A render of the iPhone 17. New renders of an iPhone 17 Pro Max with a massive camera bar are going around, and not only are they an incredible departure from Apple design, they're from unreliable sources. Apple is out of space for its camera system, so a camera bar that reaches across the back of the device may help provide more needed space. The idea of a camera bar isn't new, as Google Pixel employs one, and there's no way of knowing if Apple will actually implement one.
That said, the current renders show an impractically large camera bar that is just an extended version of the camera bump. The latest hail from Jon Prosser and his current render artist Asher Dipprey. Prosser's usual extreme confidence is on display in the video, and he's claiming to have seen the phone. The render doesn't seem to be based on what Prosser saw, however, he's just saying this is what he's seen it look like.
After some digging, it seems the render originates from another leaker called Majin Bu. While Dipprey did make an original render for his use and Prosser's, the design predates this video by weeks. I received an image of an alleged CAD of iPhone 17 Pro. I showed it to some designers to try to understand if the image was real, and they told me that their warning is fake. Even if it is fake, it should reflect what the CAD of the models currently being tested is. pic.twitter.com/40ETreYQyg.
There's a chance they all got it right, but Prosser's and Bu's histories are against them. Prosser previously claimed to have seen a flat iPhone 4-like design with flush cameras and also rumored a flat-sided Apple Watch — neither happened. Bu's history is riddled with problems, including frequently reposting things they've found on Chinese social media sites. Whenever Bu has been mildly accurate, it's usually on rumors that were reported previously by more accurate leakers.
The two leakers with poor histories stumbling into the same design could mean either they were both tricked or both are right. There's no way of knowing until Apple reveals the iPhone 17 lineup in the fall. It isn't clear why Apple would adopt the new design. Prosser claims it's possible that Apple just wants the iPhone to look different, and while that may be humorous for his "toilet squad," it's very unlikely.
If there is a camera bar, it would likely have to do with fitting more components in the space. However, Apple already has the tetraprism lens in place for the 5x Telephoto lens, and it's unlikely to shift to a different technology. The proposed design also shows a raised glass surface with a darker tone for the "shelf." There's nothing practical about the raised area and would likely lead to more accidental damage and wobble.
It all just appears impractical. We're rating this with the lowest rating given the leakers and history of the images involved. If this proves to be accurate or more reliable leakers step up and assert that this is the true design, we'll reassess Prosser's leaks appropriately in the future. Wesley Hilliard served ten years as a Nuclear Power Electrician in the US Navy, then jumped careers in 2019. Today, he is Assistant Editor, Podcast Cohost, SEO Specialist, and Social Media Manager for AppleInsider.
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