iPhone 16 Pro leak could change iconic feature in one huge way
AppleApple may be planning to change iPhone 16 Pro’s design in a fairly drastic way, according to leaked renders.
Apple hasn’t really changed the design of the iPhone Pro models in a while. The iPhone 15 Pro comes with an aluminum frame, but it still looks very similar to the iPhone 14 Pro. That might change with the iPhone 16 Pro.
Leaker Majin Bu, who recently shared loads of other details about the iPhone 16 series, has leaked what the new iPhone 16 Pro models might look like. The purported design render looks a bit sketchy, and had us hoping it was not real. As ever, take this information with a huge heap of salt.
The image Majin Bu shared is based on what they heard from their sources. “Based on the information I was able to obtain, it seems that the new iPhone 16 Pro will have a new design for the camera module,” wrote Bu in a post on X.
It seems Apple has fused the three camera circles to form a triangular-shaped camera module, which looks somewhat similar to a fidget spinner (if that makes sense). Bu clarifies that this is not the final design, but looks similar to it.
X user @account_clayton shared another set of images in the replies, which show the camera island without the square base. Majin Bu says the renders shared by @account_clayton make “a lot more sense”.
While the leak looks unreliable and we recommend taking it with a good amount of salt, the possibility of a redesign on the iPhone 16 Pro isn’t zero. Reports suggest even the vanilla iPhone 16 will be getting design changes.
iPhone 16 Pro’s leaked design is not like Apple
Whether you like the potential design change or not is something you decide. But considering Apple’s approach, We doubt the company would opt for such a design. We agree that they might have some design changes in the works, but it may not look very similar to what has been shared in the leaks.
In the past, Apple has stuck to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach when it comes to iPhone designs. This won’t change drastically anytime soon. The current design has become a defining feature of the iPhone lineup, and Apple might not be ready to let go of it just yet.
It’s not just Apple; most smartphone makers seem to have settled on the aesthetics of their phones. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra debuted with a design nearly identical to the S23 Ultra, and the Pixel 8 Pro also featured a similar design to the Pixel 7 Pro. Similarly, the OnePlus 12 looks much like its predecessor, the OnePlus 11.
A smartphone’s design doesn’t have to change with each new iteration. What really counts in the long term are the upgrades in hardware, new software features, and improvements in build quality.