iPhone 2019: Incredible Renders Show How Apple Could Revive a Fan Favorite
A new rendering shows how Apple's device could look with a design refresh.
A new concept render shows how Apple could breathe new life into the iPhone’s design. With the company expected to unveil a successor to the iPhone XS in the fall, talk is turning to how the smartphone juggernaut could improve on the notch-focused design first pioneered with the iPhone X.
The renders, created by Kassel, Germany-based designer Hasan Kaymak and published Sunday, upends the curved body design that’s been present since the iPhone 6 and replaces it with sharper edges. The redesign, Kaymak explains, “has a rectangular body like the iPad Pro” that was released in October 2018, which took a similar move by ditching the curves that first debuted on the iPad 2 in 2011.
Kaymak’s design also echoes that of a fan favorite: the iPhone 4. When Steve Jobs first held the glass-and-aluminum device on stage in the summer of 2010, he described it as “like a beautiful old Leica camera.” The sharp edges enabled it to stand upright on a table, while the circular volume buttons and rounded corners provided a pleasant contrast. It wasn’t the most functional design — the steel band dropped signal when held, leading to the “antennagate” controversy — but it went on to inspire other favorites like the iPhone SE, the 4-inch budget phone rumored for a relaunch.
Kaymak tells Inverse that Apple could design something similar as it “goes back to the design of the iPhone 5 in combination with the design of the iPhone X Series,” noting the “rectangular design like the iPad Pro.”
The device laying flat.
The renderings capture the rumored triple-camera setup expected to make an appearance. While Apple uses the current two cameras to provide the option of either normal angle or telephoto shots, it’s unclear what function the third lens would provide. One option is the rumored 3D sensor camera.
The device on its side.
The concept also ditches the Lightning connector for USB-C, a move Apple made with the iPad Pro. The switch enables users to take advantage of a variety of peripherals designed for the PC, like memory card readers and external displays. A similar move is rumored for the iPhone.
The device on a wooden surface.
“Apple will most likely use glass on the back of the next iPhone generations,” Kaymak says. “That’s because of the wireless charging on the new iPhones. The customers want to keep this privilege on the next generations.”
A close-up view of the camera.
It’s unclear when Apple may unveil its next series of smartphones, but as most of the firm’s iPhone launches have taken place in September, it’s possible that the company could detail its next moves soon. Kaymak’s concept shows how Apple could take the device in a bold new direction, while also harkening back to an old design classic.
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