Apple pulled the curtains from iPhone 15 series back in September this year and even before that, we had already started getting leaks regarding iPhone 16 series. The newest one shows off the early prototype versions of non-Pro iPhone 16 models, giving us our first look at the potential design of the upcoming Apple iPhones.
While the new iPhones are still months away, prototypes are often readied in advance and the company experiments with multiple designs before finalising one. MacRumours got its hands on three of the early prototype models of iPhone 16, which show modifications to the buttons and the camera layout of the handset as well.
These prototypes show early pre-production designs for the iPhone 16 and the publication’s information comes early in the design process, but it provides an indication of what one can expect from the iPhone 16. The first prototype shows the iPhone 16 in yellow, with a mixture of iPhone X and iPhone 12 inspired camera module design. It gets the earliest known button design with an Action Button and a unified volume button. It is also the newest design we could see from Apple in years when it comes to non-Pro iPhones.
The second render showcases the iPhone 16 in pink along with an Action Button and separate physical volume keys. The third and the last one has the iPhone 16 in midnight black shade, paired with the larger Action button and a Capture button for shooting photos. This is the design that will most likely be the final one and go into production, according to the publication.
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Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone 16 will have vertically stacked rear cameras, bringing back the design from iPhone 11 days. “The iPhone 12-like camera layout with two distinct lenses has been used more extensively on Apple’s prototype units”, read the report. Action button from this year’s iPhone 15 Pro models will also make their way to next year’s non-Pro models, thereby marking the removal of mute switch completely from the iPhone lineup.
Aside from that, the final production model will also get a capture button (as seen in black model above) as per the report. This one will be a dedicated key for shooting photos and will feature a force sensor in addition to “tact-switching” functionality, the information for which is scarce at the moment. The second prototype we talked about could be the one Apple switches to if the capture button doesn’t work out in the final design and poses any technical issues.
Further, the unified volume keys we saw in the first prototype (yellow model) could provide users with haptic feedback when pressed, instead of an actual click we get from mechanical keys. Apple reportedly had plans to introduce this feature in iPhone 15 Pro models but scrapped it last minute due to technical challenges it was facing with the implementation of such buttons. As it was cancelled back then, it is possible Apple will do the same with this prototype of iPhone 16 also.
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The base model iPhone 16 is expected to feature a display similar to the one used on its predecessor, with no major differences. This means that it will retain the dynamic island, but also the 60Hz refresh rate, unfortunately. As with the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 has a USB-C port at the bottom of the device.
So these were the early prototype models of the iPhone 16, giving us a first look at what Apple could be planning for its upcoming iPhones. Additional changes are always expected to take place last minute before the final production begins, so take all the information mentioned above with a pinch of salt.
If Apple does opt for the design we see in midnight black iPhone, it could be going back to the iPhone 11 design. The only new feature would be the capture button, that too only if it works out for Apple the way it wants to. While we can call this a refreshed design, it won’t entirely be new, per se.
