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There’s a very simple explanation for one of the iPhone 11’s most peculiar design changes

Published Sep 9th, 2019 7:31AM EDT
iPhone 11 Release Date
Image: JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

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Apple will unveil the iPhone 11 series on Tuesday, with all three new iPhones expected to look exactly like their predecessors when it comes to the screen design. Things change on the back where the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro will feature square camera modules with dual or triple cameras. The back of the three handsets will also feature a peculiar change, one that loyal iPhone users will immediately observe. The Apple logo will be placed right in the middle of the handset, some leaks claimed, which is slightly lower than the usual position. It turns out there’s a straightforward explanation for the modification, and it has nothing to do with telling the new generation of iPhone apart from their predecessor.

After all, that bulky camera module will do a great job helping buyers identify the 2019 iPhones, given that no other iPhone model before featured such a massive camera array on the back.

https://twitter.com/BenGeskin/status/1169318425153421312

iPhone 11’s Apple logo, seen in the render above, should look just like the Apple logo seen on previous models when it comes to design and size, but it will be positioned slightly lower than expected — here’s a collection of older iPhone models:

Credit: Austin Evans Image source: Austin Evans

The iPhone 11 phones will all ship with one other feature that’s not available on older iPhones or many Android devices, and that’s support for reverse wireless charging.

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro, launched last October, was the world’s first flagship handset that could double as a wireless battery pack. Samsung’s Galaxy S10 and Note 10 phones also got the same feature. And Apple’s iPhone 11 series will reportedly have it too.

A Bloomberg report explained that the logo on the back would serve as visual guidance for those people who will want to recharge their devices with the help of the iPhone:

Devices like AirPods and the Apple Watch will be charged by laying them on the back of the phone. It’s a Samsung-like feature that is more important since Apple scrapped its AirPower multi-device charger. The Apple logo on the back of the new phones will be centered, so users know where to put their AirPods and Watch for charging.

The feature is yet to be confirmed, but the logo placement change certainly makes sense. It’s a simple, out-of-the-box solution that should make it super easy to recharge any other wireless device, without the user having to worry whether they placed the gadget in the right spot on the iPhone or not.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.