One more iPhone 17 series leak hints at what many fans were hoping wasn't true
It's not the first time we are seeing this bold design, but it is becoming harder to ignore.
The iPhone 17 series is still months away, but leaks are already giving us a solid idea of what to expect – and a lot is changing this year. First off, the Plus model might be gone, replaced by a new, super-thin iPhone 17 Air. On top of that, the Pro models might finally get a design shakeup after years of looking nearly identical.
One case maker has jumped the gun and listed cases for the entire iPhone 17 lineup, giving us another look at what is coming. And yep, the iPhone 17 Air shows up again, though it doesn't look as paper-thin once you slap a case on it. The phone is rumored to be just 5.4mm thick, but in these renders with a silicone case, it honestly looks pretty normal.
Now, while the new look is dividing fans, it may actually serve a real purpose. Rumor has it, the iPhone 17 Pro is getting a 48 MP periscope telephoto camera, replacing the current 12 MP one. This upgrade could offer up to 10x lossless zoom – which is a big leap for Apple.
But cramming in more megapixels usually means smaller pixels, which struggle with low-light performance. We've already seen this issue with the iPhone 16 Pro's ultrawide camera – Apple kept the same sensor size but upped the pixel count and it hurt the light capture.
So Apple might be going with a larger sensor for the telephoto this time, which helps with low-light shots but takes up more room. That is likely why the camera island had to grow. And because Apple's tetraprism lens system can't just expand outward, it seems they've rotated the telephoto setup sideways inside the phone to make it fit.
One case maker has jumped the gun and listed cases for the entire iPhone 17 lineup, giving us another look at what is coming. And yep, the iPhone 17 Air shows up again, though it doesn't look as paper-thin once you slap a case on it. The phone is rumored to be just 5.4mm thick, but in these renders with a silicone case, it honestly looks pretty normal.
The rumored iPhone 17 Air popped up in a fresh leak – this time spotted sitting snug inside different phone cases. | Image credit – Otofly
The bigger story, though, is the Pro models and their camera island, which is... bolder. The latest renders again show a huge camera block that almost stretches edge to edge.
This is how the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro might look with a phone case. | Image credit – Otofly
It still houses the usual triple-camera setup, but the whole module is way bulkier now. And bold might be the nicest way to describe it and many users online seem to agree.
Empty space between the camera and the flash just looks so weird.
– 8inchesActivated, Reddit, May 2025
That Pro is the ugliest phone I've ever seen. It's enough to make me consider Android.
– Odd-Society068, Reddit, May 2025
That creates another layout problem: where does the LiDAR sensor go now? Rumors suggest it's been shifted, which could explain the odd empty space we are seeing in the renders. So yeah, the massive camera island might not just be a wild design choice. It could actually be making space for some serious camera upgrades – even if not everyone is loving the new look.
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