Leak source Digital Chat Station on Weibo (China) said that this year's iPhone 17 Pro models will have a smaller main camera sensor than the sensor used in the Fusion camera currently on the iPhone 16 Pro models.

iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal 2.jpg
The iPhone 17 Pro model has a horizontal rectangular rear camera cluster. Photo: Macrumors

According to this source, Apple will apply a 1/1.3-inch sensor for the 48MP main camera on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, instead of the 1/1.28-inch sensor used on the iPhone 16 Pro models.

This is part of a series of leaks revealing that both iPhone 17 Pro models will feature 48MP triple cameras for the first time.

The larger the sensor size, the more light it can collect, resulting in sharper images and better low-light performance.

A 1/1.3-inch sensor would be slightly smaller than a 1/1.28-inch sensor. For comparison, the 48MP Fusion camera on the standard iPhone 16 uses an even smaller 1/1.56-inch sensor.

However, the difference is very small, with the current 1/1.28-inch sensor having only a slightly larger surface area than a 1/1.3-inch sensor. In practice, this size difference is unlikely to have a significant impact on everyday photo quality.

Apple may have opted for the smaller sensor in exchange for other improvements in the camera system to maintain or improve overall performance.

If the above information is correct, Apple's move from a 1/1.28-inch sensor to a 1/1.3-inch sensor could be due to space constraints related to the new camera cluster design.

Apple is said to be using a larger camera cluster, with an aluminum rectangular design instead of glass on the iPhone 17 Pro models.

Supply chain leaks have also confirmed The Information 's report on the camera bump design change. Sources in China have revealed that the camera bump will likely be an "elongated oval" instead of a rectangle, with a smoother transition between the camera bump and the back of the iPhone.

The iPhone 17 series is expected to be announced around mid-September 2025, as usual. This year's new iPhone models are expected to include: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air.

The latest information about the highly anticipated top feature on the iPhone Face ID under the screen is one of the features that iFans are highly looking forward to. However, the iPhone 17 Pro launched this year is likely not equipped with this feature yet.