Internal iPhone 17 Pro change responsible for huge camera bar revealed

Until today, it wasn't clear what Apple was trying to achieve with this new alleged design. After all, the camera alignment hasn't changed, so it's hard to understand Apple's reasoning. Many were inclined to believe that Apple was copying Google.

A user on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, @Mia_Kacurage seems to know the reason behind the elongation of the bar. The leak was first picked up by 9to5Mac.

The iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to ditch the 12MP telephoto camera for a new 48MP unit. The new higher-resolution camera will have the same 10x optical zoom level as the 12MP camera it's replacing.

If the megapixel count is increased without increasing the sensor size, it results in smaller pixels, which affects light-gathering capabilities. Since smaller pixels capture less light, Apple will reportedly increase the sensor size. To do that without relocating the sensor, Apple will seemingly have to rotate the telephoto lens.

This will leave no space for the LiDAR module in its current location. That's why, the LiDAR scanner will be moved to the far end of the camera bump, along with the LED flash and microphone.

Since this account does not have an established track record, it's best to view this rumor with some skepticism.

Apart from the rectangular camera bar, not much else is expected to change, with one report saying that the bar will be the same color as the rest of the phone, negating rumors about a two-tone design.

Similarly, it looks unlikely that the iPhone 17 Pro will have a smaller Dynamic Island.

While most reports say that the new lineup will be powered by chips manufactured on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)'s third-generation 3nm process, N3P, a recent report claimed that the highest-end models may run on a 2nm chip.

Another highlight is going to be revamped iOS 19, which will be previewed in June during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC25).