Apple is rumored to be changing the camera arrangement on the upcoming iPhone 16, which is expected to be launched this fall. Instead of the diagonal camera arrangement found on the current iPhone models, the standard iPhone 16 is expected to have a vertical camera layout. This change is not for aesthetic purposes but rather to meet the requirements of spatial video recording. Apple Vision Pro, which provides spatial video recording capabilities, requires two cameras to be placed at the same height and together, like what a 3D video camera does.
When recording video with an iPhone, users often hold the camera horizontally, so the cameras must be placed vertically. The iPhone 15 Pro already supports spatial video recording thanks to two cameras arranged vertically. This is not the first time Apple has changed the camera position – the company switched to a vertical layout on the iPhone X to accommodate Face ID requirements. The diagonal camera arrangement found on the current iPhone models was introduced with the iPhone 13 and is due to the increased sensor size. The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to maintain the current triangular camera layout, while the standard iPhone 16 will feature the vertical camera layout.
