Hartley Charlton
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not have a horizontal camera layout, according to a tipster known as “Instant Digital.”
In a new post on Weibo, the tipster said a source confirmed that while the iPhone 17 Pro's rear panel design has indeed changed, the three-camera layout is “still triangular” and not “a horizontal strip like what's currently floating around the internet.” The news contradicts another recent supply chain report from China, which claimed that “the module has this elongated oval shape.”
The iPhone 11 Pro’s “triangular” camera arrangement was a noticeable change from previous models, which featured a more traditional vertical camera arrangement. Apple’s decision to switch to the new design was largely driven by the need to accommodate a third camera in the form of a new ultra-wide camera, as well as improved sensors and optics. The introduction of the new camera bump set a new aesthetic standard for subsequent models, influencing the design of later releases up until today’s iPhone 16.
Despite this, it looks like the iPhone 17 Pro’s design is set to change significantly. Late last month, The Information's Wayne Ma claimed that the back of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max would feature a “rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass,” while the bottom half would still be made of glass to support wireless charging.
Instant Digital has a mixed history of Apple rumors, but it has provided some startlingly accurate information, such as the imminent launch of a yellow iPhone 14 in 2023, a matte glass back on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, an Apple Watch Series 9 as a minor upgrade, spatial video shooting on the iPhone 15 Pro, the latest front-facing camera on the iPad Air and iPad Pro with landscape orientation, the M4 nano-texture display option on the iPad Pro, the battery capacity of the iPhone 16 Pro, and the continued compatibility of Apple Watch bands with the Apple Watch Series 10. As a result, their reports are worth serious attention.
Related review: iPhone 17Tag: Instant Digital[ 139 comments ]
