The iPhone 17 series is expected to launch this September, and one of the most persistent rumors is that the rear camera panel will get a complete design overhaul. Not just one, but two concept renders aim to show us what the new iPhone 17 Pro might look like—though one seems more plausible than the other.
Meanwhile, a new report highlights another welcome change that’s expected in a different part of the iPhone 17 lineup: improved battery life.
Let’s start with that. Ryan Christoffel from 9to5Mac emphasized that battery life on the biggest iPhone available today, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, is fantastic already. Apple mentions on its website that the 16 Pro Max has a great battery, giving users up to 33 hours of video playback. That’s even more than the 29 hours Apple claimed for iPhone 15 Pro Max. And this year, things are looking even better.
Why? Because several rumors are now suggesting that the iPhone 17 Pro Max might be slightly thicker than before. This could mean a larger battery—since it’s unlikely that other internal components are getting bulkier, the extra thickness must be used for something useful.
Christoffel even speculates that, just like the Apple Watch Ultra has the biggest battery among Apple Watches, Apple could potentially rename this year’s Pro Max model to iPhone 17 Ultra. While I’m not convinced about the name (though it’s been rumored before), I can definitely see Apple marketing it as the iPhone with the longest battery life ever.
The report concludes with a tempting tease: “Do you love phones with amazing battery life? This year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max might deliver better than ever before.”
Now, let’s get back to those new renders that claim to reveal the updated design.
Instead of the usual square-shaped camera bump in the top-left corner, the new design stretches the camera panel across the width of the phone—kind of like the camera bar on the Google Pixel 9 Pro.
The first rendering includes an image and a video, providing a glimpse into what might be on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro. It comes from a 3D designer with the Twitter handle @kanedacane. You can check out the video here.
What’s different in this render is that the camera panel matches the color of the phone’s back, a detail that was recently updated in another report. Sure, the render uses a deep gray color, so we don’t get to see any flashy finishes, but the uniform color gives it a very clean, minimalistic look—quite different from earlier renders and leaks.
In this version, the sensors are neatly aligned in a column on the far right side of the panel. All three camera lenses still stick out slightly from the surface, just like they do now.
Then there’s the second render, which comes in the form of a concept trailer by 4RMD (you can watch it [here]). It looks great, but I do have a few doubts about it.
First off, the camera panel in this version contrasts with the rest of the phone’s back—something that contradicts earlier reports by Mark Gurman. Of course, it’s possible that 4RMD has the right idea. This render also shows a periscope camera on the back, which could suggest a 48MP sensor. That kind of sensor upgrade seems likely, but the rectangular shape used in the render looks like the traditional design we’ve seen on most periscope lenses.
Now, Apple already has a periscope-style telephoto camera, which they call “tetraprism.” And they went to great lengths to make it look like their other lenses. That’s why I think this part of the concept may not be accurate. I’m also skeptical about the return of Touch ID, which this render suggests—seems pretty unlikely for 2025.
To be honest, I’m still not completely sold on either of these rear camera panel designs. But then again, I’ve been surprised before when the final product turned out way better than leaked renders.
One practical benefit of the full-width camera bar is that the phone won’t wobble on flat surfaces—unlike the current design where the camera bump sits in one corner. That said, the protruding lenses might still affect stability unless you’re using a case.
Still, all of this gives us some exciting new clues about what the iPhone 17 Pro might actually look like.
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