Apple is reportedly set to make notable changes to the design language of its iPhone lineup later this year, according to a leak from Weibo user “Digital Chat Station.” The changes are expected to affect both the standard and Pro models of the upcoming iPhone 17 series, marking one of the most significant design overhauls in recent years.
The leaker has posted (translated from Mandarin)
Apple’s appearance design has begun to change drastically. The new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air has a horizontal strip runway design, and the Pro series has a horizontal large matrix design. The current product line has added a large folding design and started to roll up.
The iPhone 17 and a rumored ultra-thin model, referred to as the “iPhone 17 Air,” are said to feature a horizontal, bar-shaped camera layout spanning the back of the device, making it look more like the Pixel 9 series—at least the Air model, from what I and everyone else noticed.
Meanwhile, the Pro models will reportedly adopt a “large horizontal matrix design” with cameras housed in a rectangular bar extending across the rear.
The top half is expected to be made of aluminum and will include an integrated rectangular camera bump, while the bottom half will remain glass to support wireless charging. This aluminum camera bump is rumored to be larger than those on current models.
Both “Digital Chat Station” and Jon Prosser have accurately leaked Apple details in the past, lending credibility to these claims.
More here.
This design is an abomination. A horizontal row of lenses would look better. Extending the bump to the edges of the frame would look better. Yuck.