Despite months of speculation and hopeful rumors, Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max might not look radically different from their predecessors. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who reported the latest details in his Power On newsletter, the next generation of Apple’s Pro iPhones will maintain a familiar aesthetic—dashing earlier expectations of a bold new design.
For months, leaks and speculative renders have pointed toward a significantly revamped iPhone 17 Pro lineup. Rumors included a sleek dual-tone rear panel, a more compact Dynamic Island, and an all-new rear camera bar that visually set the phone apart from earlier models.
However, Gurman’s latest newsletter puts much of that speculation to rest. He reports that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will look “quite similar” to the current iPhone 16 Pro series from the front. While the rear camera area will look “meaningfully different,” this change won’t amount to a sweeping aesthetic overhaul.
“The iPhone 17 Pro won’t have a two-toned back,” Gurman notes. “The camera area will be the same color as the rest of the device.”
So, while early renders imagined a black camera bar contrasting a silver or light-colored rear panel, those depictions appear to be inaccurate. Instead, the new camera bar is expected to stretch horizontally across the top of the device—but without creating a distinct two-tone effect. This reflects Apple’s continued preference for evolutionary rather than revolutionary design changes in its flagship products.
Dynamic Island and Display Changes: Don’t Expect Much
There was speculation that Apple might reduce the size of the Dynamic Island—its screen cutout introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro—but this too may be overblown. Gurman does not expect any major modifications to the front display layout for the iPhone 17 Pro, implying that Apple will continue refining the existing design rather than replacing it altogether.
This aligns with Apple’s usual cadence of incremental improvements, especially when previous design elements—like the Dynamic Island—are still relatively new and central to iOS’s user experience.
2027: The Year of the Major Redesign?
If you’re holding out for another iPhone X-level transformation, it may be wise to look further ahead. Gurman hints that Apple is saving its boldest design overhauls for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary in 2027—likely to be branded the iPhone 19 series if the current naming continues.
That 2027 refresh is expected to introduce a foldable iPhone and a “bold new Pro” model that could feature a much more extensive use of glass in its construction. While still largely speculative, such changes would mark Apple’s most significant design departure in over a decade.
A Major Camera Overhaul Is Still on the Table
Even though the design may remain mostly unchanged, the iPhone 17 Pro series will see meaningful upgrades in hardware—especially in the camera department.
Reports suggest that both the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will feature a new 48-megapixel telephoto camera with an 85mm equivalent focal length, a notable shift from the current 12-megapixel telephoto lens with a 120mm focal length found in the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
This change signals a pivot in Apple’s strategy—from long-range zoom to improved portrait photography and low-light capabilities. The new sensor is expected to capture significantly more light, improving overall image quality, especially in challenging conditions.
The redesign in the telephoto system does come with some trade-offs. The iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly reduce its optical zoom from the current 5x to a maximum of 3.5x. However, users may still enjoy up to 7x “lossless” zoom through in-sensor crop technology—similar to the crop zoom Apple currently uses on the main sensor of the iPhone 16 Pro.
This suggests Apple is emphasizing practical zoom performance and image clarity over pushing the absolute limits of optical zoom range, a choice that could pay off in everyday photography.
Camera System: All 48MP Sensors and Improved Selfie Camera
In line with the shift to more capable imaging hardware, all three rear cameras—Main, Ultra-Wide, and Telephoto—are expected to feature 48-megapixel sensors. This uniformity could allow Apple to offer more consistent image quality across various focal lengths.
Additionally, the front-facing TrueDepth camera is rumored to receive a significant upgrade, doubling its resolution from 12MP to 24MP. This could greatly enhance video calls, selfies, and Face ID performance in low light.
Driving all these improvements will be Apple’s next-gen A19 Pro chip, likely built on TSMC’s N3P 3nm process node. The chip is expected to deliver improved performance and better energy efficiency compared to the A18 Pro that powers the iPhone 16 Pro models.
Whether you’re gaming, multitasking, or using advanced AI features, the A19 Pro should offer noticeable gains across the board.
While the iPhone 17 Pro series may not deliver the eye-catching redesign some fans were hoping for, Apple appears to be prioritizing under-the-hood upgrades and camera refinements that matter more in daily use. From a smarter telephoto system and sharper front camera to the expected performance bump from the A19 Pro chip, this year’s Pro iPhones may look familiar—but they’ll be more capable than ever.
