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.
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.
