iPhone 17 Pro: A closer look at the new 'camera bar' design

5 hours ago 2

While a lot of the focus is on the all-new iPhone 17 Air, Apple is also planning some design changes to the iPhone 17 Pro coming later this year. New images posted to social media today provide us with what could be our best look yet at the redesigned camera bump on the iPhone 17 Pro…

These iPhone 17 Pro dummy unit images were posted to social media by Majin Bu. They show the iPhone 17 Pro in black, with a particular emphasis on the new camera bar design. You can clearly see how Apple has shifted from the classic camera bump design to something that covers the full width of the back of the phone.

Earlier today, my colleague Ryan detailed new camera features coming to the iPhone 17 Pro lineup this fall. We’re expecting an upgraded 48MP telephoto lens, multi-cam video recording, and an upgraded 24MP front-facing camera.

9to5Mac’s Take

When the first rumours about this so-called “camera bar” design surfaced for the iPhone 17 Pro, I was skeptical. As we’ve seen the design evolve from early drawings and renderings into these more polished dummy units, however, my opinion has shifted. I think the wider layout creates a more cohesive design and makes the camera array appear less out of place than it does today.

One thing I’m curious about, though, is whether Apple has any surprises in store for new features that the rearranged camera layout could enable. In particular, is the decision to move the flash and LiDAR sensor to the right-hand side purely an aesthetic decision? Or is there something more to the story?

We’ll find out for sure when Apple unveils the iPhone 17 lineup in September. In the meantime, what do you think of this new design? Let us know in the comments.