Apple knows it cant launch iPhone 17 Air without making this key 17 Pro change
Apples iPhone lineup this year will be especially exciting. There are five new iPhones coming, with the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air potentially stealing the spotlight. I think thats why Apple is reportedly bringing a redesign to the iPhone 17 Pro line too. Here are the details.iPhone 17 Air will offer the new look that sellsDo you remember the days of people asking, Is that the new iPhone? Im not sure that happens anymore.The iPhones earlier generations offered more recognizable physical differences from year to year.But for a long while, thats no longer been the case.Unless youre paying extremely close attention, its hard to distinguish between an iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro.You can even go back further, like to the iPhone X in 2017 that introduced the notch. The difference between the Dynamic Island and notch can be easy to miss for lots of people.Thats partly why the iPhone 17 Air sounds so compelling.Apples replacement for the iPhone Plus is expected to feature an ultra-thin new design with a single rear camera.In other words, its going to offer a new look that others can spot. And that may just garner the old question, Is that the new iPhone?But that creates a potential problem for Apple.Its flagship Pro line could be seen as dated. And thats not at all what Apple wants the 17 Air to accomplish.Apple knows iPhone 17 Pro needs a redesign too, and plans to deliverIve written before about how hard this years iPhone decision will be for typical Pro buyers. Many of us buy the Pro models because theyre the best iPhones available.That will still technically be true this year, but the 17 Airs new design is likely to lure plenty of Pro users awaydespite the Pro models being superior on paper.Which Apple doesnt want, since the Pro models are expected to be more expensive than the 17 Air.And that dilemma is exactly why Apple is making significant changes to the iPhone 17 Pros design.Rumored changes include:switch to an aluminum framelarger, rectangular camera bumpaluminum top half of the back, and glass bottom halfsmaller Dynamic Island on the Pro Maxand what sounds like rounded edgesOverall, whether these changes sound appealing to you or not, one thing is clear: theyll make for a visually different look.iPhone 17 Pro redesign: wrap-upAfter years of Pro models looking nearly indistinguishable, Apples iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will actually sport a new look.One that should keep the iPhone 17 Air from stealing all the spotlight. And help the Pro models garner some of the precious attention from onlookers that the Air is bound to get.Apple doesnt want users to have to decide between the cool iPhone and the powerful one. Instead, it plans for both the 17 Air and 17 Pro to offer a fresh look and compelling features of their own.Its going to be a fun year for the iPhone.Do you think the iPhone 17 Pro redesign will make a difference to users? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel