iPhone 17 Pro could take a design cue from its biggest rival

Fresh supply chain leaks suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro could be set to sport a very similar design element to arguably its biggest rival.

As spotted by X (formerly Twitter) tipster Jukanlosreve, an image has appeared on Chinese social network Weibo of what appears to be the metal frame of Apple’s next flagship phone. It seems to suggest that the next iPhone generation will do away with the rounded-square camera module in favour of long, thin, width-spanning alternative.

The source claims that the middle camera sensor in this configuration will be the ultra-wide in order “to make room for the front structured light”.

It’s not entirely clear what’s meant by this – machine translation can play havoc with technical terms – but it could be a reference to the Face ID system on the opposite surface of the iPhone.

Android Authority notes that this has since been corroborated as a genuine leak by established fellow tipster, Digital Chat Station, who offered his own render of what the resulting iPhone might look like. There are no two ways about it, this render looks distinctly like the Google Pixel 9 Pro.

We’re not for a minute saying that Apple is actively pinching Google’s design language here. These designs will have been broadly finalised long before the Pixel 9 hit the market. And besides, the Pixel 9 series has evidently been paying attention to Apple’s recent design work with its flattened out shape.

It is interesting to note, however, that smartphone design appears to be converging on a single agreed shape for the next generation.

One thing’s for sure – if Apple does adopt this new camera module shape, Google’s design language will start looking a whole lot less distinctive. As the latter tipster jokingly points out, “Next year, many new Android phones will also change to this design.”