Could future iPhones have a detachable camera? This is what it would look like

(Image credit: Louis Berger)

What will future iPhones look like in the future? Everyone is currently trying to second guess what improvements the iPhone 12 will bring later this year - but as yet it seems that the latest Apple smartphone will probably bring just incremental changes.

But what about a more radical view of what mobiles could look like? We love this radical solution from German industrial design student Louis Berger. His 3D designs show an iPhone-like smartphone that has a modular design – with a removable camera unit.

Louis Berger's futuristic Mosaic modular smartphone (Image credit: Louis Berger)

Berger's "Mosaic" phone gives you the option of have a second screen on the rear of the camera, or the more traditional camera unit with multiple lenses. But the most intriguing part of the design is that the camera can be used separately from the main   part of the phone, which houses the full-sized LCD screen. 

You can think of this as having an Apple Watch sized device that you take off your phone for shooting pictures or videos. It could be worn on a wrist strap or carried on a lanyard. Its smaller form factor, moreover, means that with a suitable mount the camera unit could be used as a body camera, baby monitor, or as an action camera

The design gives far more photographic possibilities to your smartphone – and you could also see the module being used as a remote-controlled camera, being fired from and remotely monitored by the main Mosaic unit.

(Image credit: Louis Berger)

The camera module attaches the main unit via on a magnetic mount – but has its on miniature display, so you can use the unit separately.

Aged 21, Berger is just finishing his degree in industrial design at Munich University of Applied Sciences, but has already had placements at BMW and Nest Labs. But look at his innovative designs it is easy to see him following in the footsteps of  Jonathan Ive. You can see more of his portfolio on Behance.

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Chris George

Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography. 

His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.

He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.