As leaks about the iPhone 17 series become increasingly clear, the design of the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro models in particular is causing great debate. There is a divided opinion on whether Apple will make radical design changes in its iPhone strategy in 2025: While some believe that the leaked designs are real, others are skeptical that Apple will launch a model with such an unusual design. However, when we examine iPhone design leaks from previous years, we see that such information is generally true to a large extent.

Leaked iPhone 17 designs received intense criticism

Apple made a major design change with the iPhone X in 2017, and this model was a turning point with its frameless screen and Face ID technology. However, it is possible to say that iPhone designs have become more similar to each other in recent years. Apple, which switched to angular lines starting with the iPhone 12, continued this general design approach in the iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series. Despite innovations such as Dynamic Island, there has been no major change in the overall form factor. Therefore, the potential radical design changes that will come with the iPhone 17 could be the biggest transformation since the iPhone X.

The iPhone 17 Air model will expand the iPhone family by adding a new category to Apple’s product range. Instead of offering a more affordable option like the iPhone SE, the Air model will be a device focused more on lightness and thinness. Apple has been facing certain limits in producing thinner and lighter phones for years. Because it is difficult for phones to go below a certain thickness without reducing battery capacity and camera sensors. However, current technologies show that thinner phones are possible if certain compromises are made. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge model, which has not yet been released, exhibits a similar approach. It seems likely that Apple will want to respond to Samsung’s moves in this area.

One of the most debated topics is whether the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a new “camera bar” design. While the camera module on current iPhones is usually designed as a square or rectangular protrusion, new leaks claim that the cameras will be positioned in a horizontal bar along the back panel. This design could offer a similar aesthetic to the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro models, allowing the more affordable Air model to create a premium perception. If these leaks are true, the iPhone 17 Air could look like a higher-end device despite having a single camera, while the base iPhone 17 model could come with a dual-camera setup.

However, it remains unclear whether the iPhone 17 Pro will actually have this design. Since the iPhone 11 Pro, Apple has positioned its triple-camera setup in an island shape in the corner. Given that this layout is widely recognized and adopted, it may come as a surprise to some users that Apple is abandoning it. However, the leaked images claim that both the iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 Pro have the same camera bar. If Apple adopts this design on the Pro series, the iPhone 17 series could see one of the biggest changes in terms of camera layout in recent years.