Rumors about the upcoming iPhone 17 have been running rampant for the past few weeks, with many tips and leaks focusing on a potential camera redesign. A few different possibilities have been presented in renders but a new photo reportedly taken on the assembly line could be the final confirmation.
iPhone 17 Pro Max is ready pic.twitter.com/jFb9L4b1BH
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) March 12, 2025
Majin Bu’s photo on X claims to show the iPhone 17 Pro Max, or at least, its metal chassis. The camera configuration matches rumors that the new model will have a camera bar that covers the entire width of the phone, with the lenses on the left and the microphone, flash, and LiDAR on the right.
There are plenty of other companies, such as Google, that use this kind of design for their phones but we don’t know yet why Apple might be making the switch. Perhaps the bar will provide a consistent thickness, making sure the phone lays more stably on its back.
When there’s a big camera bump on just one side and you press the screen on the other side, the wobbling can be quite annoying. Judging by the renders for this design, however, the lenses could easily still stick out more than the elements on the right, so it may be just as lopsided as older models.
I personally feel that camera bumps in general are a fairly unfortunate design feature. I’d really prefer something that lays flat, but as cameras keep getting bigger and better, it doesn’t seem like I’ll get what I want anytime soon. Hopefully, these upgraded cameras will feature enough cool tech to make it worth it.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.