The rear camera setup on a iPhone 15 Pro Max with the three lenses mounted to form a triangular shape. Image credit |-PhoneArena
Early this morning we showed you renders of the iPhone 17 Pro Max sporting a new design for the rear camera island. Instead of the familiar box in the upper left corner with the lenses mounted on it using a trianglular look, the render showed a horizontal camera bar similar to what Google has done with the Pixel’s rear camera setup since the Pixel 6 series was released in 2021. The renders were taken from a video created by a Russian YouTube channel.
Before you get used to the new look, it turns out that the render might not be an accurate depiction of the iPhone 17 Pro Max after all. A Weibo leaker with the username “Instant Digital” says that while there will be a redesigned camera setup for the iPhone 17 Pro Max and other iPhone 17 models, the changes will not be significant. The three camera lenses will still be mounted using a triangular pattern and there will be no horizontal camera bar.
“My source told me that the appearance of the back has indeed changed but the layout of the three cameras is still triangular, not the horizontal bar spread on the Internet now.”-Instant Digital” on Weibo (translated)
The leaker also shot down another rumor that said how Apple would be reducing its use of titanium and replacing it with aluminum on the edges of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. It also puts into doubt the rumor that aluminum will replace some of the glass used on the rear panels that will be found on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. “Instant Digital” said that it would be hard for Apple to spin the replacement of titanium with aluminum as an improvement for the new 2025 iPhone Pro models.
Some believe that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a rear horizontal camera bar. | Image credit-Wylsacom
A previously leaked image of the frame for the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air showed how this frame would support the use of a horizontal camera bar. It is possible that the new design expected to be employed for the iPhone 17 Air will include the horizontal camera bar. But if “Instant Digital” is correct, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will not have the same design (despite the render we showed you). As a result, the 2025 Pro models might have a rear camera island that looks nearly the same as it did in previous years.
We will have to reserve judgment about who is right and who is wrong until more evidence starts to come in. Right now it is just too early to make any definitive statements about the final design of the iPhone 17 series.
