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Summary: Don’t expect to see a new design for the iPhone 17 Pro. Insider Mark Gurman says that it will end up looking more like the iPhone 16 Pro, save for the back of the phone. The biggest change, however, will be the iPhone 17 Air.
If you were hoping that Apple would refresh the iPhone design, then you’ll have to wait. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, he claims the iPhone 17 Pro series won’t feature a new design. Apple is making some changes, but don’t expect to see anything particularly bold or drastic.
No new iPhone 17 Pro design
According to Gurman, “Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro will look a lot more like the 16 Pro than anticipated.” He adds, “That said, I wouldn’t expect a particularly bold new look. From the front, the 17 Pro will appear quite similar to the 16 Pro. It’s the back camera that will look meaningfully different.”
This is in line with all the leaked renders we’ve seen. One of the biggest changes Apple is making is to the camera module on the back. The current iPhone generation features a small camera island where the camera lenses and flash unit are housed. However, the leaks suggest that Apple will stretch that island from one side of the iPhone to the other, almost similar to Google’s Pixel design.
However, as we’ve pointed out many times, there is a weird gap between the camera lenses and the flash module. Unless Apple is hiding some extra sensors in there, it seems like a waste of space.
Biggest change is the iPhone 17 Air
The biggest design change is probably the iPhone 17 Air. Apple is approaching the iPhone 17 Air with a “thin” mindset in its bid to create its thinnest iPhone to date. However, Apple is expected to compromise on the specs and features in its race to create the thinnest iPhone it has ever made.
For instance, it might come with a single-camera setup. This is almost unheard of in this day and age. Even budget phones are packing triple-camera setups. Granted, the extra lenses are almost negligible, but they’re there. However, the iPhone 17 Air’s true purpose might be a lead into the foldable iPhone that Apple plans to launch in 2026.
In order to avoid creating a thick and bulky foldable, Apple is using the iPhone 17 Air to test whether it can fit the necessary components inside a thinner smartphone. This includes the battery. Despite its thinness, the iPhone 17 Air’s battery will apparently be pretty decent.