Design Will Help iPhone 17 Pro Fix Apple Intelligence's Mistakes

Instead of improving its AI models, Apple will make a questionable change to the iPhone 17 series.

Apple Intelligence was rolled out too hastily

The company's AI suite, called Apple Intelligence, is heavily advertised but its actual performance is too little and too slow.

iPhone 17 Pro concept photo.

Apple Intelligence has lagged behind competing products. Even Chinese startup DeepSeek has surpassed Apple despite having far fewer resources.

According to the report, "Apple House" only started working on Apple Intelligence in early 2023, right when the "AI fever" was changing the technology landscape. This platform certainly could not be ready when applied to the iPhone 16 series, and so far, the features are still being provided in a drip.

Ideally, experts say, Apple should spend this year improving its AI platform. However, many sources say the company is only focusing on changing the appearance of the new iPhone line.

iPhone 17 Series will change design

Apple has reportedly decided to ditch the square camera module after years of maintaining it. Three-quarters of the iPhone 17 models will have a horizontal camera bar on the back. And to prove that they weren't inspired by Google, Apple will likely make the camera bar on the iPhone 17 Pro taller and keep the same camera arrangement.

iPhone 17 Pro will have a horizontal camera bar.

The iPhone 17's horizontal camera strip would be an admission that the company has started looking to rival brands for ideas. In fact, there are many ways to attach a camera to a phone.

What many experts find odd about the iPhone 17 Pro's design is that the layout doesn't make sense. For years, Apple fans have been asking the company to improve the iPhone's design. Instead of innovating, the company has done a terrible job of copying the Pixel's design.

For a company known for its design prowess, this is a worrying change, especially amid widespread speculation that the company is falling behind in software.

Jessica Tanner

Update 23 February 2025