iPhone 17 Pro’s new camera design could also boost cellular performance, lower latency: Here’s what we know

Apple’s iPhone 17 series is just weeks away from its debut, and excitement about the new flagship launches is palpable. Ahead of the launch, a new leak has revealed that Apple’s design change for the iPhone 17 Pro could help the Cupertino-based tech giant reposition antennas on the two models, which could in turn lead to better cellular performance compared to older iPhones.

We have been hearing for months now that Apple will ditch its square-ish camera module on the iPhone 16 Pro in favour of a rectangular camera island that will encompass the entire top half of the device.

However, a new leak by tipster Majin Bu reveals that the company is also looking to reposition the antennas around the rear camera module. This approach is expected to shield the antennas from interference and improve performance in congested environments, potentially leading to a more stable connection while travelling.

The idea appears to take inspiration from the Apple Watch Ultra, where antennas are integrated strategically to maximise reception and signal stability.

On current iPhones, Apple places its antennas around the side edges. While the new change in antenna positioning may be coming to iPhone 17 Pro models, it is not yet clear if the same will apply to the iPhone 17 Air and the standard iPhone 17.

Bu states that repositioning the antennas will lead to the iPhone 17 Pro models offering enhanced 5G mmWave performance, reduced latency, improved efficiency, and more optimised internal space for components like the battery and thermal systems.

For context, the current iPhone models place antennas along the chassis edges, with visible breaks in the frame.

iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max: What to expect?

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to retain the same 6.3-inch and 6.8-inch sizes as last year, but the tech giant could ship them with an anti-reflective display coating similar to the one seen on Samsung’s Galaxy devices.

The phones could come powered by the latest A19 Pro chipset with 12GB of RAM, up from the 8GB RAM in earlier models.

As for design, the iPhone 17 Pro models could ditch the titanium frame in favour of an aluminium one. The new devices are likely to have an aluminium frame with the back featuring a half-aluminium, half-glass finish. Apart from helping with durability, the new design would still allow wireless charging thanks to the glass section.