As more details on the iPhone 17 family become apparent, the latest leaked images illustrate some of the most significant design changes to Apple’s upcoming smartphones.
Longtime Apple leaker Sonny Dickson has exclusive images highlighting the design of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple is expected to announce the range in early September 2025, but we can see many of the new features today.
iPhone 17 Design
Dickson’s images likely show machined ‘blanks’ provided to peripheral manufacturers ahead of a phone’s release. These allow cases, holders, and other accessories to be designed around the exact dimensions of the device and the individual buttons. While they won’t show any software upgrades, they do give us a clear indicator of Apple’s updated approach to the iPhone.
All four models have the same physical buttons, including the Capture Button introduced last year. The programmable Action Button can be seen alongside the volume and power buttons.
iPhone 17 Air Camera Bar
Of the models on show, we can see the new iPhone 17 Air. Forbes’ contributor David Phelan has taken a closer look at the new slimline model. However, the comically large camera bar rumoured to hold the optics while still going for the fashionably thin dimension is evident in these blanks.
The iPhone 17 Air blank does suggest another altered area of the design, with the selfie camera and forward-facing sensors flipped around. This is no doubt due to accommodations needed to hit in the larger rear camera hardware. Still, I can’t help feeling that having one phone offering a different profile is something an earlier iteration of Apple would have fought to avoid.
iPhone 17 Questions
What can’t be seen is the base of any of the four smartphones. There are some suggestions that Apple is considering dropping the USB-C port to create a sealed iPhone. They would rely on cloud syncing and wireless charging instead of the traditional cabled options.
While the blanks tell us much about the external cues in the new design, some mysteries remain.
Now read the latest iPhone 17, MacBook and AI issues in Forbes’ weekly Apple news digest…
