iPhone 17 Pro may get a wild, must-have accessory that beats a case

The Apple iPhone 17 Pro may get an unusual customization option, if an image showing a wild new accessory type is accurate. Instead of just wrapping your phone in a case or a skin, the iPhone 17 Pro’s distinctive camera module may support colorful panels to spice up the look of the phone, and make good use of all that blank space we expect to see around the cameras.

Anyone who has seen early renders of the iPhone 17 Pro’s possible design will have been struck by the large camera module on the back, which appears flat and houses three main cameras on the left, with a flash unit and another sensor on the right. The space between them is entirely unused, and that’s where the rumored panels come into play.

“Manufacturers of accessories have started producing original camera covers to fit the wider camera tray of the new iPhone 17 Pro,” wrote Majin Bu on X, who is a known source of information related to Apple and the iPhone. The accompanying image shows four brightly decorated panels, including one branded by sportswear brand Ripcurl, and others with a comic strip style. Each has cutouts that match the camera and sensor locations on iPhone 17 Pro renders.

It’s not clear how the panels will attach to the back of the iPhone 17 Pro, as the camera module is raised, with one commenter on the X post suggesting it would be great if the panels were magnetic. This would make it easy to attach and replace them, and avoid the waste of the panels being a one-time use item, like a skin.

There’s a lot of potential in this type of customization. From individually sold panels to sets with matching cases, we can also see people mixing and matching to create even bolder looks for the back of their new iPhone. Case makers will jump onboard, and brands which currently produce cases for the iPhone will also likely see it as a great way to advertise on the back of the latest iPhone model.

While the panels are intriguing, they are still a rumor based on the possible design of an unreleased smartphone, so we should be looking at this as speculation, rather than a definite. However, it does hint at how Apple may be planning to make the next iPhone unique, and would also answer the question of why the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera module is expected to be entirely flat. If it is accurate though, we’re almost certainly looking at the next must-have fashion accessory for the iPhone.