Leaked Photos Reveal Surprising Camera Design

Next year’s iPhone 17 series could be significantly different from current models, according to a new report.

iPhone 17 leaked pictures appear on the Internet

the latest one Weibo Posts from well-known whistleblowers digital chat station It has been revealed that at least one iPhone 17 model next year may feature a new case design with a horizontal pill-shaped camera bump on the rear. Interestingly, the design looks very similar to Google’s current Pixel 9 series, except for being positioned higher, almost flush with the top of the phone.

The report said, “Judging from supply chain materials, the iPhone 17 series (thin and light version) has indeed been changed to this design. The details of the lens arrangement are not yet clear. The module is this kind of strip runway. (Machine translation).

While the leaker doesn’t claim to know the arrangement of individual camera lenses within the camera island, the leaked image shows a row of three camera lenses. This configuration contradicts previous leaks, which suggested that the rumored iPhone 17 Air (or iPhone 17 Slim) will only have a single rear camera lens instead of three.

Second leaked image released

However, another Weibo user posted a photo Later in the day, the internal aluminum frame of an unnamed iPhone 17 device was allegedly revealed, showing the same horizontal camera headlines.

This horizontal camera strip cutout extends almost to the edge of the case and protrudes slightly from the rear, suggesting that the camera island design is very similar to Google’s current Pixel 9 series.

However, the whistleblower said, “The frame of the new iPhone in the supply chain is indeed like this. The ultra-wide-angle camera is placed in the middle to leave space for the front structured light.”

If the design does place the ultra-wide-angle camera between the other two cameras, then at least one iPhone 17 model with multiple rear cameras will also adopt this new horizontal layout.

major design shift

The horizontal camera bar will be significantly different from the current iPhone design, which uses a triangular camera layout in the “Pro” model and a vertical camera bar in the standard iPhone 16 version. While any potential benefits for photography are still unknown, this horizontal camera island design will keep the lens away from any greasy fingertips while providing a convenient ledge to steady the phone. It also prevents shaking when using the phone on a table or other flat surface.

Plus, this instantly recognizable new design will ensure no one mistakes your new iPhone 17 for last year’s model. On the other hand, there’s a good chance they think you’ve jumped ship and bought a Google Pixel. For this reason, I would be surprised if Apple chose a design that was too similar to Google’s to encourage such confusion.

While Digital Chat Station has a good track record when it comes to smartphone leaks, it’s still a long time before the iPhone 17 is expected to be released in September 2025, and nothing can be confirmed at this stage.

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