The iPhone 17 series could get a nice upgrade, and I would welcome the change
- Some or all iPhone 17 models may have rounder edges than the iPhone 16 series
- This may make them more comfortable to hold
- This is an early leak though, so we’ll take it with a grain of salt
If leaks are to be believed, the backs of some iPhone 17 models could look drastically different from the iPhone 16 series, and now we’re hearing that the sides could be different too.
According to leaker Digital with fixed focus posting on the Chinese site Weibo (via GSMArena), the frame of iPhone 17 series phones could be connected to the back panel with “a ramp instead of a step.”
That description is a bit vague and is based on a machine translation of Chinese text, but it sounds like they are saying that the edge of the frame where it meets the back will be more curved than on current models.
It’s unclear how much more curved the iPhone 17 could be, but a rounder design could make it more comfortable to hold, so this could be seen as an upgrade.
We’re also not sure if this would apply to all iPhone 17 models or just some, as Apple sometimes uses different designs for Pro models than the others.
Major changes were proposed
We previously heard that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max might switch from the titanium of the current models to aluminum, and feature a large Pixel 9-like camera bar on the back. So there could be major design changes for at least some iPhone 17 models.
That said, not all sources agree with that last claim, and since we’re so far away from the likely September launch of the iPhone 17, we should take today’s leak with a grain of salt as well. Even if the information is accurate, these design changes could ultimately be just one of many prototypes, and there’s a good chance that Apple will eventually go in a different direction.
Still, the idea of rounder edges is appealing – I, for one, think Apple’s tried and true iPhone design needs a refresh – so this is one iPhone 17 rumor we hope comes true.