iPhone 17 lineup is a design mess—here’s why that’s a good thing

A recently leaked image reveals the design differences among the upcoming iPhone 17 models: the standard, Air, Pro, and Pro Max. The differences will be more pronounced compared to the current iPhone 16 lineup.

According to leaker Majin Bu, the base model will maintain its characteristic squarish camera bump, while the slim Air variant features a camera strip with a singular rear camera. Both the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will showcase a prominent camera island.

The recent announcement of the iPhone 16e adds to the diverse design offerings, resulting in a collection that seems less cohesive than previous iterations. While this variety may appeal to some consumers, it raises questions about a unified design philosophy within Apple.

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All four iPhone 17 models are expected to feature aluminum frames and utilize the new 3nm A19 chipsets. The Pro models may incorporate 48MP cameras, enhancing their competitiveness with leading camera smartphones. Additionally, the base and Air models might finally support 120Hz displays. Rumors suggest Apple is also exploring reverse wireless charging capabilities for the Pro variants.

Renderings indicate a redesign of the camera module, which may expand horizontally across the back of the devices, as per leaks from Front Page Tech. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will retain the existing triangular camera arrangement but will relocate the LED flash, microphone, and LiDAR scanner to the opposite side, creating a rectangular camera bar reminiscent of designs found in Google’s Pixel series.

The iPhone 17 Pro is expected to adopt this new camera bar design along with the sleek iPhone 17 Air. Notably, Apple seems to have chosen to maintain the current design for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus, likely to differentiate the premium models more distinctly.

Current leaks make it challenging to ascertain whether Apple has modified the size of the Dynamic Island. There are claims from at least one leaker suggesting that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a narrower Dynamic Island, enhanced by a “metalens” design for Face ID, utilizing metasurfaces for light focus.

The imminent launch of the iPhone 17 is anticipated to coincide with the five-year anniversary of the iPhone 12, signaling an overdue redesign. Upgrades expected throughout the lineup include 24MP selfie cameras, vapor chamber cooling, and 120Hz displays across all models. Significant updates for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to attract creators, although specific features haven’t yet been disclosed.

In Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, insights suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max would offer new features aimed at content creators, maintaining Apple’s historical launch timeline of announcing new devices in September. Following the introduction of the tetraprism telephoto lens in the iPhone 16 Pro models, a similar upgrade is anticipated for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Enhancements in software stabilization and the inclusion of additional microphones for improved audio capture are also expected.

Existing capabilities for offloading footage to solid-state drives are likely to continue, with potential developments for professional editing tools within the camera app, enabling creators to upload content directly.

New case renders for the iPhone 17 Pro Max display a significant increase in the size of the rear camera island, along with the flash and sensor modules being segregated into separate areas. This design evolution reaffirms Apple’s commitment to emphasizing camera technology within their top models, particularly for photography-focused users.

Featured image credit: Vojtech Bruzek/Unsplash