Reports suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be getting bigger next year. There was also information about a rectangular camera bump occupying a chunk of space on the back. However, fresh information indicates that the rectangular camera bump may not follow the traditional square-shaped design that Apple has had for several years. Instead, the company could be exploring a totally new camera design for next year's iPhones, at least for the Pro models.
A leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo (via Jukanlosreve on X), posted an image purportedly showing the metal frame of the alleged iPhone 17 Pro, reportedly sourced from Apple's Chinese supply chain. The image reveals a camera cutout unlike what we have ever seen from Apple. The camera design looks similar to the camera module on the Pixel 9 series, with a huge rectangular opening.
The leaker said (upon machine translation) "The frame of the new iPhone in the supply chain is indeed like this, with the ultra-wide angle in the middle to make room for the front structured light."
Prominent leaker Digital Chat Station backed the claim, adding that the Apple iPhone 17 series (slim) has indeed changed to this design. The mention of "slim" in the leak could mean that this change could come for the rumored iPhone 17 Slim/Air. However, that theory seems unlikely, since speculation is that the iPhone 17 Slim will feature only a single camera. It appears that something has been lost in translation. However, the leaker did mention that the details of the lens arrangement remain unknown.
Another interesting thing that the leaker mentioned is that Android phones next year will also change to this design. If true, that wouldn't be the first time Android manufacturers have followed Apple's lead. For instance, Apple's removal of the audio jack and in-box charger— initially criticized by companies like Samsung—was later adopted by Android brands, including Samsung. Similarly, the recently introduced "Camera Control" button in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max has already appeared in devices like the OPPO Find X8 Pro.
What do you think about the rumored camera redesign for the iPhone 17 series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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