Malcolm Owen
The 2019 version of the iPhone XR may join the updated variants of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max in having a square camera bump, renders of the smartphone speculate, but rather than using a triple-camera setup like its stablemates, the model is supposedly going to have just two cameras.
The bulk of the rumors relating to the 2019 iPhone releases tends towards describing the features of the premium two devices, with relatively little claimed to be happening to the cheaper of the three expected models. Rumors from late April suggest that, while the upper two models will shift from two cameras to three, the iPhone XR's 2019 counterpart would see a similar upgrade from one camera to two.
Renders from PriceBaba and Onleaks suggest the appearance of the 2019 "iPhone XR" could see similar changes to the design as seen in earlier renders of the 2019 iPhone. At the front is the notch with Face ID and the side buttons all appear to be the same as what is currently offered in the iPhone XR, but the back is slightly different.
Like the other render, the iPhone XR uses a single square camera module that sticks out of the back of the casing, seemingly using a similar production technique where it is actually part of the rear glass panel, rather than a separate component slotted into place. While the other iPhone renders speculate a triangular configuration for the camera lenses, the latest one features just two, one above the other.
The extra space of the square camera bump isn't entirely wasted, as it is depicted as having a flash positioned where the third camera lens would be, as well as a small dot signifying the location of a microphone.
It is unclear exactly how the details were sourced for the renders, making it difficult to ascertain how genuine they could be. The other renders for the main iPhones are claimed to have been from a "final CAD render of the device," which is not the case here.
The accompanying report claims it could be called the "iPhone XE," while the other two . 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch models could be the "XI and XI Max."
For the "iPhone XE," it is speculated the display will remain at 6.1 inches with a similar LCD panel and resolution of 1,792x828 pixels as the iPhone XR. In terms of size, it will apparently be 150.9 by 76.1 millimeters, and 7.8 millimeters thick, increasing to 8.5 millimeters at the camera bump.
Details of the cameras included in the bump are also largely unknown, but it is likely Apple will use a similar wide-angle and telephoto arrangement as it does for other dual-lens cameras, this time with a pair of 12-megapixel sensors. Also in the box will be an 18-Watt charger, according to rumors, while battery capacity will be similar to the iPhone XR.
As with other rumors and "leaks" relating to the iPhone, there is no guarantee any are correct until Apple actually brings the devices on stage during its usual September presentation.
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24 Comments
I wonder what this design will be like lying on a table: more or less stable than the current single lens design.
fugly
Not loving the Back Bulge. At some point you have to consider whether it would be far more aesthetically pleasing to simply increase the phone’s thickness uniformly. Increasing the thickness doesn’t mean they have to stuff more heavy junk inside the chassis. Having a small amount of growth margin inside the chassis could potentially allow them to keep the same external form factor (and case compatibility) for several model years while still modifying the internals. A slightly thicker, sleek, but well-balanced phone would still be very popular.
Yeah, I know, pragmatism has no place in the highly competitive handset market where everyone wants to be the thinnest and newest design on the market. But when you look at the automotive marketplace the highest volume and highest profit segment seems to be pickup trucks and SUVs and there’s nothing thin or elegant about these beasts. Pickups and SUVs, and even luxury brands like BMW, Porsche, and Jaguar keep getting bigger, thicker, and trending towards the Panzer Tank school of design philosophy, so who really knows whether thin, slim, and sexy will soon give way to thick, chunky, and bulldog face designs in the smartphone market as well.