In the past four generations of non-Pro iPhones, the rear cameras were slightly raised squares and lined up diagonally With the iPhone 16, however, Apple appears to be reverting to a formation not seen since the 2020 iPhone 12

On X, leaker Majin Bu posted a photo of what is believed to be the camera module of the upcoming device, which appears to have two lenses stacked vertically The leaker writes, "As you can see, the vertical position is confirmed"

This is not the first time we have heard about a return to a vertical camera layout, although the track record of Bu's predictions has been mixed Last year, leaker Unknownz21 predicted a return to a vertical layout, which was corroborated by MacRumors earlier this month

While this may seem like a purely aesthetic change, there may be more practical reasons behind it As our Managing Editor Philip Michaels points out, stacking the wide and ultrawide cameras vertically means that the iPhone 16 is now the immersive 3D video format introduced by Apple Vision Pro, a spatial video, which is an immersive 3D video format currently being introduced by Apple Vision Pro Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can do this, and processing power is only part of the puzzle, but rumor has it that all iPhone 16 models will feature a variation of Apple's A18 chipset, which should level the playing field somewhat Whether the kind of person who would invest $3,500 in an Apple Vision Pro is the same kind of person who would buy an entry-level iPhone is an open question

However, while camera specification changes are reportedly underway for the Pro model, the entry-level iPhone 16 is not expected to evolve from the upgraded camera system in the iPhone 15 This means that the 48MP main sensor will be supported by a 12MP ultra-wide lens

That doesn't mean, of course, that there won't be other changes for the iPhone 16, a boost to 8GB RAM, the arrival of action and capture buttons, and perhaps talk of the game-changing introduction of artificial intelligence in iOS 18 You can read more about the expected iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 changes here