New iPhone 17 rumors point to a radically different rear camera layout

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At least one model of the iPhone 17 could end up with a camera bar instead of the regular bump, according to a pair of new, overlapping rumors.

Close-up of a smartphone with three rear cameras and a side view, featuring a sleek, dark design.
An example of a supposed camera placement on the iPhone 17 Slim - Image Credit: Digital Chat Station/Weibo



The rumored iPhone 17 Slim will be a difficult device for Apple to produce due to the reduced amount of internal space. While design alterations are expected for the model, two leakers believe it could radically adjust how it treats the cameras.

According to "Digital Chat Station" on Weibo supposedly based on supply chain materials, the iPhone 17's design will reconfigure its rear camera bump away from the existing corner-based styles. Instead, it will use a "kind of strip runway" for the camera module.

In a mock-up image supplied with the post, this takes the form of a row of camera modules in a bar-like bump at the top edge. While the leaker doesn't know the "details of the lens arrangement," it is proposed via the image that there could be three lenses, with the flash to one side.

Muddying the waters further is an image circulating by "Jukanlosreve" on X, supposedly sourced from Weibo. It depicts a supposed iPhone chassis frame that includes the bar-like bump at one end, matching the Digital Chat Station's rumors.

Metallic phone case frame with camera cutout on a grid-patterned surface.
A supposed frame for the iPhone 17 Slim - Image credit: Jukanlosreve/X



At such a low resolution, it is difficult to tell whether it is genuine or a render. At this point in the process, the latter is more likely.

Digital Chat Station has been accurate with camera details in the past.

Meanwhile, Jukanlosreve is a relatively young X account that is currently thought to be another name for the serial leaker "Tech_reve" and "Revegnus." Under the previous names, they have shared many leaks about Apple products, as well as rumor reporting from other sources.

Most recently, this involved leaking a display roadmap for Apple's hardware, sourced from analysts.

In lieu of more thorough reporting or a larger concentration of leaks and reports, this seems to be a doubtful design choice for a few reasons.

Questionable design



First, Apple hasn't gone for a bar arrangement on an iPhone in the past. Doing so could bring it down the same road as the Google Pixel line, as well as other Android devices, which may not necessarily be the look Apple's going for with its own hardware.

While an example image, it also seems unlikely for Apple to place the bump so high up. Even with the bump expanding physical capacity in that spot, there would still be some interference with the front-facing TrueDepth camera array, used for Face ID.

Indeed, it may not even need to deal with that many cameras at all. One report claimed there wouldn't be a telephoto camera in the iPhone 17 Air or Slim, depending on which rumor you believe, as it would only be reserved for the Pro models.

AppleInsider's renders of a potential iPhone 17 Slim propose the possibility of Apple downgrading to just one camera, to minimize the bump and follow the "Slim" concept further. It's feasible for Apple to use one high-resolution sensor to fake two optical zoom levels, as that's a trick current iPhones pull off to great effect.


Rumor Score: Possible

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    Some previous iPhone models did have a “bar” camera arrangement, but it ran parallel to the length of the phone. If they do it again, it would make more sense to do it that way, for shooting 3D images and video in landscape orientation. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 11
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,726member
    I hate camera bumps — they are so ugly! 

    But also….

    i want the best possible camera in my phone! 

    If apple were a truly innovative company they would come up with their own laws of physics that would allow me to have everything I want.
    fizzmasterbloggerblogbeowulfschmidtcharlesnwilliamlondon
     5Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 11
    this look soooo much better than the crap we've had for years
    dewmewilliamlondon
     1Like 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 4 of 11
    This makes a TON more sense than the current design - a bar like this allows for greater separation between the two cameras used for spatial photos (closer to your eye separation distance, though not quite there) to take better 3D spatial photos & video. Even better would be to align them vertically.
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 5 of 11
    Currently, if the iPhone is held vertically, only vertical photos and videos are taken. With this rendering design for the camera bumps, horizontal spatial photos and videos would not be possible. Unless Apple introduced an iOS UI switch to permit taking horizontal photos/videos while holding the iPhone vertically. I think that’s unlikely because of the confusion it would cause. And it’s unlikely Apple would not support horizontal spatial photos and videos. So, imo, it’s a pretty render but unlikely.
    dewmewatto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 6 of 11
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,545member
    It's not radical. It's WHAT they should be and expected to be. 

    If Apple wants Apple Vision Pro to succeed, it must have at least two cameras. The rumors of having one camera is just silly. 

    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 11
    The link to the twitter post doesn’t work did it get taken down?
    edited December 2024
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 8 of 11
    This doesn't work well with Spatial Video since you're wanting stereo landscape results but you're shooting in a vertical orientation.

    What would be truly bizarre is if this is true, but it doesn't matter how you hold your phone due to square camera sensors?

    Was Hasselblad right all along??? ;)
    CurtisHightwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 11
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 1,389member
    blastdoor said:
    I hate camera bumps — they are so ugly! 

    But also….

    i want the best possible camera in my phone! 

    If apple were a truly innovative company they would come up with their own laws of physics that would allow me to have everything I want.
    Good one, Blastdoor! I really enjoyed the post. The first three sentences are the structure for half the posts on AI--some form of "I hate THIS, but I also want what THIS allows me to have." And then, oblivious to the laws of physics or the current state of the art in tech, they'll usually conclude with something like, "Apple sucks now and Steve would never have allowed this." 
    blastdoorwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 11
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,726member
    charlesn said:
    blastdoor said:
    I hate camera bumps — they are so ugly! 

    But also….

    i want the best possible camera in my phone! 

    If apple were a truly innovative company they would come up with their own laws of physics that would allow me to have everything I want.
    Good one, Blastdoor! I really enjoyed the post. The first three sentences are the structure for half the posts on AI--some form of "I hate THIS, but I also want what THIS allows me to have." And then, oblivious to the laws of physics or the current state of the art in tech, they'll usually conclude with something like, "Apple sucks now and Steve would never have allowed this." 
    I'm just happy the sarcasm was understood without me having to add [/s] :-) 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 11 of 11
    hmlongco said:
    This doesn't work well with Spatial Video since you're wanting stereo landscape results but you're shooting in a vertical orientation.

    What would be truly bizarre is if this is true, but it doesn't matter how you hold your phone due to square camera sensors?

    Was Hasselblad right all along??? ;)
    Yes, moreover, the flash can be “properly” positioned directly over the sensor whether one desires landscape, portrait, or square images. I don’t know the optimum distance between the lenses for 3D images or spatial video, but if a bar running the full length allowed for superior images, then I would happily carry it. Case design could help alleviate the carrying discomfort of the irregular surface.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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