Images of an iPhone 17 case leaked on X, revealing a major design change that might be on the way for Apple's next phone.
See also: Best Apple deals in April 2025
On April 9, X user Sonny Dickson posted a photo showing what appear to be cases for the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro. Of course, Apple hasn't shared any official iPhone 17 designs yet, so this case may or may not be legitimate. However, it matches earlier leaked iPhone 17 mock-ups Dickson shared last month.
First look at some cases for the new iPhone 17 Pro — wow, that camera hole is huge! Apple's really turning heads with this design. pic.twitter.com/IKJ4DqksCEApril 9, 2025
The most glaring feature of this case is the huge gap for a camera bump at the top of the phone. It's a near edge-to-edge bump that appears to take up about a third of the phone's back.
This is easily the largest camera bump we've ever seen on an iPhone. It's even bigger than most Android camera bumps.
If the mock-ups leaked last month are accurate, this design is for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. The iPhone 17 Air (or "Slim") will have a slightly smaller camera bump, but only the base iPhone 17 will have a normal, compact bump.
How big is too big for a camera bump?
I'll admit, I'm not a fan of the enormous camera bump on the leaked iPhone 17 designs. I generally prefer camera bumps to be as small as possible, regardless of whether I'm using an iPhone or an Android phone.
So, this design is far from my favorite look for the iPhone. I doubt I'm alone in that, too. This isn't just about personal taste, it's also about practicality. Large camera bumps can be annoying on a day-to-day level, even just because of little things like the fact that your phone can't sit flat on your desk without a case.
Of course, there are probably hardware reasons for this design change. For instance, one X user hypothesized that Apple is using the larger camera bump to add a new 48MP telephoto lens featuring 10x lossless zoom, which would definitely be a welcome upgrade.
Tech Breakdown of the iPhone 17 Pro DesignThe camera module design of the professional iPhones has remained unchanged for six years, but the iPhone 17 Pro will introduce a redesign due to a new 48MP telephoto lens with 10x lossless zoom.Increasing the megapixel count reduces… pic.twitter.com/9rQgRa1zVDApril 4, 2025
Similarly, if rumors that Apple is planning to make future iPhones thinner are true, the larger camera bump may be necessary to incorporate hardware that won't otherwise fit in a thinner chassis.
Even so, I personally wouldn't opt for an iPhone with a camera bump this big. This is a leaked case, so nothing's official yet. We'll just have to wait and see what Apple unveils when it officially announces the iPhone 17 line-up. The earliest we could potentially get a look is at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
It's worth noting, though, that regardless of when the iPhone 17 launches, we can expect the price to be significantly higher due to the Trump administration's tariffs, which are impacting Apple's supply chain. Some estimates predict iPhones could skyrocket to $2,000 or $3,000, potentially even more. So, you might want to start saving up now if you have your eye on an iPhone 17.
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