Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to feature a significant design overhaul, and a new image apparently taken on an assembly line for the unreleased devices appears to confirm the biggest rumored change.
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to adopt a horizontal camera bar reminiscent of Google's Pixel series, and this bar is expected to span the width of the device's back, housing the triangular triple-camera setup on the left, and the flash, microphone, and LiDAR sensor on the right. It is not clear why Apple would use this design, nor what the extra space would be used for, but it has shown up several times now.
The image below, shared on X (Twitter) by leaker Majin Bu, purports to show CNC-machined aluminum or titanium chassis components for the iPhone 17 Pro Max that mirror these expected changes, while the large circular openings likely correspond to areas for internal components like the MagSafe coil or battery. The stacked-together parts look precision-milled with visible CNC tool paths, suggesting they are freshly machined structural elements ready for further processing.
There have been reports that Apple may revert to using aluminum frames for the iPhone 17 Pro, moving away from the titanium used in the previous iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models.
Rumors suggest Apple plans to use a half glass, half aluminum build, which would increase durability. The glass would allow wireless charging to continue to be available, but a partial aluminum frame would be less prone to breakage.
iPhone 17 Pro Max is ready pic.twitter.com/jFb9L4b1BH — Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) March 12, 2025
There is said to be a glass section around the Apple logo that's integrated into an overall metal chassis, so the circular openings in the image could also be related to this change. Then again, the openings could be associated with a new wireless reverse charging feature.
Apple has apparently tested a 7.5W reverse wireless charging for the iPhone 17 Pro, which would allow the iPhone to provide wireless power to other Apple devices like AirPods and Apple Watch. Current iPhones are able to provide 4.5W of power to the Apple Watch and AirPods over USB-C, but there is no option for reverse wireless charging.
According to one rumor, the body thickness of the iPhone 17 Pro Max will increase to 8.725mm, up from the 8.25mm of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which may be to fit a bigger battery.
The camera module redesign extends to the new iPhone 17 Air model, which is set to replace the Plus variant in Apple's lineup. This thinner device will allegedly feature a similar horizontal camera bar design, though it will accommodate just a single camera lens.
In contrast, the base iPhone 17 is expected to maintain the current camera design language seen in the iPhone 16 series, helping to further differentiate Apple's premium and standard offerings. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series next September. Are you excited by the expected design changes? Let us know in the comments.
