The iPhone 17 Pro Max may feature a completely different rear camera system, along with an aluminum frame to cut costs.
On December 17, the Russian YouTube channel Wylsacom published renders of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the smartphone Apple is expected to introduce in September 2025. If the information is accurate, it would be the first time Apple has changed the iPhone's design since 2019. Image: Wylsacom Media.
According to the images, the back of the iPhone 17 Pro Max has been reworked, with the cameras arranged in a horizontal bar like the one on the Pixel 9. The border around the cameras is joined to the frame, and the raised section is black rather than matching the color of the back panel. Since the iPhone 11, the rear camera module has always been square or "pill" shaped. Image: Wylsacom Media.
Earlier reports claimed the back of the iPhone 17 Pro Max would combine glass and aluminum. The frame may also switch to aluminum. In recent years, lower-priced iPhones such as the iPhone SE and the new iPhone 16 have used aluminum frames. By contrast, the iPhone Pro line has used stainless steel (before the iPhone 15 Pro) and titanium (iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro). Image: IGN.
Images leaked on Weibo show the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a four-sided frame that wraps part of the back, leaving only cutouts for the buttons, the MagSafe area, and a glass camera module. According to Wylsacom, this change saves Apple money while still giving consumers a chance to try a new design. Image: Weibo.
There are also reports that the Dynamic Island cutout on the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be smaller. Analyst Ross Young said the device will use "metalens" proximity sensor technology to shrink the Face ID components. However, this upgrade may be limited to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image: Majin Bu.
Aside from the back and the display cutout, the other design elements of the iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to stay the same, including the power button and the Camera Control on the right side. Wylsacom stressed, however, that the thickness and the glass frame in the images may differ from the final version, since the launch is still 10 months away. Image: Wylsacom Media.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to carry the A19 Pro chip, built on TSMC's third-generation 3 nm process (N3P) and paired with 12 GB of RAM. The model has three rear cameras, each with a 48 MP resolution, plus a 24 MP front camera. It could also be the first iPhone to use a Wi-Fi 7 chip developed in-house by Apple. Image: Wylsacom Media.
Source: ZNews
