New iPhone 16 dummy units leak confirms at least one major design change

We've got one of our clearest glimpses yet at the likely shape of the iPhone 16 lineup thanks to the leak of new dummy units.

These metallic versions, designed to show the exact size and shape of the phones, seem to confirm that we're getting a couple of interesting changes this year.

For one thing, all four dummy units appear to boast the new capture button that has been so heavily rumoured. This button is on the lower part of the phone, down below where the power button sits.

It's also more recessed than the power button and is reportedly going to offer some touch features, making it perfect for taking photos since you could use it to grab focus before taking your shot. This might also allow for zooming in and out without touching your screen, too. 

Another button now present on the four prospective additions to Apple's iPhone range is the Action Button. This had only been on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. It'll now spread its customisable usefulness to the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. 

If they're real, the dummies have another bit of confirmation to offer up – it looks like we are indeed returning to a vertical camera bump on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, as previously rumoured.

This has been a square-shaped bump with two diagonal cameras over the last few years, but will revert to a smaller pill-shaped bump, as originally found on the iPhone X. 

Beyond that, though, it's fair to say that someone who hasn't been paying attention to the minutiae of iPhone rumours might not see a great deal different about these four phones compared to this year's crop. 

After all, their overall silhouette is certainly not a radical departure, and it doesn't look like Apple is ripping up the design language it's been working so effectively on for the last decade or more. 

There's still plenty we don't know about the phones, though, with nearly six months still to go until Apple's September event to launch them, and the lineup of dummies has one prominent absentee.

The expectation is that we'll get a new version of the iPhone SE this year, and of all the phones in the offing that's probably the one with the most intriguing questions circling about its design. It seems we'll have to wait a bit longer to learn anything on that front.