With seven months to go before the launch of Apple’s next generation of flagship smartphones (and a new budget iPhone likely to appear long before then), we’re already getting a good idea of what to expect from the iPhone 17. For a start, according to the latest report, we’re pretty sure that Apple is going to drastically change the design of the rear camera module on the Pro models, and in what way. We just don’t know why.
The camera module on the Pro iPhones has remained essentially the same (other than a slight size increase from 12 Pro to 13 Pro) for six generations in a row: a square with rounded corners housing a trio of lenses in a familiar triangular configuration. But of late, pundits have formed a shaky consensus that 2025 will be the year when it finally changes in a more noticeable way.
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Since around the turn of the year, the main theory has been that the three lenses will instead be arranged in a horizontal line like the Google Pixel 9 Pro, with the camera module switching to a long centered bar stretching across the top of the rear of the phone. But this theory is entirely mistaken, according to the YouTube personality and tech leaker Jon Prosser, who claims in his latest video that the internal layout of the Dynamic Island’s components means this is “not possible. Some may say impossible.”
That leaves two options, he argues. Apple could press on with the horizontal configuration, but bring it down lower on the rear of the chassis so it doesn’t clash with the Dynamic Island. Or it could keep the triangular design, which he says was originally conceived to keep out of the way of the notch on the iPhone 11 Pro. But that would mean a seventh generation of design stagnation, which the company is keen to avoid.
The current leading solution at Apple Park, according to Prosser, is to keep the triangular arrangement of lenses but expand the module in which they sit so it spans the full width of the phone. This won’t be a thin bar: it will be the same height as the module on the 16 Pro, stretched to roughly twice the width. That’s a big and very noticeable change that will ensure everyone knows you’re using an iPhone 17 Pro.
But other than giving your friends serious FOMO and upgrade envy, would this redesigned camera module provide any actual benefits? Perhaps, but Prosser for one can’t see what they are. At the moment it feels like a solution that helps Apple’s marketing department, not iPhone customers. No doubt the September launch event will make the benefits a lot clearer.
It’s worth stressing at this point that none of this should be taken as proven fact; these remain theories, albeit ones with coherent reasoning and sources. Plans could change between now and the fall and Prosstradamus could just have got this wrong. He has form. And throwing some cold water on the whole thing is a post from Mark Gurman, who claims Prosser’s renders “appear to be based in a fake late January sketch.”
To keep up with the latest news and rumors related to Apple’s late-2025 phone launches, we recommend bookmarking our regularly updated iPhone 17 superguide. And if you can’t wait that long, pick up a bargain on the current range with our roundup of the best iPhone deals.