Leaked images reveal a small shift in the iPhone 17 Air's front camera, which may hint at internal design compromises required by its ultra-thin build.
Apple is expected to debut an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim in 2025.
It's almost rumor season, which means we're getting a steady flow of new leaks that may give us some insight into the next iPhone lineup. And, right on cue, we've got yet another new leak related to the iPhone 17 Air.
This time the leak consists of a photograph of a series of screen protectors designed to work with Apple's iPhone 17 lineup. At first blush, the images aren't terribly noteworthy -- that is, until you look at the one for the iPhone 17 Air.
Image Credit: Majin Bu
It shows that iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max all have their front-facing cameras positioned to the right of the Dynamic Island. The iPhone 17 Air, however, has its selfie camera on the left.
The images were shared by Majin Bu, who has a very mixed track record when it comes to Apple leaks, and a reputation for appropriating leaks on Chinese social media and claiming them as their own. All the same, Bu says the new positioning could "enhance video call and selfie experiences."
A questionable claim in the post is that the shift will offer "new angles and a different interaction" for users. It won't as the difference in angle of incidence is very, very slight.
Realistically, if Apple does move the camera to the left of the Dynamic Island, rather than the right, it will be a far more pragmatic reason. Odds are, if the iPhone 17 Air is as slim as we're expecting -- under 6 millimeters -- it's likely that the camera would need to be moved to accommodate other modules.
Recently, we encountered another iPhone 17 Air leak -- this time inadvertently provided by Apple itself. A wallpaper discovered in iOS 26 may have revealed the device's screen resolution and size.