We’ve already heard rumors that Apple will be replacing the iPhone 17 Plus with a redesigned slim model, dubbed the iPhone 17 Slim or iPhone 17 Air by rumor-mongers. But it seems like this phone could have one design change that may prove a little controversial — because it doesn’t look particularly nice.
YouTuber Apple Track has posted renders of an iPhone 17 Air with a central camera module — based on rumors that first made their way online back in May. According to The Information, Apple would be moving the camera to the “top center” of the phone — away from the usual left-side camera placement that iPhones have employed since their beginning.
The iPhone 17 Air is set to be a pretty major change for the iPhone line-up, offering a phone that emphasizes the sleekness of the design rather than necessarily focussing on hardware prowess. Considering the internals may need to be rearranged to accommodate that redesign, it makes sense that the rear cameras might have to move. I just hope they look better than this.
Apple Track’s rendering has simply taken the existing camera module seen on iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus, rotated it 90-degrees, and slapped it an inch or so to the left. It does not look good, certainly not with the camera flash sitting directly below the lenses. Never mind the fact that rumors up until now have predicted just a single rear camera for the iPhone 17 Air.
Plus, this particular placement would be wildly impractical, since Apple already altered the lens positioning on iPhone 16 so they could record spatial video. Flipping the lenses 90-degrees ruins that feature, since you can’t film spatial video horizontally if the camera lenses don’t have the same vertical configuration that iPhone 16 offers.
I’m not opposed to Apple moving the placement of its cameras on the iPhone 17 Air, or any other future iPhone. Centrally-located cameras aren’t exactly uncommon, and plenty of phones have adopted good-looking and practical designs over the years — including the likes of the Pixel 9 Pro. Of course, plenty don’t and you’ll find no shortage of premium phones with gargantuan central cameras that look hideous. Especially from major Chinese brands.
Thankfully, Apple Track’s renders are just placeholder images and not reflective of the final iPhone 17 Slim design. I have faith that Apple would make this particular change, assuming it actually happens, will look much better than this. Otherwise, the debut of the iPhone 17 Air/Slim could easily be turned into a meme — and not the good kind.
The iPhone 17 Air isn’t expected to arrive until next fall, but we have been hearing a bunch of rumors about how different this phone can be. You can keep up to date with all the latest news and rumors in our iPhone 17 Slim hub.
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