iPhone 17 Air Screen Protector Reveals a Potential Design Difference

[MacRumors]

A screen protector that is allegedly designed for Apple's rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air model has revealed a potential design difference.

Based on an image shared today by a leaker known as Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Air's front camera may be positioned to the left of the Dynamic Island, rather than to the right of it like on iPhone models released over the past few years.

It is unclear why Apple may be planning this change specifically for the iPhone 17 Air, but perhaps the device's ultra-thin design has forced it to rearrange some internal components related to the front camera and Face ID. The device is expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever released, measuring just 5.5mm at its thinnest point.

All four iPhone 17 models released this year are rumored to feature a 24-megapixel front camera, up from a 12-megapixel front camera on all iPhone 16 models. This change alone likely does not explain the iPhone 17 Air's potential repositioned front camera, given that the screen protectors shown for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max still have a front camera hole on the right side of the Dynamic Island.

Apple will likely announce the iPhone 17 Air in September, and it may offer an explanation for the repositioned front camera at that time, if this rumor is true.

Article Link: iPhone 17 Air Screen Protector Reveals a Potential Design Difference

 

[GMShadow]

Rear camera/flash hardware is generally in that area, so yeah, I'd assume it's a depth issue.

 

[imola.zhp]

OMG, on the left and not the right?

WOW, crazy!

 

[wohmiguel]

I mean, it’s not that big of a difference, but it’s definitely a peeve of mine. I used my friend’s iPhone 14 (which also has the front camera on the left side) to take pictures, and it felt off, like, weird to use. Anyone else?

 

[jz0309]

Well, as long as it has that camera - sounds good to me

 

[tivoboy]

Does this mean there won’t be a PLUS model?

 

[svish]

Not sure whether this will be true but this will not make any difference to the user. Internal space constraint could be the only reason.

 

[thiscatisfat]

Does this mean there won’t be a PLUS model?

A Plus model? They are all Plus models.

 

[Return Zero]

It's going to be so tough choosing between the smaller Pro and the Air. I always prefer smaller, premium-feature devices. In this case they're both smaller and premium but in slightly different ways. Can't wait to hold one!

 

[randomgeeza]

Who the hell wants this product? I have just finished working with Samsung and the S25 Edge has bombed! No one wants these. Let's fix what we have already.

 

[AppleWes]

A Plus model? They are all Plus models.

I think they mean if there will be an iPhone 17 PLUS or is Air replacing it since not in first post

Example of current iPhone 16

 

[Trhodezy]

Slow news day for Mac Rumors? The screen protector is likely just the wrong way around.

 

[ab2c4]

Does this mean there won’t be a PLUS model?

So far rumors are saying we won't get one. The Air replaces it.

 

[klasma]

Maybe they want to make a left-handed phone. 🤪

 

[LanaDelDeathRay]

Rear camera/flash hardware is generally in that area, so yeah, I'd assume it's a depth issue.

Yep. Exactly this.

 

[klasma]

Does this mean there won’t be a PLUS model?

Yes, the Air is replacing it. This has been known since the earliest rumors.

 

[NetMage]

Rear camera/flash hardware is generally in that area, so yeah, I'd assume it's a depth issue.

So why doesn’t that affect the 17 Pro?

 

[NetMage]

I am surprised having a screen protector cover the FaceID hardware doesn’t cause issues.

 

[ultratiem]

Who the hell wants this product? I have just finished working with Samsung and the S25 Edge has bombed! No one wants these. Let's fix what we have already.

Cook. Cook thinks branching off yet another model is what’s going to fix things. These guys are so out to lunch that it seems tech peaked 10 years ago and now it’s just an explosion of overblown pricing, empty promises, and baffling product releases.

First thing Jobs did was axe products for a streamline product catalogue. First thing Cook did was explode it back to how every sh*t-show of a tech company runs things. And what ran Apple into the ground back in the 90s.

5 new iPhones 17s, still selling the 8 different 16 models and still holding onto the 15 for maximum screw you customer status.

I think every year Apple sells some dozen different models if you include the prior year.

What a gong show. But keep revising the UI into glass while Siri rots and the best you can do with AI is a summary of texts from your buddies or an email. Oh, and make a generative image that looks worse than midjourney 1.0.

 

[BelgianChoklit]

Maybe it's because the iPhone Air will have a wedge shaped design like the original MacBook Air with it's thicker side on the left where there's more depth for the camera 🥶

 

[BelgianChoklit]

Are those Dynamic Islands smaller than we've had in the 14, 15 and 16?

 

[darngooddesign]

Maybe it's because the iPhone Air will have a wedge shaped design like the original MacBook Air with it's thicker side on the left where there's more depth for the camera

This is the first I've heard of that design, it's supposed to be just like the other phones but thinner. Contrary to that rumor, if the camera moves on the Air, it's going to move on the other phones as well.

 

[GMShadow]

So why doesn’t that affect the 17 Pro?

...because the Air is thinner.

 

[ATLAS-2]

Can't innovate my ass

 

[russell_314]

It's going to be so tough choosing between the smaller Pro and the Air. I always prefer smaller, premium-feature devices. In this case they're both smaller and premium but in slightly different ways. Can't wait to hold one!

They are targeting two totally different people. The Pro is if you want max specs without compromise. The Air is if you want a screen almost the size as the Max but accept compromises to have a thin and light phone