The next generation of Pro-level iPhones could pack in a much larger camera bump.
Is that going to be too much for the pockets of the people?
With a new family of iPhones expected in the next few months, many will be gearing up to see whether it's worthy of an upgrade for them. And this time out might be the toughest in a while, as the brand is rumoured to be debuting an entirely new range of designs for the iPhone 17 family.
That's particularly un-Apple-like, because the different models really don't even follow the same design language. According to rumours, the base model will look much the same as the iPhone 16, with a dual rear camera setup that sits vertically.
Then the Plus model is said to be no more, replaced by the brands slim phone – the iPhone 17 Air. That has been shown with a single rear camera in a bar not dissimilar to that of the Google Pixel 9 range.
The two Pro models take that concept one step further, with a camera bar which looks the best part of an inch tall and runs across the width of the frame. It's a marked change from the sleek, slender and design-focused iPhones of old.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Camera Module in comparison pic.twitter.com/DFG891K9bSMay 31, 2025
That could cause some issues when it comes to pocketability. Phone cameras across the board are getting bigger, with bumps protruding further and further from the rear of the device.
Most brands mitigate this with rounded edges, which at least does away with some of the blocky design. Will Apple follow suit? Only time will tell, but the latest image shared by Majin Bu suggests it's not likely. That appears to showcase a design which is relatively blocky – not dissimilar to the current iPhone 16 Pro camera bump, but wider.
I can already see the legions of people who will attempt to pop this into their pocket, only for the camera bump to snag and it to plummet onto the ground below. Even if that isn't the case, it could end up making the whole device quite chunky.
Most people will slap a case on their new phone pretty quickly, and any which are designed to level out the camera bump will surely turn the device into a chunky unit. Only time will tell, but it's certainly an area we'll be keeping a close eye on.
