iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker.

iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2
In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the ‌iPhone‌'s design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other hand, the Pro models purportedly adopt a "large horizontal matrix design."

Last week, leaker Jon Prosser a shared render of the iPhone 17 Pro. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s three rear cameras will apparently be arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but housed in an all-new rectangular bar that extends all the way across the back of the device. The ultra-thin "‌iPhone 17‌ Air" is also rumored to feature a horizontal rear camera bar.

The first major rumor about the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup's design changes came from The Information's Wayne Ma, who said in November last year that the rear of the ‌‌iPhone 17 Pro‌‌ models will feature a new part-aluminum, part-glass design. The top half of the back will be made of aluminum and 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. This new aluminum camera bump will also be larger than that of previous models.

The new Weibo post also referred to an impending "large foldable model," which should increase competition in the market. The account has previously posted accurate information about the iPhone 12 mini's display, iPhone 15's upgraded sensor, and iPhone 16 Pro size increases. The ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup is expected to debut as usual in the fall.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
imac video apple feature

Apple Makes Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...

Top Rated Comments

zedsdead Avatar
13 months ago
Rearranging the camera placement isn’t a significant design change.
Score: 107 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Alwaysfindsaway Avatar
13 months ago
Why, I don’t understand this. Every design choice has to be driven by a change. Why the change in the back camera?? Are we finally getting a zoom lens maybe? Otherwise it’s just a change for the sake of change and will be pointless.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
13 months ago
Having a worst camera bump isn’t significant
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
13 months ago

Rearranging the camera placement isn’t a significant design change.
You can’t trust Apple with the word „biggest“ or „significant“. Remember when they called watchOS 10 (?) the biggest change to AppleWatch? I wouldn’t even be able to tell what changed. Same with the watch itself.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mike.coulter Avatar
13 months ago
I don't care how thin they can make a phone, make phones that are comfy to hold again. Bring back the shape of the iPhone 3G.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
charlie1284 Avatar
13 months ago

Having a worst camera bump isn’t significant
At least it won't wobble side to side now
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)