Don't expect an elaborate design update for the iPhone 17 Pro.

      For almost five years, Apple has been selling smartphones that share a consistent design language first seen with the iPhone 11. This year, the iPhone 17 series is set to launch. If you were hoping for a significant design change, there’s bad news unless you’re willing to invest in one of the Pro models.

      As reported by Bloomberg, the iPhone 17 Pro “will look meaningfully different” compared to the iPhone 16 series. Along with the anticipated sleek iPhone 17 Air variant, these two models are expected to be the most significant design updates in recent years for Apple smartphones. However, the overall changes are still likely to be quite subtle.

      The front appearance, including the display and the pill-shaped cutout for Face ID, may appear identical across both generations. The more significant alteration is expected at the back, where the camera bump is likely to have a new design.

      This is a representation of how the new bump could look, devoid of the stylish two-tone effect. Jon Prosser / MacRumors

      By new, it’s meant to be larger. Unlike the square camera design with rounded corners on the iPhone 16 Pro models, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to extend the camera bump from the left edge to the right. If the leaked images are accurate, it will be quite substantial.

      The Bloomberg report seems to support those leaked images but also offers a word of caution. It specifies that Apple is not pursuing a radical two-tone design, like that seen recently on Google's Pixel 9 series.

      “The iPhone 17 Pro won’t have a two-toned back, I’m told. The camera area will match the color of the rest of the device,” states the Bloomberg report. “This indicates the more gradual design changes that Apple is implementing: the iPhone 17 Pro doesn’t represent a major shift from current models.”

      iPhone 17 Pro: Innovations and Features– Innovative Design: – The upcoming model, internally labeled “253,” is currently undergoing the EVT (Engineering Validation Test) phase. – It will introduce a Camera Tray that integrates with the central area of the device, creating a unique design… pic.twitter.com/DeugSuSyVc— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) February 19, 2025

      It appears that Apple will adopt a more subtle, industrial design for the enlarged camera island on the iPhone 17 Pro. The increase in size is reportedly due to improvements in internal camera hardware, which are said to include higher-resolution sensors for both the front and ultra-wide cameras.

      Specifically, the 12-megapixel sensor is expected to be upgraded to a 48-megapixel sensor for ultra-wide photography on the iPhone 17 Pro. This means that all three rear cameras will likely provide the same resolution, and there may even be support for 8K video recording.

      On the front, Apple is rumored to replace the 12-megapixel selfie camera with a 24-megapixel sensor. Additionally, it is anticipated that the RAM capacity will increase from 8GB to 12GB in the iPhone 17 Pro, coupled with a next-generation processor.

      However, pricing remains uncertain, particularly in light of recent tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump. This situation has also elicited a reciprocal response from China, one of Apple’s key manufacturing locations, and impacts other assembly countries such as India and Vietnam.