A photograph of cases intended for the iPhone 16 indicates at least one accessory producer is leaning in on rumors of a new vertical camera arrangement in the new models.
Alleged iPhone 16 cases [X/Sonny Dickson]
Various rumors have promoted the idea that Apple will make a change to the rear camera arrangement on the iPhone 16, switching from a diagonal positioning within a square bump to a vertical one. The change should mean that the bump area will also slim down to about half the size to accommodate.
In a photograph shared by Sonny Dickson via X on Friday morning, a pair of cases are shown, claimed to be the "first cases" for the iPhone 16. Both of the cases are transparent with purple edging and have oval cut-outs for the camera bump.
First Cases for iPhone 16 pic.twitter.com/xCUOldA8I2
-- Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) March 29, 2024
If the bump in the cases are accurate, this would mean the bump on the iPhone 16 itself would be even more rounded than before, rather than being a rounded square.
As part of the case design, a small round hole is positioned to the right of the bump cut-out, about midway along the gap. This hole is theoretically meant for the flash.
Sonny Dickson is a well known and fairly reliable leaker, who has previously reported accurately on the iPhone and other devices. He has also recently published a second case, showing where a potential new button could be placed on the iPhone 16 Pro line.
However, there is no guarantee that the case accurately depicts how the iPhone 16 will appear. Accessory makers often rely on rumors and leaks to design and eventually produce cases and other items in advance to capitalize on launch-day sales, and therefore could be an educated guess at best from a product designer.