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It’s likely safe to assume that the 15 pro, 16 pro and 17 pro iPhones form part of a 3-year cycle (similar to the iPhone 12, 13 and 14 pro models), and there didn’t be any major changes to the design and form factor of the 17 pro.
 
Joke conspiracy:

Apple observed that people are way too excited about the potential of redesigning the camera bump after 5 years and thought "You know what, the iPhone Air will be JUST enough to keep them interested. They can wait another year for a mainline redesign"
 
Yeah that’s because of spacial video

Spatial video simply needs the two lenses used to capture it to be about average eye width apart. Apple could position the 2 lenses in ANY way to achieve this, including the prior rumored "row" approach. In fact, that option MIGHT have been better than this one for spatial because the triangle does NOT space any 2 lenses about average eye width apart. In short, there is room to improve spatial capture with a physical layout evolution. Whether that's a wider triangle config or across or vertical row is up to Apple but the same tight placement from well before spatial was a thing likely hinders captures as good as they could be with a phone.

A second advantage to the rumored row approach was no more wobble. Sticking with the triangle persists the wobble.

The third benefit of a tangible physical change is for those who really enjoy showing others they have the latest. Maintaining the same design for yet another year doesn't accomplish that at-a-glance. Those who sweat this issue have to work a bit harder to show their phone is newer than the other guy who clings to one from 3 or 4 generations ago. But there's always new colors. ;)
 
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Interestingly, this is the same leaker that said the 17 Pro would be titanium still when others were saying aluminum. Contrary for the sake of being contrary? But he has a good track record. He got the iPad Pro getting a landscape camera and nano texture screen.
 
When I first read this I thought it said a “triangular shaped phone”. I’m a big fan of the snow globe myself.

IMG_4100.jpeg
 
I don’t mind design consistency, but I don’t particularly like the current camera bump design - it’s not comfortable to hold, gets dirty too easily, and causes the phone to rock when used on a table.

Above it’s suggested that something flatter to the back would necessitate a compromise of bigger battery and heavier phone - personally that’s a compromise I am willing to make.
 
I was forced to upgrade from my trusty 12 Pro to a 15 Pro Max last summer, but this "upgrade" and the latest reports of the future iPhone roadmap, only confirm what I've thought for a long time.

There's only ever been 2 "wow" moments since the original iPhone launch. The iPhone 4 and the X. Not surprisingly they represented significant aesthetic and technology design leaps. Everything in between and since has all been about incremental updates. Tweaks for the sake of tweaks, camera bumps (in both senses of the word) all designed with the purpose of milking insane profits and keeping shareholders happy (and the CEO at the helm, immune from his failings everywhere else), whilst gimping older hardware for new software that nobody really wants or even asked for (I'm looking at you "Apple Intelligence").

Not to mention the rounded edges, the chamfered edges, the squared edges, rinse and repeat every few years. And of course, the perennial camera array design shape. This is not evolution, folks. Then there's the thinly-veiled cost-cutting disguised as "premium" material evolution. Aluminium, glass, stainless steel, titanium, aluminium again. Make your mind up. Likewise, the ongoing display size queenery and product line fragmentation with Max's, Plus's, Pro's and Mini's (RIP), almost as laughable as the iPad family. Almost. The 17 "Air" isn't with us yet.

See, I no longer think of iPhones as a representation of the cutting edge of technology. I just see them as a necessary domestic appliance with the same accompanying excitement. There to do a purely functional job for as long as possible until out of warranty, whereupon they become inconveniently and slowly dysfunctional (no matter how many battery replacements you subject them to). And so just like my Bosch washing machine or Siemens fridge-freezer, or even the Polestar EV I had the displeasure of steering (I couldn't really describe the experience as 'driving') as a courtesy car a few weeks ago), imbued with as much heart and soul as one of Tim "Defibrillator" Cook's presentations.

"We think y'all gonna love this latest iPhone.". Yeah, no.

To quote Colin Farrell's bored character In Bruges "if I'd grown up on a farm and was retarded, maybe (it'd impress me)...but I didn't, and so it doesn't."
 
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Do you really have such faith in the objectivity of your subjective opinion? :)
yes. the camera wart we've had since the iPhone 12 is apples worst visual design decision since they stuck that awful plastic bean on the back of the iPod touch
 
if it looks anything like that it looks way worse then it is now. Is more of a design chance just to change not to improve
 
I'd like a camera that's flush with the case too, but I would never accept even just 10% lower quality photos/videos and I certainly wouldn't have a thicker and potentially heavier iPhone in exchange. So Apple made the perfect trade-off of having a protruding camera island.
I would happily trade perceived picture quality for a flat phone. Between the post processing the phone does and the natural evolution of the tech, it’s not like we would be talking about iPhone 4 level of quality if we lost or significantly reduced the bump. Besides, while I gladly acknowledge the convenience of having the phone camera handy, the picture-taking ergonomics of the phone don’t inspire me to engage in serious photography the way an actual camera does. It’s just for quick snapshots.
 
OK so trying to match up these rumours I've come up with a suggestion. So far we've got:

  • Full width camera bar
  • Split materials (aluminium/glass) on the rear
  • Maintains triangular camera design
What if it's something like this with a raised aluminium top part which runs the width of the device. The triangular camera arrangement however is maintained except the cameras are now flush (or close to flush) with the device, and it also stops it wobbling on a table. The lower part of the device remains glass (needed for MagSafe and antenna). Weight distribution of the thicker top half is maintained by using aluminium on the raised camera bar and glass on the thinner, lower part of the device.

Could this be it?

Screenshot 2024-12-18 at 13.50.31.png
 
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I’m planning on buying the 17 Pro Max regardless. I hadn’t been expecting any redesign until next year (so the 17 Air can have the spotlight)

Clearly something different is happening to the back of these phones but I’ll be curious to see what the truth is behind all these kind of odd conflicting rumors.

Just please don’t make the screen or battery of the 17 Pro Max smaller and I’ll be happy.
 
OK so trying to match up these rumours I've come up with a suggestion. So far we've got:

  • Full width camera bar
  • Split materials (aluminium/glass) on the rear
  • Maintains triangular camera design
What if it's something like this with a raised aluminium top half which runs the width of the device. The triangular camera arrangement however is maintained except the cameras are now flush (or close to flush) with the device, and it also stops it wobbling on a table. The lower part of the device remains glass (needed for MagSafe and antenna). Weight distribution of the thicker top half is maintained by using aluminium on the raised camera bar and glass on the thinner, lower part of the device.

Could this be it?

View attachment 2463654
That would be interesting. I kind of like it!
 
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