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The iPhone 17 Pro may not have a redesigned camera after all

A close-up of the cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

If you’ve followed any of the previous iPhone 17 leaks, then you likely read that the camera is supposedly getting a redesign that makes it look more like a Pixel than an iPhone. The phone is still almost a year away, so many rumors are just hearsay with no confirmation at this point. Now, a new leak suggests that while the iPhone 17 Pro will see a change, the camera module will remain triangular.

According to tipster Setsuna Digital on Weibo, the camera won’t undergo as drastic a redesign as previously believed. “My sources told me that the back has indeed changed, but the triple-camera layout is still a triangle, not the horizontal strip that is currently circulating online.” The majority of leaks so far have been from different companies within the supply chain that manufacture different parts for the iPhone 17 Pro.

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The first iPhone to adopt the current camera layout was the iPhone 11 Pro, which featured three lenses: two in a vertical line with each other, while the third is offset in the center. Apple opted for this arrangement to accommodate more powerful cameras.

Mockup of redesigned iPhone 17 Pro.
An iPhone 17 Pro render with a rectangular camera bar MacRumors

The iPhone 17 Pro will no doubt have an improved camera lineup, but whether it will be the horizontal bar configuration or the current triangular shape, we can’t say. The evidence in favor of a more Pixel-like build is strong, but the empty frame presented in the last leak could be for a different model of phone.

More reliable information is almost certain to emerge as time goes on. For now, we can take a look at Setsuna Digital’s track record. The tipster correctly predicted the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery and a lot of information about the iPhone 14 and 15, as well as the iPad Air and iPad Pro. This leaker’s information has proven correct several times before, so while the situation isn’t clear, Setsuna Digital’s claim is worth paying attention to.

Patrick Hearn
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