- A leaked CAD image suggests the iPhone 17 lineup could receive major design changes
- The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max might get a new, longer camera bar and a two-tone rear panel
- The iPhone 17 Air could also get a camera bar for its single camera
Though once known for pushing the boundaries of tech design, in recent years Apple has played it safe with even the best iPhones, generally leaning into the trend of homogenous, neutral slab phones that some find pleasingly minimal and others find straight-up boring (as a recent TechRadar poll confirms).
However, if a new leak is to be believed, this could all be set to change, with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max tipped to be the subjects of some big – and most likely controversial – design changes.
Noted leaker Majin Bu has shared what appears to be a leaked CAD mockup of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max on X (formerly Twitter), with the caption simply reading “iPhone 17 lineup CAD”.
CAD stands for Computer-aided design, and documents in this format are used to dictate the form and measurements of a product for automated assembly lines.
Though the base iPhone 17 model seems near enough unchanged from the current-generation iPhone 16, the other three models on show are either new or show off some serious changes.
Firstly, the phone to the far left of the image seems to be the all-new and much-rumored iPhone 17 Air. The image shows the new phone as sporting a single-lens camera system mounted on a wide pixel-style bar that protrudes from its slimmed-down chassis.
We’d previously heard rumors that the iPhone 17 Air would feature a camera bar cast in black to contrast against the rest of the unit, so this latest leak fits with our current expectations.
As for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the leak suggests there could be three main changes coming to the design of Apple’s highest-end handsets.
The first two concern the camera system: by the looks of things, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max feature a camera bar similar to the iPhone 17 Air, though obviously enlarged to provide space for the iconic triple-camera system. What appear to be the lidar sensor and flash module have both been moved to the far right side of this elongated camera housing.
An image supposedly showing the iPhone 17 Pro and a new clear case shared to X (formerly Twitter) by tipster Sonny Dickson also features this new camera design, with cutouts for the lidar sensor and flash on the right-hand side.
The third change is the one I’m betting will have the most Apple fans up in arms – the CAD render shows a separate cutout in the center of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max’s rear panel, which could suggest a two-tone colorway or use of another material.
Given that even small changes to iPhone design – like the Pros switching to titanium rails or changing the ringer switch for the Action Button – can cause a storm of debate, it seems obvious that a two-tone iPhone would cause an explosion of Apple discourse.
Personally, I like it when phone makers get weird, and there’s no easier way to do this than by shaking up the design – though I can see why people might want to see Apple release something more subtle after several years of smaller iterations.
Anyhow, we don’t expect to hear anything official about the iPhone 17 lineup until much later in the year – as it stands, the above is based entirely on rumors. What do you think, though? Is the iPhone family due for a design shake-up? Or should Apple keep playing it safe? Let us know in the comments below.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
