.

Rumor Score: Likely

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    melodyof1974melodyof1974 Posts: 114member
    Is the wallpaper in the image Basic Apple Guy? Do you have to give him credit?
    williamlondon9secondkox2
  • Reply 2 of 13
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,056member
    Same s every year
    williamlondonfred1
  • Reply 3 of 13
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,893member
    That button looks to be in a precarious spot. Hopefully apple knows better than me how I hold my phone…
  • Reply 4 of 13
    Wesley HilliardWesley Hilliard Posts: 214member, administrator, moderator, editor
    melodyof1974 said:
    Is the wallpaper in the image Basic Apple Guy? Do you have to give him credit?
    It is Basic Apple Guy. We work with him on different designs sometimes. He's got credit on the article we frequently post with wallpapers he's made for us. The one in this story hasn't been released yet though.

    But good eye. 
    mraleximer
  • Reply 5 of 13
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,447member
    fallenjt said:
    Same s every year
    You expecting a triangle-shaped iPhone?
  • Reply 6 of 13
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,447member
    9secondkox2 said:
    That button looks to be in a precarious spot. Hopefully apple knows better than me how I hold my phone…
    It's inset, so unlikely to bump it by accident.



  • Reply 7 of 13
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,447member
    Someone on Twitter is insisting this is just the mmWave antenna window, as it's in the same spot. But, the iPhone 14 dummy units didn't have that area marked as it's flat, here it appears to be an inset button. So either they moved the mmWave window to the other side, or what if the inset button is made of a radio-transparent material so it's both?
  • Reply 8 of 13
    twhitefordtwhiteford Posts: 13member
    The bump is the result of a misguided strive for a thinness spec. It’s dumb for any device to not lay flat. Best iPhone was SE2. 
  • Reply 9 of 13
    mraleximermraleximer Posts: 1member
    Can someone please share the wallpaper from this article asap , it is so good!!!
  • Reply 10 of 13
    lordjohnwhorfinlordjohnwhorfin Posts: 860member
    How about no camera bump so the phone doesn’t look stupid and wobbly like a table with one short leg when you put it down on its back, and use the extra space for a biiiiig battery so I can go several days without charging? After all if you’re going to sell the satellite SOS feature, might as well make something useful for serious hikers.
  • Reply 11 of 13
    thttht Posts: 5,536member
    lordjohnwhorfin said:
    How about no camera bump so the phone doesn’t look stupid and wobbly like a table with one short leg when you put it down on its back, and use the extra space for a biiiiig battery so I can go several days without charging? After all if you’re going to sell the satellite SOS feature, might as well make something useful for serious hikers.
    I'm all for the flat back too. Make it 10mm thick with more stuff inside, or offer a back cam module with lessor camera performance that results in a flat back.

    The thicker phone with more battery life has been tried in the market. The Moto "Maxx" series of phones is probably the highest profile one in the USA. Since they didn't catch on, it implies runtimes greater than 20 hrs in a ~11 mm thick form factor wasn't more valuable to customers than a ~7 mm thick phone with 12 hrs runtime and a camera bump.

    For people that want 20 hr runtimes, battery cases and MagSafe batteries basically gave that niche what they "wanted" without sacrificing the larger niche that wants a thinner phone.
    lordjohnwhorfin
  • Reply 12 of 13
    lordjohnwhorfinlordjohnwhorfin Posts: 860member
    @Tht: you’re probably right. I’m like one of those people who said they couldn’t use a phone without a physical keyboard…
    Still, I really hate that bump and how exposed the lenses are. But yes, Apple only caters to the largest possible audience and… this is it for now.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    longfanglongfang Posts: 489member
    tht said:
    lordjohnwhorfin said:
    How about no camera bump so the phone doesn’t look stupid and wobbly like a table with one short leg when you put it down on its back, and use the extra space for a biiiiig battery so I can go several days without charging? After all if you’re going to sell the satellite SOS feature, might as well make something useful for serious hikers.
    I'm all for the flat back too. Make it 10mm thick with more stuff inside, or offer a back cam module with lessor camera performance that results in a flat back.

    The thicker phone with more battery life has been tried in the market. The Moto "Maxx" series of phones is probably the highest profile one in the USA. Since they didn't catch on, it implies runtimes greater than 20 hrs in a ~11 mm thick form factor wasn't more valuable to customers than a ~7 mm thick phone with 12 hrs runtime and a camera bump.

    For people that want 20 hr runtimes, battery cases and MagSafe batteries basically gave that niche what they "wanted" without sacrificing the larger niche that wants a thinner phone.
    I usually use a MagSafe wallet. That results in the bump no longer being in contact with the surface the phone is placed on. Rather not have it be unnecessarily thicker. 
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