2019 ‘iPhone XI’ Could Retain Lightning Port, Gain Hi-Res Front-Facing Camera

Apple’s forthcoming “iPhone XI” will feature 10-megapixel and 14-megapixel main cameras, with its front-facing effort clocking in at 10 megapixels.

@OnLeaks, CompareRaja

According to new information from the fairly reliable Steve Hemmerstoffer, otherwise known by his Twitter handle @OnLeaks (via CompareRaja), the next flagship iPhone will feature even thinner bezels and a relocated camera module. This module appears to be a triple camera stacked horizontally with a ring flash right in the middle. Otherwise, this render isn’t very different the current iPhone XS design. The power key is still on the right and the volume rocker is still on the left below a physical notification switch.

Hemmerstoffer claims that the rear cameras will be 10 megapixels and 14 megapixels, instead of the current dual 12-megapixel setup. Presumably, they will still be one wide-angle and one zoom. Details of the third sensor are unknown—it may be a camera sensor of unknown resolution and zoom or a depth sensor. The front-facing camera will also be upgraded from 7 megapixels to 10.

Apple will continue to feature both telephoto and wide-angle lenses, as it did on last year’s iPhone. Another detail noted in the leaked renders was a smaller, rectangular notch on the front display, likely due to improvements to Apple’s front-facing TrueDepth camera system.



Inside, Apple will have a larger and squarer battery, versus the “L-shape” it has been using recently. While this will allow it to squeeze in more capacity, it will also require a change in the internal layout of the iPhone. Like putting the logic board horizontally on top of the battery rather vertically to its side like almost all iPhones past and present.

The report also suggests that the 2019 iPhone will include a Lightning connector. Recent rumours have suggested that Apple could be looking to move its handsets to USB-C as it did with its iPad Pro line last year, but the report says the current iPhone prototypes all still use Lightning.

There have also been reports that Apple’s next-gen iPhone lineup may support faster Wi-Fi and, potentially, support for 5G. While a 5G-equipped iPhone would be nice, there’s no strong indication we’ll see one before 2020.

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