Leaked iPhone 17 Pro Case Hints At Larger Camera Island; Details Here
iPhone 17 camera island takes up nearly a third of the phone’s rear, in what could be the first major redesign since the iPhone 11 Pro series.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro may surprise fans with a horizontal camera bar stretching across the phone’s width, indicating a new look for the model. Leaked renders and dummy units have given a glimpse into the design of the upcoming iPhone 17 series, revealing the look of the new models. Now, tipster Sonny Dickson has posted images of clear cases purported to be that of the iPhone 17 Pro.
“First look at some cases for the new iPhone 17 Pro — wow, that camera hole is huge! Apple's really turning heads with this design.” Dickson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The camera island takes up nearly a third of the phone’s rear. If this is truly the design of the next-generation iPhones, it would mark the first major redesign since the iPhone 11 Pro series.
Apple is expected to adopt this Pixel-like camera bar design across three models: the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Air. The cameras will reportedly be arranged in a triangular layout, maintaining the current alignment.
Rumours about the camera bar redesign have been circulating for a while, but Apple’s intentions remained unclear, with some speculating it was an attempt to emulate Google’s design approach.
X user @Mia_Kacurage shared insights behind this camera update from Apple. “The camera module design of the professional iPhones has remained unchanged for six years, but the iPhone 17 Pro will introduce a redesign due to a new 48MP telephoto lens with 10x lossless zoom.”
“Increasing the megapixel count reduces pixel size and the amount of light each pixel can capture. Since telephoto lenses are particularly sensitive to light, Apple will increase the sensor size to compensate. The only way to fit the larger telephoto lens without major structural changes is to position it horizontally,” the user added.
According to details, the redesign stems from space constraints. The LiDAR module will be moved to the right side to better align with the motherboard connectors. Apple plans to shift these connectors into the space freed up by repositioning the telephoto lens, allowing the company to retain its signature triangular camera layout.
While these design leaks and technical insights offer an exciting preview of what may be in store, it's important to note that Apple is yet to confirm these changes.
