The Apple iPhone 17 Pro may get an unusual customization option, if an image showing a wild new accessory type is accurate. Instead of just wrapping your phone in a case or a skin, the iPhone 17 Pro’s distinctive camera module may support colorful panels to spice up the look of the phone, and make good use of all that blank space we expect to see around the cameras.
Majin Bu
Anyone who has seen early renders of the iPhone 17 Pro’s possible design will have been struck by the large camera module on the back, which appears flat and houses three main cameras on the left, with a flash unit and another sensor on the right. The space between them is entirely unused, and that’s where the rumored panels come into play.
Recommended Videos
“Manufacturers of accessories have started producing original camera covers to fit the wider camera tray of the new iPhone 17 Pro,” wrote Majin Bu on X, who is a known source of information related to Apple and the iPhone. The accompanying image shows four brightly decorated panels, including one branded by sportswear brand Ripcurl, and others with a comic strip style. Each has cutouts that match the camera and sensor locations on iPhone 17 Pro renders.
Related
-
I tested the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e’s cameras, and the two almost tied
-
New iPhone 17 Pro render keeps us guessing on the final design
-
Phones and laptops aren’t getting pricey, thanks to tariff relief
It’s not clear how the panels will attach to the back of the iPhone 17 Pro, as the camera module is raised, with one commenter on the X post suggesting it would be great if the panels were magnetic. This would make it easy to attach and replace them, and avoid the waste of the panels being a one-time use item, like a skin.
kanedacane tweets / X / kanedacane tweets
There’s a lot of potential in this type of customization. From individually sold panels to sets with matching cases, we can also see people mixing and matching to create even bolder looks for the back of their new iPhone. Case makers will jump onboard, and brands which currently produce cases for the iPhone will also likely see it as a great way to advertise on the back of the latest iPhone model.
While the panels are intriguing, they are still a rumor based on the possible design of an unreleased smartphone, so we should be looking at this as speculation, rather than a definite. However, it does hint at how Apple may be planning to make the next iPhone unique, and would also answer the question of why the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera module is expected to be entirely flat. If it is accurate though, we’re almost certainly looking at the next must-have fashion accessory for the iPhone.
Editors’ Recommendations
-
iPhone theft victim sues Apple. It sparks a new hope for others, too
-
Motorola Razr 60 Ultra could be the phone that makes me leave Apple
-
Latest iPhone Fold rumor tells us a little more about the camera
-
Forget the iPhone 17 Pro design, the 20th anniversary iPhone could be the boldest yet
-
Don’t hold your hopes for a fancy design refresh on the iPhone 17 Pro
