iPhone 16 returns to vertical dual-camera design, for space calculation?

With the increasing popularity of smartphones, today's consumers are demanding more and more from the design and performance of their phones. As the world's leading smartphone brand, Apple's new phones have been closely watched by manufacturers and consumers with each new generation. Recently, the exposure of a set of iPhone 16 design drawings has sparked discussions among many netizens.

It is rumored that the iPhone 16 will return to the design of vertical dual cameras, and it is also expected to achieve a comprehensive upgrade in terms of configuration. Today, we are going to talk about this next-generation iPhone that has been exposed.

(Source: @Apple Hub)

Design: Return to the vertical dual camera

Judging from the iPhone 16 design drawings exposed by Apple information blogger @Apple Hub: the most significant change is undoubtedly that the iPhone 16 is expected to return to the vertical dual-camera design of the iPhone X to iPhone 12 era, which can be said to be quite "nostalgic".

The dual-camera vertical design, which has been used on iPhone X through iPhone 12, features a minimalist design with two cameras arranged vertically in the upper left corner of the back cover. Compared with the design of the iPhone 15 series, the iPhone 16's vertical dual-camera design is more concise, without too many decorative elements, and the overall style is more low-key and restrained.

(Source: @Majin Bu)

As for why the original lens design was changed to a vertical dual-camera design? It is said that it is for the product layout of the Apple Vision Pro, the portrait main camera and ultra-wide camera, which allow the iPhone 16 to shoot spatial videos with 3D depth effects in landscape format. Therefore, the iPhone 16's vertical dual-camera design may become inevitable.

(Source: Apple)

It is worth mentioning that the iPhone 16 is also expected to have a larger rear camera with a larger sensor for improved imaging quality in the main camera, and more importantly, it will make it possible to shoot high-quality spatial video. Through this image upgrade, Apple also brings users a better photo experience.

Configuration: The performance has been fully upgraded

In addition to the exterior design changes, the iPhone 16 series is expected to receive a comprehensive upgrade in terms of performance, not only with a more powerful processor, but also with increased memory and storage to meet the needs of users when multitasking.

(Source: @Apple Hub)

In terms of processors, according to the leaks, the iPhone 16/16 Plus is powered by the new A18 processor, while the Pro/Max series is powered by the A18 Pro processor. As Apple's self-developed processors, the A-series processors have always been at the top of the mobile platform in terms of performance. As technology advances, the performance of the A18 processor will be further enhanced.

(Source: @MacRumors)

In terms of memory, for the first time, the iPhone 16 series will come standard with a large 8GB of RAM. In comparison, the previous-generation iPhone 15 and 15 Plus ran with 6GB of RAM. In the past, many users complained that the running memory of the iPhone is too small, because with the increase in multitasking needs, users need more memory to ensure the smooth operation of the phone. This time, the iPhone 16 series will increase the standard running memory to 8GB, which will completely solve this problem.

In addition to running memory, storage space is also a major concern for Apple users. For a long time, iPhone storage space has been a bit of a stretch. Because, when you buy an iPhone, every 128GB of storage space added, you will have to add 1,000 yuan, which is simply a fantasy for a domestic mobile phone.

(Source: Apple's official website)

For example, the Redmi Note 12 Turbo has now hit the price of the 1TB version below 2,000 yuan. Converted, the price difference between the iPhone 15 Pro 128GB and the 1TB version (5,000 yuan) is enough to buy two and a half Redmi Note 12 Turbo for the 1TB top-of-the-line configuration.

Therefore, this time the iPhone 16 series is said to also learn from the domestic high-end flagship, canceling the 128GB version, and the storage capacity starts from 256GB. In the future, Apple users will no longer have to worry about running out of 128GB, and doubling the memory will also allow users to download more apps and take more photos.

(Source: Xiaomi Mall)

How does the iPhone stay ahead of the curve?

Although every year, many people complain about the newly released iPhone, thinking that it lacks innovative spirit and the configuration is like squeezing toothpaste. And each generation of iPhone will also be on the hot search on Weibo because of various problems such as battery life and signal. However, this did not affect the actual sales of the new iPhone.

Taking last year's iPhone 15 as an example, although it is called the generation with the fastest price jump in history, Cook recently said at Apple's earnings conference that the sales of the iPhone 15 series have surpassed that compared with the iPhone 14 series released in the same period last year.

(Source: @TimCook)

Although Cook did not release specific sales data, we can get a glimpse of Apple's mobile phone sales in Q4 2023.

According to the global smartphone market shipment report for the fourth quarter of 2023 released by market research agency Canalys, we can know that Apple's shipments in the quarter were 78.1 million units, an increase of 7% year-on-year. Samsung, which ranks second, has shipped a full 24.6 million units less than Apple, and the gap is still quite obvious.

(Source: Canalys)

Of course, in the data released above, we can also find many bright spots, one is that Xiaomi also performed well in the Q4 quarter of 2023, not only ranking third in the world, but also increasing its shipments by a full 23% year-on-year. The second is Transsion, a domestic brand focusing on emerging markets, with shipments soaring by 65% to the fourth place in the world.

In the face of increasing competition for smartphones, Apple needs to maintain its leading position in the market through continuous innovation. As Apple's next-generation flagship model, the iPhone 16 will further raise the expectations of consumers and the media, which may bring higher sales and market share to Apple.

(Source: @Majin Bu)

Of course, competitors like Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi are also constantly pushing through the old and seeking breakthroughs. Huawei's Mate 60 Pro became the world's first smartphone to support satellite calling, while Xiaomi's 13 Ultra is the world's first smartphone to feature a full-range Leica optical quad camera and a one-inch variable-aperture main camera. They are all trying to grab market share from high-end phones through technological innovation and differentiated competition.

(Source: Huawei)

After an in-depth analysis of the iPhone 16's design innovations and configuration upgrades, we can see that Apple is trying to respond to the needs of users for the new generation of iPhones while maintaining the same level of its products. The vertical dual-camera design is not only for nostalgia, but also for the product layout of shooting spatial videos, and the upgrade in configuration is to provide users with a smoother and more efficient experience.

In conclusion, while there is a lot of talk around the iPhone 16 at the moment, the final market performance will be judged by its actual post-launch sales figures. Whether Apple can continue to lead the market with the iPhone 16 depends not only on its configuration and functional highlights, but also on whether it can meet the comprehensive needs of consumers for high-end smartphones.