- A leaker claims the iPhone 17 Pro will have a new antenna design
- This will apparently improve performance in congested areas
- It might also result in a sleeker, less interrupted phone design
How many times have you struggled to make a phone call or send a text message on your iPhone when you’re in a crowded area? Even if your phone shows that you should have several bars of signal, actually connecting is often impossible due to the sheer number of devices clogging up the airwaves.
That might change in this year’s iPhone 17 Pro, though, according to a new report from a well-known leaker. If they are to be believed, Apple is working on a new system to reduce signal congestion and improve iPhone connectivity, and it’s apparently taken its inspiration from the Apple Watch.
The report comes from Majin Bu, a leaker with a somewhat mixed track record when it comes to Apple rumors. On their website, the tipster suggests that the iPhone 17 Pro will “introduce a significant structural change” that involves repositioning the phone’s antennas to the rear camera module.
Majin Bu says that Apple has taken inspiration from the Apple Watch here, as this device “integrates antennas near structural and functional elements of its chassis” in a similar manner. That’s a change from the iPhone’s current situation, where the antennas are located around the edges of the chassis. You can see that in the small lines near the bottom of an iPhone, and Majin Bu says the new design will result in a “Cleaner side-frame design with fewer visible breaks.”
Pushing performance
But this update is not just about appearances – Majin Bu believes it will bring practical benefits too. In particular, the leaker says repositioning the antennas to the camera module will “reduce interference from chassis materials and enhance 5G and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity” because this area is “less prone to shielding and interference.” That’s presumably because it’s further away from your hand, which can cause problems with connectivity (just think back to the iPhone 4’s “Antennagate” for an example).
Majin Bu lists a host of other potential advantages, including reduced latency, “higher efficiency” in busy areas, enhanced radio performance (especially for 5G mmWave and Wi-Fi), optimized internal space, and more.
There are only a few weeks until Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 17 Pro, so we won’t have long to wait to see if these predictions are on the money. If they are, you might find it a little easier to push through that phone call or text message when you find yourself in a crowded area.
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