TL;DR
- A leaker has posted an alleged image of the iPhone 17 Air showcasing its outer shell.
- The prototype reveals a horizontal black camera bar reminiscent of Google’s Nexus 6P.
- The iPhone 17 Pro’s rear camera system could see significant design changes, too.
In preparation for its first foldable phone, Apple will reportedly launch a slim iPhone later this year. The iPhone 17 Air will likely replace the iPhone 16 Plus, sacrificing certain high-end specifications in favor of a sleeker design. A leaker has now posted what appears to be an iPhone 17 Air prototype, closely resembling Google’s Nexus 6P.
Leaker Majin Bu has shared an alleged image of the iPhone 17 Air, featuring a horizontal camera bar similar to the Nexus 6P. The pictured black bar will seemingly house the single camera lens towards its left side, while the flash LED lives on the right.
Soon after, the leaker cast doubt on the image, claiming it’s unusual timing for prototype shells to slip through. They then highlighted the included GS1-128 barcode, suggesting the image was actually legitimate.
Meanwhile, reputable leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo confirmed the legitimacy of the iPhone 17 Air shell with the Nexus 6P-like camera bar. They then reiterated that the iPhone 17 Pro will similarly get a horizontal rear camera bar.
While previous speculations pointed to a horizontal lens assortment, the Weibo user suggests the camera placement won’t change. In this case, Apple would move the LiDAR scanner and flash LED to a different position on the bar while maintaining the iconic triple camera system layout.
The iPhone 17 series will likely debut during a special media event in September. Whether the iPhone 17 Air will indeed look like the Google Nexus 6P remains to be seen.
