iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

[MacRumors]

Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker.

In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other hand, the Pro models purportedly adopt a "large horizontal matrix design."

Last week, leaker Jon Prosser a shared render of the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone 17 Pro's three rear cameras will apparently be arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but housed in an all-new rectangular bar that extends all the way across the back of the device. The ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" is also rumored to feature a horizontal rear camera bar.

The first major rumor about the iPhone 17 lineup's design changes came from The Information's Wayne Ma, who said in November last year that the rear of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models will feature a new part-aluminum, part-glass design. The top half of the back will be made of aluminum and feature a "rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass," while the bottom half will continue to be made of glass to support wireless charging. This new aluminum camera bump will also be larger than that of previous models.

The new Weibo post also referred to an impending "large foldable model," which should increase competition in the market. The account has previously posted accurate information about the iPhone 12 mini's display, iPhone 15's upgraded sensor, and iPhone 16 Pro size increases. The iPhone 17 lineup is expected to debut as usual in the fall.

Article Link: iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

 

[Expos of 1969]

Time to wow us Tim...

 

[zedsdead]

Rearranging the camera placement isn’t a significant design change.

 

[Alwaysfindsaway]

Why, I don’t understand this. Every design choice has to be driven by a change. Why the change in the back camera?? Are we finally getting a zoom lens maybe? Otherwise it’s just a change for the sake of change and will be pointless.

 

[Kylo83]

Having a worst camera bump isn’t significant

 

[BelgianChoklit]

Kinda was expecting this for the iPhone that will come in 2027 for the twentieth anniversary.

Maybe the only big change for the 2027 model will be the removal of the Dynamic Continent.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Good
It's time to mix it up

 

[contacos]

Rearranging the camera placement isn’t a significant design change.

You can’t trust Apple with the word „biggest“ or „significant“. Remember when they called watchOS 10 (?) the biggest change to AppleWatch? I wouldn’t even be able to tell what changed. Same with the watch itself.

 

[MRSugarD]

Rearranging the camera layout isn't that big of deal if we're being honest but there's not much left to change as the iPhone's design has pretty much matured for many years. Nonetheless I'm looking forward to what Apple has up its sleeves for this year's model.

 

[DMG35]

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[titanium69]

Innovation under Tim Apple

1. Lonely island... i mean dynamic island
2. New Camera Position
3. Very slim phones

This man managed to convince the world apple is number 1 whilst annually pushing out the most mundane, overpriced, gimmicky & bug ridden phone & OS.

If that`s not worth of massive bonus i dunno what is

 

[NapZzz]

I hope there will be a real earth-shaking change.

 

[TechRunner]

These rumors are all over the place. I'm definitely adopting a "wait and see" attitude on the iPhone 17 series.

 

[Mazda 3s]

Design change, yes. But that’s not enough to move the needle. Smartphones have become so good at everything that it’s becoming harder to justify upgrading. I doubt that an iPhone 17 Pro is going to be any better at doing day to day boring crap as my 16 Pro.

We’re just driving sales with shiny new objects —in this case, a visual redesign — at this point.

 

[diego.caraballo]

I'm all-in for the removal of the 3D-glass bump.
It's a dust collector, make it aluminum.

 

[mike.coulter]

I don't care how thin they can make a phone, make phones that are comfy to hold again. Bring back the shape of the iPhone 3G.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I had assumed the Pixel copy was a wind up, maybe not then?

 

[ifxf]

The best thing they could do is sync up the iphone model number with the ios version.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The best thing they could do is sync up the iphone model number with the ios version.

That's the best thing they could do?

Who even cares what iOS version we are on?
I honestly have forgotten, more than once, which iOS or iPhone version is "current"

I think they should totally stop with iOS version numbering so publicly and focus on releasing features when they are ready.

Go to the macOS "naming" scheme and go for 18-24 month cycles

 

[Aeronauts]

I would love to see a folding iPhone. That would be a significant design change.

 

[charlie1284]

Having a worst camera bump isn’t significant

At least it won't wobble side to side now

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Flush mount the cameras in a OG MBair-inspired, wedge-shaped case. No more wobble and Marketing still gets its "thinner"/"thinnest" on the other end.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

You can’t trust Apple with the word „biggest“ or „significant“. Remember when they called watchOS 10 (?) the biggest change to AppleWatch? I wouldn’t even be able to tell what changed. Same with the watch itself.

Except for the fact that watchOS 10 was the biggest update.
Not necessarily for the better though, but it definitely was the biggest change.
The Dock was basically removed, the control center was turned off from a swipe up control to a push of the side button, the widget screen was added, etc.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Flush mount the cameras in a OG MBair wedge shaped case. No more wobble but Marketing still gets its "thinner"/"thinnest" on the other end.

You and I must think alike

I was literally just thinking ... "how about a wedge?" and maybe even has some hand friendly curved edges on the back side? Or "something"

There has to be a more creative way to do this camera stuff than just adding a larger and larger tumor on the back

 

[valynor]

I don't believe it for a second.
Apple does small, incremental changes to not piss anyone off.

Maybe the new iPhone Air thing will be different though.