New images claiming to show the iPhone 17 camera bar design – Image Credit: BilliBilli/Tech-Show
A new image leak supposedly backs up a claim of a major camera bar redesign for the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Slim, but the rumor still seems too improbable to be true.
In December, a series of rumors proposed that Apple would radically shake up the camera on the iPhone 17. While seemingly unlikely, those rumors have resurfaced a month later, thanks to a blurry photograph.
Shared by serial leaker Majin Bu on X on Tuesday, the post offers a single shot of two smartphone-like devices. Seemingly under a plastic sheet, the two devices bear Apple logos in the middle, similar to Apple’s other hardware products.
At the top of each device is a wide, rounded black bar with holes in it, instead of a camera bump in the corner. To the left is a very large hole, with a smaller one on the opposite side of the bar.
Majin Bu’s commentary says that “based on what was reported by my source, this would be the new iPhone 17 design.” While Bu is uncertain whether the image is real or not, they add that it would “reflect the leaked design.”
Leaker Bu doesn’t exactly have a stellar track record, with the “leaker” generally electing to share interesting details about the iPhone and Apple products, but not necessarily genuine information. For example, there was a claim the iPhone 15 would have two front-facing cameras, which was decidedly false.
It doesn’t seem that Bu is the original source of the image. In a video dated January 17 and posted to BilliBilli by “Tech-Show,” the full image of the two phones appears. In the video, they are referred to as the iPhone 17 Slim, a version of the iPhone that’s meant to be thinner than usual.
However, rather than being a video of the iPhones, it is a still image that is supposedly sourced from “the public Internet.”
Based on what was reported by my source, this would be the new iPhone 17 design. I can’t be sure if the image is real, but if it were, it would reflect the leaked design. pic.twitter.com/vXhHqunzN7
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) January 21, 2025
The lack of an actual source of the image doesn’t bode well, as it becomes impossible to tell whether it’s real or not. It’s plausible for models to be produced of speculative iPhone designs, such as those by accessory producers working on new products. This has happened in the past.
However, with the rise of AI-generated imagery and improvements in 3D modelling, the low-quality image could just as easily be faked rather than being real.
Still early and doubtful
The latest image is the latest in a series of claims about a major redesign of the iPhone 17 generation. The idea is to have a camera bar, similar to those of Apple’s competitors, which spreads the camera sensors across the back of the iPhone instead of keeping them in a corner.
Previously, this surfaced thanks to a claim from Weibo-based “Digital Chat Station,” which was supposedly based on supply chain materials. A mock-up showed the bump near the top of the device, in a similar way to what’s appeared in the latest image leak.
Another image, circulated at around the same time by “Jukanlosreve” was also sourced from Weibo. However, while it was a clear image showing a supposed frame for the device, it also could’ve been faked.
While the increased presence of leaks and claims bolsters the argument that the camera bump could see a considerable redesign, it’s not absolute.
An early example of a supposed camera placement on the iPhone 17 Slim – Image Credit: Digital Chat Station/Weibo
With over half a year until the iPhone 17 generation appears, there’s more time for more image leaks to surface. As time marches on, those new leaks should stem from more believable or qualifiable sources, instead of being “found” on the Internet.
Ultimately, no-one officially knows what the final design will be outside of Apple itself, until the new products are launched.
As for the practicalities of the design, it’s worth considering that cameras are large modules that take up a lot of space. Hence the mere existence of a camera bump on the typically thin smartphone body.
The positioning of the bump implies that the thickness of the iPhone and the bump will consist of the display, the camera module and little else.
In the current position in the leaks, the bump seems implausible as it would have to occupy the space used by another component, the TrueDepth camera array. There’s little extra space in an iPhone for the front-facing camera system to be moved to, making it hard to imagine the bump sharing the same physical space.
What does help the rumors is another proposal, that the iPhone 17 Slim could downgrade to using fewer cameras. By occupying less space, it would still leave enough physical capacity for the TrueDepth camera to coexist.
That seems the most plausible solution, if you can get past the idea of Apple designing the bump in that way.
