The first alleged leaked CAD renders of Apple's 2019 iPhones appeared on Slashleaks this morning. Smartphone CAD images shared online are usually touted as official designs leaked from production factories and are often used by case makers to predict the design of unreleased devices.
Regardless of the authenticity of these renders, they do line up with rumors regarding the company's upcoming flagship smartphones and serve as a reminder of what to expect from the devices, likely to be launched in September.
Rumors suggest the successors of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR will again be 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED iPhones along with a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, respectively.
The 5.8 and 6.5-inch iPhone XS and XS Max successors are expected to feature triple-lens cameras, while the LCD iPhone will use a dual-lens camera setup, as depicted in the rear square patches on the top-left of the devices.
The camera bump has proven quite controversial since it was first leaked by OnLeaks in January, with many criticizing the look of both the bump itself and the positioning of the camera lenses within the bump.
Some have also questioned why the successor to the iPhone XR would have a square bump for a dual-lens setup when a pill-shaped bump is used on the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, although Apple may simply be adopting it to draw a distinction with previous models and maintain consistency across the new line-up.
Either way, the third camera on the next iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max is rumored to be an ultra-wide-angle lens that enables a broader range of zoom, while the second lens on the next iPhone XR is expected to enable increased zoom as well.
Otherwise, the 2019 iPhone lineup is expected to look similar to the Apple's current smartphones, but Apple may be planning to use a new frosted glass design for the back of the 5.8 and 6.5-inch devices. The 6.1-inch iPhone, meanwhile, could come in new lavender and green shades.
The CAD renders also point to Apple sticking with a Lightning port for this year's iPhones, rather than the USB-C port it adopted for its 2018 iPad Pro models, as suggested by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Other changes mooted include larger batteries, the ability to wirelessly charge other devices, and new technology for indoor positioning and navigation. We don't yet know what Apple will call the new iPhones, but iPhone XI or iPhone 11 are possibilities for the iPhone XS successors.
