Sometimes the old way was the right way.
Each year, before Apple's autumn unveiling, the world catches a glimpse of what's coming through leaked manufacturing schematics — and this cycle is no different. A leaker known as Majin Bu has shared CAD renders suggesting the iPhone 16 base model will carry a smaller camera footprint, a vertical dual-lens layout reminiscent of the iPhone X, and the customizable Action button previously reserved for Pro models. These images remind us that the boundaries between premium and entry-level are always negotiable, and that the most consequential changes to how we live with technology often arrive not in hardware, but in the intelligence quietly woven into software.
- Apple's entry-level iPhone may be about to close the gap with its Pro siblings, bringing the customizable Action button to users who don't pay premium prices.
- The camera bump — long a polarizing design compromise — is reportedly shrinking to half its current size, with the LED flash relocated outside the housing entirely.
- The ghost of the iPhone X resurfaces: two lenses stacked vertically, a layout Apple abandoned years ago, now apparently worth revisiting.
- Solid-state volume and power buttons remain an open question, having failed to materialize on the iPhone 15 Pro due to unresolved technical hurdles.
- CAD renders have a strong track record of accuracy across multiple iPhone generations, lending these images credibility without guaranteeing them.
- The hardware story may ultimately be overshadowed by iOS 18's rumored on-device AI features — changes no schematic can capture.
Every few months before Apple's fall event, leaked manufacturing schematics surface online and the tech world stops to scrutinize them. This time, a leaker known as Majin Bu has shared CAD renders of what they claim is the iPhone 16 base model, pointing to some meaningful design shifts.
The most visible change is the camera system. The raised bump on the back would shrink to roughly half its current size, with the LED flash moving outside the housing entirely. The layout echoes the iPhone X — two lenses stacked vertically — a design language Apple abandoned years ago but may now be revisiting for good reason.
Equally notable is what Apple appears to be democratizing. The Action button, a customizable physical shortcut that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro, would come to the standard iPhone 16 — unusually fast for a feature typically locked behind a premium price for at least one generation.
What remains unresolved is whether Apple has finally cracked the solid-state volume and power buttons rumored for years. They were expected on the iPhone 15 Pro but never arrived due to technical problems. The new renders don't offer enough detail to answer that question.
Leaked CAD renders have generally held up across multiple iPhone generations, lending these images credibility — though September's launch remains the only true confirmation. Apple will likely follow its usual four-model formula, and details could still shift.
Yet the hardware may not be the year's defining story. Tim Cook has already signaled that iOS 18 will bring meaningful on-device AI features — changes invisible in any schematic, but potentially far more transformative than a slimmer camera bump or a new button.
Every few months before Apple's fall event, someone with access to manufacturing schematics posts a grainy image online, and the entire tech world stops to squint at it. This time, a leaker going by Majin Bu has shared CAD renders of what they claim is the iPhone 16 base model, and the images suggest Apple is about to make some meaningful moves with its entry-level phone.
The most visible change appears to be the camera system. The bump—that raised rectangle on the back that houses the lenses—will shrink to roughly half its current size, according to the renders. The LED flash, which currently sits inside that raised housing, will move outside of it entirely. The overall design echoes the iPhone X, with two lenses stacked vertically rather than arranged side by side. It's a throwback to a design language Apple abandoned years ago, which is interesting in itself: sometimes the old way was the right way.
Equally significant is what Apple is apparently democratizing. The Action button, a customizable physical button that premiered on the iPhone 15 Pro models, will make its way down to the standard iPhone 16. This is the kind of feature that usually stays locked behind the premium price tag for at least a generation. That it's coming to the base model suggests Apple sees real value in giving users a quick way to trigger their choice of function—voice memos, flashlight, camera, whatever they want—without hunting through menus.
What remains unclear is whether Apple will finally deliver on the solid-state volume and power buttons that have been rumored for years. These buttons, which would have no moving parts and would use haptic feedback instead, were supposed to arrive on the iPhone 15 Pro. They didn't, because Apple ran into unresolved technical problems. The new renders don't show enough detail to confirm whether those issues have been solved for 2024. The same goes for how rounded the edges will be—a small detail that shapes how a phone feels in your hand.
Leaked CAD renders have a solid track record. The iPhone 15, 14, 13, and models before them all leaked in similar fashion months before launch, and the schematics generally held up. That doesn't guarantee these images are real, but it means they shouldn't be dismissed as obvious fakes either. Majin Bu went further and created rendered images showing what the iPhone 16 might look like in various colors, adding texture to the technical drawings.
The phone won't arrive until September, which means there's plenty of time for details to shift or for these renders to prove partially wrong. Apple typically launches four models: the base iPhone, a larger Plus variant, and two Pro versions with more powerful chips and additional camera features. The 2024 lineup will likely follow the same formula.
But the camera and the Action button might not be the biggest story of the year. Tim Cook has already hinted that iOS 18 will bring meaningful artificial intelligence features to iPhones—the kind of on-device AI that could reshape how people interact with their phones. That software story, invisible in any CAD render, could matter far more than the hardware changes. For now, though, all we have are these schematics and the question of whether Apple is really ready to make its base model phone feel a little more premium.
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Tim Cook hinted that iOS 18 will bring meaningful artificial intelligence features to iPhones— Apple CEO Tim Cook
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Why would Apple shrink the camera bump now? It's been getting bigger for years.
Because they've figured out how to make the lenses smaller or more efficient, probably both. The bump exists because the camera hardware needs space. If you can reduce that space, you do it—it's one of the few places where phones still look visibly different from each other.
And the Action button going to the base model—is that just Apple being generous?
Not really. It's a feature that costs almost nothing to manufacture once it's there, and it lets people customize their phone in a way that feels personal. That's valuable to Apple. It makes the base model feel less like a compromise.
These CAD renders leak all the time. How often are they actually right?
Often enough that people pay attention. The iPhone 15, 14, 13—the schematics matched the final products pretty closely. But "pretty closely" isn't perfect. Details shift. Manufacturing constraints change things. You should treat these as educated guesses, not prophecy.
What about those solid-state buttons everyone's been waiting for?
They were supposed to happen last year and didn't. Apple hit technical problems. The renders don't show enough detail to know if those problems are solved. It's the kind of thing that could slip another year.
So the real story is iOS 18 and AI, not the hardware?
Probably. The hardware is incremental—a smaller bump, a button that moves down the lineup. But if iOS 18 actually delivers on-device AI that works well, that changes how people use their phones every day. That's the thing worth watching for.