The upcoming iPhone 17 is rumored to introduce a design that allows for fusion between the edge and back of the device, thanks to Apple’s adoption of a new glass-to-metal splicing process. Enough to move towards an iPhone without edges, the ultimate dream of Jony Ive, when he was still in charge of design at Apple. Ive shared this vision just after the release of the iPhone
A redesigned side design
Today’s information comes from the leaker Fixed Focus Digital on Weibowhich suggests that the Tim Cook gang rethought its manufacturing techniques to achieve fluid material transitions, rather than clean cutting. The leaker pointed out that the “connection area between the front glass and the rear cover is a slope rather than a step”, implying a more integrated look where the glass back meets the frame.
If all models seem affected, the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be entitled to significant changes, in particular the return to an aluminum frame, abandoning the titanium used since the iPhone 15 Pro. These models would feature a dual-material back, with the top half made of aluminum and the bottom made of glass for wireless charging compatibility. Additionally, a larger and perhaps differently shaped camera bump, described as an “elongated oval” or “rectangular”, is expected to be made of aluminum rather than glass. All this aims to lighten the phone, which has become heavy over the years. On the photo side, the zoom would increase to 48 megapixels.
The standard iPhone 17 would not be left out, for example finally with a 120 Hz screen, while the Plus model would be replaced by an iPhone 17 Air with a much thinner profile. The iPhone 17 series is expected to launch in the traditional mid-September window.
The last significant change to the back design of an iPhone came with the iPhone 12 series in 2020, where Apple introduced a new square design with flat edges, marking a notable change from the rounded edges of previous models. With the iPhone 15, it simply used titanium on the Pro, whereas on the standard iPhone 16, the back is mass-tinted.
Fixed Focus Digital also recently claimed that the next iPhone SE will be called iPhone 16E, which falls in line with other leaks suggesting a rebranding of Apple’s entry-level model.
