iPhone 17’s appearance has been greatly changed: Analysis of the reasons behind this strange camera design

Recently, a set of iPhone 17 series design drawings were exposed. The pictures show that the design that Apple has used for several years has finally changed. The camera Deco has been changed from the current square in the upper left corner to a row and is set at the top of the back of the fuselage.

This design looks a bit strange, the camera is too high, and it is somewhat inconsistent visually. So what are the benefits of this design? How credible is this leaked picture? Let’s discuss it today.

The pros and cons of the new design: more than just stability

The horizontal camera Deco design is not Apple’s first invention, such as the Samsung S10 series, Meizu 17 series, and Google Pixel 8 series.

But I believe everyone can see the difference at a glance. The iPhone 17 is the first to place the camera in such an upper position. From the appearance alone, this seems to be possible for Apple, which often goes its own way…

So, what are the benefits of such a design?

For daily use, there is a very obvious benefit. When the phone is placed flat on the table, it can finally be placed steadily. In the past, the camera was located on one side, and the protruding camera would become a fulcrum, turning the phone into a “seesaw” in seconds.

This problem is more obvious on tablets, because tablets are placed on the desktop for writing, so we can also see that some tablet cameras currently use a centered design.

Of course, when holding it, because the camera is located higher, your fingers will not blindly press the lens. In addition, the wider back of the body can provide better compatibility for peripheral products.

For example, some current imaging flagships have wireless charging bases that cannot be used normally because their cameras are too large, and the phone needs to be elevated.

The heat dissipation clip can also be used more efficiently. In the past, the SoC, which is the main heat source, was often placed on the side of the camera, and the heat dissipation clip could only be clamped on the lower side of the motherboard and the upper side of the battery. If the camera is placed horizontally at the top, the SoC position must be moved down, and the heat dissipation clip can be directly clamped on the corresponding position of the SoC.

However, this arrangement is not all good. When holding the phone with both hands for horizontal shooting, there is very little space on the upper side for holding, and the left hand can only pinch the frame to take pictures.

Authenticity speculation: not very credible

In fact, other models with horizontally arranged cameras do not place the camera at the top. This is not only a problem of visual coordination, but also involves the problem of internal structure arrangement.

The current rear cameras are relatively thick, and to place these camera modules inside the phone, a hole needs to be dug in the motherboard. If the iPhone 17 Pro is really like the exposed picture, it means that there is no space to place its front camera module, not to mention that the front camera of the iPhone is a module with 3D structured light.

Therefore, the credibility of the currently exposed pictures is not high. Even if the camera is arranged horizontally, it would not be so close in theory.

Last words

Apple’s confidentiality measures have always been pretty good. The iPhone 17 design drawings leaked just three months after the iPhone 16 was released. Just take a look at them and don’t take them too seriously.

However, there are indeed rumors that the design of the iPhone 17 generation will be greatly changed. Old iPhone users who have been holding back on changing their phones in recent years can look forward to it.