Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
TL;DR
- New renders of the iPhone 17 Pro suggest that Apple may not adopt a Pixel-esque camera bar for its next-gen devices.
- Instead, the phones could feature a much larger camera island spanning the width of the back panel.
- Despite the larger camera island, Apple might stick with the same triangular camera layout as previous iPhone models.
Although Apple is still months away from launching its next-gen iPhones, we’ve already started hearing rumors about the iPhone 17 series. Late last year, we saw multiple reports suggesting that Apple would adopt a Pixel-esque camera bar design for the Pro models in its upcoming lineup. However, a subsequent leak debunked this claim, stating that Apple would retain a triangular camera layout for its next-gen devices. We now have a better idea of what the updated camera design may look like, thanks to a new leak.
In a recent video, Front Page Tech’s Jon Prosser claims that the iPhone 17 Pro will have a wide camera island that’s nowhere as skinny as the camera bar we’ve seen on recent Google Pixel models. It could retain the same triangular camera layout as its predecessor, placed within a much wider camera island spanning the entire width of the device.
Unlike the previous renders, which showed the iPhone 17 Pro’s triple camera setup arranged within a skinny camera bar at the top of the device, the new design looks like a thicker version of the Nexus 6P’s camera bar, and its shape closely resembles the camera island on the Xiaomi’s Mi 11 Ultra. It houses the triple camera setup in the left half, like previous iPhone models, but the LED flash, rear microphone, and LiDAR scanner are lined up vertically close to the right edge of the camera island.
The wider camera island is darker than the rest of the phone, giving the iPhone 17 Pro a two-tone look. This falls in line with a separate rumor we’ve seen in the past. Prosser claims the new renders are based on information from sources familiar with the iPhone 17 Pro’s design, adding that he’s seen the device himself. At the moment, it’s unclear whether this new camera island design serves a functional purpose or if it’s purely aesthetic.
It’s worth noting that Prosser doesn’t have a stellar track record when it comes to Apple rumors, so we can’t say for sure if the iPhone 17 Pro will end up featuring this camera island design. On top of that, we’re still months away from the iPhone 17 series launch, and there’s a chance Apple could make further changes. We’ll have to wait for more concrete evidence to determine if Apple will go with this design or opt for a different camera layout altogether.
