Why Does This iPhone 17 Air Render Look Like a Google Pixel?

The good people on the Chinese social network Weibo have done it again. A leaked image of CAD renders of the iPhone 17 lineup is making the rounds, and it’s got people eager to see what’s what’s to come from Apple’s flagship lineup. By people, I mean me. From what I’m skimming on Reddit and in the comments on Twitter/X, it doesn’t seem as many are as flabbergasted as I am, though I notice the comments increasing in numbers since I started writing this. Everyone’s starting to wonder the same thing: are you seriously telling me that Apple will adopt a backside like Google’s Pixel 9?

iPhone 17 Lineup CAD pic.twitter.com/xednTkpJnq

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) February 23, 2025

It doesn’t make sense, not with how Apple figured out how to pump a little two-for-one camera into the iPhone 16e. Granted, that’s an “economical” or “essential” model, whatever you want to call it, and it’s not indicative of what’s coming from the next generation. But what I’m trying to say is: look at the design of the backside of the iPhone 17 Air and compare it to what is out now. Does that look like something Apple would greenlight? If anything, these renders may indicate what the cutouts will look like in a case.

The renders also outlined areas on the other three iPhone 17 models. Those refer to different types of chassis material compared to what’s on the rest of the device. Expect something like an aluminum and glass mix.

A few Apple blogs have listed this rumor, originated by Majin Bu, as “possible.” That’s because another render of the iPhone 17 Air went around last week, showing a similar backside to the one featured in this CAD art. Other Weibo-based leakers, namely Ice Universe and Fixed Focus Digital, have also chimed in with similar information about the iPhone 17 Air adopting this Pixel-like look, which is why more traction is taking off with the source.

I remain skeptical. The iPhone and Google’s Pixel series are designed for two very different audiences, even though the Pixel continues to look more and more like the iPhone with each generation. The backside camera array—the pill-shaped triple-camera module—is a decidedly Android-using aesthetic. It’s playful and slightly bulky, though it gives off the feeling of real glass stacked behind that window. The iPhone has long had its signature stove-top design as part of its design language. Without a case, the similar triple-array camera module blends into the backside in Apple’s signature way.

If the iPhone 17 Air does turn out to be this Google Pixel copycat, that might say a bit about what’s in store for the iPhone foldable rumor that’s also picking up steam. Bloomberg reported on it over the weekend in the Power On newsletter, which everyone cites as if it’s from Apple’s direct mouth. I’d like to see what this iPhone 17 render rumor looks like in a month or two.