Another tipster is now sharing CAD images of the iPhone 17 series with the rumored strange design decision by Apple.
For the past few weeks, we've been stuck in a freeze response, blinking in front of a strange new creature: the Pixel-esque iPhone 17 Pro, creeping into leaks and staring at us with huge camera eyes.
The new design was shown by leaked renders and in all seriousness, it's been very divisive - it's a love-it-or-hate-it type of thing (more like hate it). But of course, given how early it is (the new iPhones are expected in September), and how un-Apple-like this design looks, many were doubting it.
However, another tipster now shares similar CAD images of the iPhone 17 Pro's design on X, and the creature is now starting to become more likely just based on the pure number of tipsters telling everyone they got photos of it. Well, if this isn't super bizarre!
These new CAD renders again show the iPhone 17 series looking like a mismatched bunch. The tipster shared an image of the reportedly ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, the regular iPhone 17, which, according to these images, may look just like your normal iPhone, and the two Pro models, looking like sci-fi robots or something.
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This design of course remains unconfirmed. Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo somewhat alluded to such a thing when mentioning the iPhone 17 Air’s possible thinness - noting it measures just 5.5mm 'at its thinnest part'. The statement appeared peculiar at the time. "At its thinnest part" seemed unnecessary, since past iPhones have been uniformly thin aside from the camera island, which is relatively small. Well, if it's an entire camera bar, it makes sense for Kuo to say it this way.
Meanwhile, reputable Apple insider Mark Gurman has remained silent so far on the rumored iPhone 17 redesign. It's possible that Apple may go for this look to achieve thinner devices with more powerful camera tech. Also, having a camera bar is used to save space in the main case.
But the problem is, Google's already offering this look and it's very recognizable now as a Pixel camera bar. Apple should probably find a way to make this unique as right now, it looks pretty much as if the iPhone and the Pixel had a baby, but the Pixel's genes were dominant.
The Pixel 9 Pro. The iPhone 17 Air's CAD drawing looks just like it, or almost. | Image Credit - PhoneArena
Meanwhile, Apple's biggest rival, Samsung, is playing it safe this year, sticking with the same design for the Galaxy S25 series. Funny enough, Samsung has usually been the one to take bold risks while Apple played it conservative - but if these CAD leaks turn out to be true, well, how the tables have turned!
Iskra Petrova is a news writer at PhoneArena, where she covers mobile tech news and maintains the site’s device hubs with the latest leaked specs, rumors, and official details for upcoming phones. She joined PhoneArena in 2020 after three years in technical support for Microsoft Exchange, giving her practical experience with software infrastructure and troubleshooting. Iskra holds a Master’s Degree in Literature, which helps her translate complex tech details into clear, reader-friendly coverage. She is a daily Apple ecosystem user, while also closely following Sony Xperia’s camera-focused phones and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series.
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