New camera module forces Apple to make a change to the new iPhones that everyone will notice

On September 10th, Apple is expected to unveil its three new 2019 iPhone models. All three will carry the controversial square camera module on the upper left corner of their rear glass panels and the trio will be powered by the A13 Bionic chipset manufactured by TSMC using its 7nm process. Two of the models could be "Pro" versions and will sport an AMOLED display. These units are rumored to bring support for the Apple Pencil and will both feature a trio of cameras on the back (a Primary + Telephoto with 2x optical zoom + ultra-wide-angle). The "non-Pro" iPhone 11 will have an LCD screen (the Liquid Retina Display, Apple calls it) and only two cameras on the back (Primary + Telephoto). All three phones could offer reverse wireless charging and sport larger batteries.

Just the other day, concept device designer Benjamin Geskin tweeted photographs of cases (via Redmond Pie) for the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models already found racked-up in a store. The design of these cases included a square cutout to match the rear-mounted camera module. And it appears that the size of said camera module will force Apple to move the placement of its iconic Apple trademark down to the center of the rear panel this year. The result will be, for the very first time, a more balanced look for the back of the iPhone.

This isn't a big deal in the scheme of things, but for iPhone fans who have always wanted Apple to do something with its logo on the back of the handset, this is a huge design change. Not as useful though as the "logo as notification light" rumor that surfaced during the summer of 2014 before the unveiling of the iPhone 6. Back in those days, with word of a major redesign on the way, any pie-in-the-sky thought was seen as a possibility. Leaked photos allegedly showing the rear casing for the device revealed a new plastic Apple logo that was thin enough to allow light through. Different colors were supposed to light up the logo, each indicating a different type of notification. Needless to say, this never happened. However, back in 2011, we told you about a kit that sold for $43 which turned the Apple logo into a glowing light. Making this type of customization would have resulted in the voiding of the device's warranty.

While Apple was forced into moving the Apple logo this year because of its new space-eating camera module, sometimes a company will do something to satisfy the desires of its customers. Take Motorola. Because its circular "batwings" logo was placed on the rear of its phones like 2016's Moto Z Force, many consumers mentioned that it would make a better location for a fingerprint scanner than the ugly square "button" found on the front of the device. In fact, the Nexus 6 was originally going to have a rear fingerprint scanner integrated into the Motorola "batwings" logo, but it was removed at the last second. Some consumers liked the idea of the logo doubling as a rear fingerprint scanner and sure enough, last year's Moto E5 was released with such a feature.

Don't kid yourself, the Apple logo is a big part of the iPhone mystique. And that is the case even if you're not an obsessive fanboy that worries about the placement of every component of an iPhone. Some might even tell you that the logo is the most distinctive part of the handset since it tells everyone that the device you have in your hands is indeed an iPhone.