by Tim Hardwick
Next year’s iPhone 17 Pro models will reportedly feature a major redesign, specifically centering around changes to the rear camera module, and now new supply chain information appears to confirm the striking change, according to a Chinese leaker.
iPhone 17 Pro concept render
Late last month, The Information‘s Wayne Ma claimed that the rear of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a “rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass,” while the bottom half will continue to be made of glass to support wireless charging. The report also said the “iPhone 17 Air” currently has a “large, centered camera bump on its back” with a single camera.
Concept renders like the one pictured above have been making the rounds ever since The Information report. However, this morning, Digital Chat Station, a Weibo user responsible for a range of details about the camera technology of upcoming iPhone models, claimed that supply chain materials they have seen appear to confirm the major camera module change.
“The details of the camera arrangement are unclear, but the module is of this elongated oval shape,” said the leaker, commenting on the concept render image. “Many new Android phones next year are also expected to adopt a similar design,” the leaker added.
If accurate, the Google Pixel-style module redesign would be one of the most significant changes to Apple’s signature square iPhone camera bump since September 2019 when the iPhone 11 debuted.
The iPhone 11’s square camera module was a marked shift from previous models, which featured a more traditional vertical camera layout. Apple’s decision to switch to a square design was mainly driven by the need to accommodate a third camera in the form of a new Ultra Wide lens, along with improved sensors and optics. The introduction of the square bump set a new aesthetic standard for subsequent models, influencing the design of later releases right up to today’s iPhone 16.
Commenting on the rumor, Ice Universe, another well-known Weibo-based leaker, noted that such an external change would require the internal structural design to undergo a “major overhaul — much like redesigning the layout of an old house,” that would require a significant amount of time for validation. “Would Apple really take such an aggressive approach?” they added.
As always, the look of the devices is based on scraps of information at this point, and Apple’s plans could always change. Regardless, what do you think of the rumored new redesign for the iPhone 17 Pro models? Let us know in the comments.
Popular Stories
Apple Announces iOS 18.2 Launching Today With These New Features
Wednesday December 11, 2024 5:23 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple has announced that iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will be released today following more than six weeks of beta testing. For the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, the update introduces additional Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji for creating custom emoji, Image Playground and Image Wand for generating images, and ChatGPT integration for Siri. There is also …
iPhone SE 4 Said to Feature 48MP Rear Lens, 12MP TrueDepth Camera
Monday December 9, 2024 4:48 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple’s forthcoming iPhone SE 4 will feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front, according to details revealed in a new Korean supply chain report. ET News reports that Korea-based LG Innotek is the main supplier of the front and rear camera modules for the more budget-friendly ~$400 device, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of…
Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.2 With New Apple Intelligence Features
Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:02 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.2, the second update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that was released in September. macOS Sequoia 15.2 comes over a month after the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1. Mac users can download the macOS Sequoia update through the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Sequoia 15.2 adds Image Playground, an app that lets you create…
Cloud-Based M4 and M4 Pro Mac Mini Models Now Available
Developers now have access to cloud-based M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini units via MacWeb, a Silicon Valley-based provider of cloud services. The company has launched three configurations of the new Mac mini, powered by Apple’s M4 and M4 Pro chips. Developers and IT teams can rent these machines for tasks ranging from basic development to advanced artificial intelligence modeling, providing an…
MacBook Pros With OLED Displays Won’t Have a Notch, Roadmap Shows
Apple plans to remove the notch from the MacBook Pro in a few years from now, according to a roadmap shared by research firm Omdia. The roadmap shows that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in 2026 will have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, instead of a notch. It is unclear if there would simply be a pinhole in the display, or if Apple would expand the iPhone’s…
Apple Releases iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 With Genmoji, Image Playground, Siri ChatGPT and More
Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:03 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, the second major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates that came out in September. The new updates come over a month after Apple released iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General >…
