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One iPhone 17 model will reportedly miss out on the camera bar

Published Feb 18th, 2025 4:08PM EST
iPhone 16 exclusive camera features
Image: José Adorno for BGR

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Over this past year, we’ve heard that Apple is planning a major redesign for the iPhone 17 lineup. According to Front Page Tech’s Jon Prosser, it’s coming, but not for the entire lineup.

According to FTP’s Jon Prosser, the base iPhone 17 model will feature the same design introduced with the iPhone 16, with the portrait camera module. Even though the cheaper iPhone 17 models are expected to get a big display upgrade, it seems customers will have to pay extra for a redesign with the iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Pro models.

In the video covered by BGR, Front Page Tech highlights a new “camera bar” design for the other iPhone models. In the renders shared by Front Page Tech, the iPhone 17 Air has a horizontal camera bar on the back that occupies the entire width of the phone. It has a single camera, which might seem surprising for a flagship iPhone.

The renders support claims that iPhone 17 handsets will have a two-tone design compared to previous models. The back of the phones might be made of two parts, which could combine two materials. Prosser’s renders seem to suggest we’re looking at a glass camera bar and glass back. The colors are different.

Apple is said to be introducing metalens components for Dynamic Island. These might reduce its size and thickness. However, those reports point to metalens being present on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, not all four iPhone models.

We’ll have to wait until September to see what changes are coming to the Dynamic Island, if any. Teardowns that will follow the iPhone 17 Air’s release will give us a good look at what’s inside the phone.

Other details in Prosser’s iPhone 17 Air renders are very familiar. We see the power button on the right side and the Action and volume rockers on the left. The Camera Control isn’t visible, but I’d expect it to be there. You can learn more about it below.

José Adorno Tech News Reporter

José is a Tech News Reporter at BGR. He has previously covered Apple and iPhone news for 9to5Mac, and was a producer and web editor for Latin America broadcaster TV Globo. He is based out of Brazil.