iPhone 16 Pro concept has so many changes it’s almost unrecognizable

What makes an iPhone an iPhone? Of course, only Apple can really tell, but there are a number of design cues that easily identify a phone as an iPhone, few of which remain in this concept.

We’ve seen our fair share of design concepts for future phones. Some base their ideas too closely on what is plausible, while others dare to go beyond what is possible. Concepts like these mix dreams and observations with a pinch of wishful thinking on top. Very few have actually hit the mark completely in predicting what will come to pass in a year or two, but one particular design looks both enamoring and alien that it leaves you wondering if Apple will even dare walk down this path.

Designer: Petar Trlajic

To be fair, this future iPhone concept is beautiful if you take it in isolation. It is almost all screen, without the notch that has been a stubborn presence on iPhones since the iPhone X in 2017. It still shows Apple’s typical materials, at least before it added wireless charging, like a metal finish on the iPhone’s back. Flat sides are also present, though with a bit more curve rather than the hard chamfered edges of current iPhones.

Things get a bit strange from there, though. One of the biggest and most striking differences is the camera design and location. Once upon a time, Apple did arrange cameras in a single row, but that was limited to just two sensors in a corner. This concept puts three cameras smack in the middle of the iPhone’s rear, something uncharacteristic for Apple, which will undoubtedly draw parallels to the Pixel 6’s “visor” design.

Even small details have changed as well, like the circular buttons that are more reminiscent of the older iPhones. There is also a reflective strip running around the edges that seem to be made of a different material than the rest of the iPhone’s body. It’s unlikely to be plastic, which rules it out as antenna lines. The punch-hole camera is also new, but there are already rumors that Apple will actually switch to this design this year or in 2023.

If not for the iconic Apple logo, few will probably identify this as an iPhone at first glance. That’s not to say Apple will never adopt this design, just that it probably won’t within the next two or three years. That’s probably why AppleDesign christened this concept as the iPhone 16 Pro, suggesting it is probably far into the future, if it even happens at all.