Even though we’re still 4 months away from the iPhone 15 being announced, the tech rumor mill is hard at work trying to decipher what future iPhone models will look like… and can you blame them? 8 out of 10 of the best-selling phones of 2022 were iPhones! While we’ve pretty much got some solid intel on what the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro will look like, designer Ivano Frankivsk put together a concept for what the 16 Pro model should look like. Marking a major deviation from the 13 Pro and 14 Pro models, this concept features a 4-lens camera system, and a double camera bump that’s staggered for some visual dynamism (as well as to make place for the Periscope Lens). The phone looks unapologetically Apple-like… but the staggered camera bump feels visually refreshing. It also makes enough space for a flash and a LiDAR sensor, allowing the iPhone 16 Pro to have perhaps the most advanced camera system we’ve ever seen on a smartphone!
Designer: Ivano Frankivsk (@vovalenard)
Details on the 16 Pro at this moment are scarce, but as far as we know, the iPhone is definitely going to get a USB-C model this year, given strict EU regulations that kick in in 2024. Since Apple’s phones sell for roughly 2 years before being discontinued, it makes sense for the company to make their USB-C model now, so that it doesn’t need to be pulled off the shelves next year in one of Apple’s biggest global markets. Suffice it to say, the 16 Pro will still have a USB-C, although Apple seems to really be gunning for a port-less iPhone in the somewhat distant future. It’s rumored that they even tried solid-state capacitive buttons, before reverting back to physical click buttons for the 15 Pro.
Frankivsk’s iPhone 16 Pro concept showcases a rather unique-looking camera bump, although to keen eyed enthusiasts, it’s just two iPhone X camera units placed one beside the other. This staggered design gives the phone enough space for each lens and sensor array, especially allowing Apple to cram a larger 48MP sensor into the cameras as well as that rumored Periscope Lens, which will be capable of impressive levels of optical zoom.
As far as the front goes, it still looks like the Dynamic Island will play a significant role in defining the front of the iPhone. Debuted just last year, the Dynamic Island was considered a welcome change after 6 full years of having a notch in the upper part of the bezel. It doesn’t look like under-screen cameras or fingerprint readers will be coming any time soon, although Samsung did reveal their latest Sensor OLED display on Monday, with the ability to read heart rate and blood pressure right through the screen’s touch interface.
The iPhone 16 Pro won’t arrive before September of next year, but credible leaks in the early days of 2024 will help us understand what the new phone will really look like.
