Rumors expect the iPhone 17 to have a complete redesign. Over the past months, we heard details of Apple ditching the titanium finish for aluminum again. With a “seamless transition” between glass and aluminum on the iPhone back, controversial leaker Majin Bu, on X, shared what could be the iPhone 17’s new design.
If their images are accurate, Apple will bring a new design language for its cameras for the first time since the iPhone 11 Pro, introduced in 2019. Even though the camera module recently changed with the iPhone 16, Apple has been going back and forth with that vertical/horizontal design since the iPhone 11 as well.
That said, the images show an iPhone with a pill-shaped camera module. This design change could help improve Spatial Photos and Videos, as the lenses need to be perfectly aligned to create the depth effect.
Weirdly, Majin Bu suggests only the regular iPhone 17 would have this pill-shaped design. In contrast, the Pro models would have the cameras positioned similarly to how they are now, but in a larger rectangle-shaped module.
It’s important to note that the leaker has a mixed track record. They’re usually right about new cases but often wrong about future product design. They have also shared fake images in the past, correcting themselves after a few hours.
What we know about the iPhone 17 design so far
For the 2025 iPhone lineup, display analyst Ross Young believes Apple will offer a pill-shaped cutout on every model (regular and Pros). While he previously reported that under-panel Face ID technology would be available on Pro models, he now says it has been delayed to the iPhone 18. A rumor says Apple wants to ditch the titanium frame for aluminum for all iPhone models. With that, a leaker expects the back of the iPhone to transition from aluminum to glass without the user realizing it. Here’s what this change could mean for future Pro models.
However, the regular iPhone 17 models will finally have Always-On Display and ProMotion technology, as Young expects the company to add a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide display to all 2025 models. ETNews says Samsung and LG could be the main beneficiaries of Apple’s OLED panel orders with these technologies for this year.
Besides that, every iPhone 17 is expected to have the same display size as its predecessor: 6.3 inches for the smaller versions and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. While a Plus iteration isn’t expected to be released, there are rumors about an iPhone Air.
According to a DigiTime report, this iPhone could use a new OLED display technology. The Touch and Display Driver Integration tech is expected to debut as early as the second quarter of 2025, and Apple is “expected” to be Novatek’s first customer. This technology could make the iPhone display even thinner.
