Apple's rumoured iPhone 16 design sounds so 2020

2020 might be a year that most us would rather forget, but it seems Apple's design team is already getting nostalgic. The iPhone 15 isn't even here yet, but rumours about its successor have already begun – and if new reports are to be believed, the iPhone 16 could feature a somewhat familiar design.

According to an Apple leaker, the iPhone 16 is set to do away with the current diagonal camera arrangement, opting instead for the vertical layout last seen on 2020's iPhone 12. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best iPhone 14 deals available now.)

According to Twitter user URedditor (as spotted by MacRumors), the iPhone 16 will "have a vertical camera layout, as opposed to diagonal on iPhone 15. This will make the device instantly recognisable as the latest model."

It's curious that the leaker simply notes that this will differentiate it from previous models, rather than suggesting the layout change is anything to do with features or hardware – like the rumoured layout change for the iPhone 15 Pro. 

But while it might seem strange for Apple to apparently move backwards with its design, the iPhone has been around long enough now for us to know that these things tend to come in cycles. When the iPhone 12 launched in 2020, the flat-edged design, introduced after years of curbed edges, was seen as a throwback to the days of the iPhone 5. And let's be honest, how many different ways can Apple format two camera lenses?

Time will tell what's in store for the iPhone 16 (let alone the iPhone 15), but from USB-C to a titanium frame, it sounds like some pretty major design changes could be on the way. In the meantime, take a look at today's best iPhone 14 deals below.