New iPhone 16 case leak backs up claims of a tweaked camera array layout

Apple is expected to announce the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus later this year, likely alongside the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. We've been hearing various things about the four different devices in recent months, but the non-Pro models are tipped to feature a big change in terms of the camera layout.

That camera layout can be seen in a newly leaked pair of iPhone 16 cases which clearly show a vertical camera arrangement just like the older iPhone XS. The pill-shaped layout is clear to see, while what appears to be a cutout for the LED flash to the side. But it's why Apple has chosen to ditch the familiar diagonal camera layout in favor of this new, tweaked arrangement that's most important.

It's been suggested that Apple intends to give the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus the ability to capture spatial videos, the 3D videos that can currently only be viewed to their full potential via the Apple Vision Pro. Currently, only the Apple Vision Pro spatial computing headset, the iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max devices are capable of capturing spatial video but that now looks set to change when the new 2024 iPhones roll around.

Cases are often a good way to see what new iPhones will look like months before they go on sale with accessory makers often given the schematics required to get their wares ready ahead of time. However, considering we don't know the source of these cases or who made them it's important to remember that there is no guarantee that they are legitimate, even if they do appear to match previous reports about how the new models will look.

If Apple sticks to its usual release patterns we can expect Apple to announce the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max in or around September. The new iPhones are expected to sport new, upgraded chips while previous reports have also hinted at the arrival of a new Capture button that will allow people to take photos and videos using the hardware button.

Alongside the new iPhones, we also expect that Apple will announce a new Apple Watch Series X and refreshed Apple Watch Ultra during the same September timeframe, while that month will also see Apple release new iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro software that the company is expected to preview during the WWDC event on June 10.