New iPhone 16 leak shows vertical back camera alignment

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Rumors about iPhone 16 getting a newly designed camera module with lenses aligned vertically had started coming in even before the iPhone 15’s launch.

While initially everyone was skeptical, including us, the rumor started gaining momentum after the iPhone 15 Pro launched with the ability to record spatial video for the Vision Pro.

In addition, a few months back, multiple iPhone 16 mock-ups were revealed with a differently designed camera module reminiscent of the iPhone 12 and the iPhone X. 

Now, a fresh new leak reveals alleged iPhone 16 schematics that corroborate the previously rumored design changes.

iPhone 16 may be able to record Spatial Videos with vertical camera alignment

The leak comes from renowned Apple leaker Majin Bu on X/Twitter.

According to the leaker, Apple is indeed considering changes to the camera module, at least for the base model iPhone 16, aligning them vertically. 

The idea for the new vertical camera module stems from last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, where Apple changed the position of the lenses to make the wide and ultra-wide lenses aligned when in landscape mode. 

As a result, in landscape mode, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are able to record Spatial Videos employing both lenses. 

While the videos may not look any different on the iPhones, users can watch those videos on Vision Pro in 3D.  

If the previous rumors and the latest leaked schematics are indeed accurate, this year, the standard iPhone 16 models will gain the ability to record Spatial Videos as well!

MacRumors corroborates the leak

Even MacRumors has come forth and claimed the schematics shared by Majin Bu are accurate, and the vanilla iPhone 16 model will sport a “vertical camera arrangement with a pill-shaped raised surface.” 

With the pill-shaped camera module, the iPhone 16 camera could resemble the iPhone X. However, if Apple keeps the individual lens rings rather than housing them under the same glass, they could look different. 

Majin Bu also had something to say about the iPhone 16 Pro models. The leaker says Apple is still trying to fit a periscope lens for better optical zoom on the smaller version. 

If Apple is successful, we could get a Periscope lens on the standard 16 Pro. Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a periscope lens.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Wi-Fi, RAM, and modem upgrades rumored for iPhone 16 series
• New leak details huge iPhone 16 Pro and 17 Pro camera upgrades
• Micro-LED Apple Watch Ultra delayed again, to 2027
• Tesla driver wears Apple Vision Pro, allegedly gets arrested