Rumors are swirling that Apple may draw design inspiration from Google’s Pixel lineup for the iPhone 17 series. The buzz has already set the rumor mill into overdrive!
Rather than Apple’s usual design, a newly released photo allegedly displaying the iPhone 17 Pro’s casing shows a horizontal array of cameras that looks like the Pixel 9 Pro. Surprisingly, Apple may ditch its distinctive square camera bump in favor of a more conventional rectangular shape.
The Information’s Wayne Ma claims that the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max might have a “rectangular camera bump made of aluminum instead of the usual 3D glass,” with the bottom half of the device retaining its glass construction for wireless charging. Android Authority claimed that a leaker on Weibo shared a picture of what looks like the metal frame for the iPhone 17 Pro, which added to the rumors.
It is yet unknown what is behind this rumored change. According to earlier claims, the three cameras’ spatial video capabilities could be better used in a setup where they are side by side. Nevertheless, spatial video capabilities are already available in the iPhone 16 Pro models, so there’s no need to redesign for that.
If confirmed, this would be a major change from Apple’s previously employed triangle camera array on the Pro models (beginning with the 2019 iPhone 11 Pro). Famous leaker Majin Bu went so far as to draw comparisons between the iPhone 17 Pro and Google’s Pixel devices using the stolen frame.
If the design of iPhone 17 Pro were this, would you like it? pic.twitter.com/0SUHLff0VG
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) December 12, 2024
Nobody knows what Apple has in store with such a radical revamp, and nobody knows why the tech giant would choose a style that is so close to that of a major competitor. You should be careful with these rumours for now, but the idea of a big redesign is already getting a lot of attention.
