The iPhone 17 has sparked a Deco design trend. Why are mobile phone designs so obsessed with "distinctiveness"?

Have you noticed that recent mobile phone manufacturers no longer seem to pursue symmetrical aesthetics and various artistic designs? The most typical examples are Apple and Xiaomi. Both have abandoned their design IDs that have been in use for many years and, "coincidentally," have both chosen the long - strip camera Deco design.

Judging from their sales, this seemingly ugly design has not only failed to affect their sales but has also attracted a group of potential users. Moreover, it's not just Apple and Xiaomi. Realme, OPPO, and REDMI have also made drastic changes to their camera Decos. So, have mobile phone manufacturers started to downplay the pursuit of aesthetics in design and instead focus on extreme recognizability?

Is high recognizability more important than aesthetics?

When it comes to this topic, the iPhone 17 series and the Xiaomi 17 series are the most prominent examples. Let's start with the iPhone. The horizontal Deco has replaced the previous square module, making the visual center of the entire phone higher. In other words, it's more eye - catching and recognizable.

(Photo source: Leikeji filming)

Apple officially stated that this design was adopted to better place the antennas. The iPhone 17 Pro series integrates the antenna components into the blank area of the camera Deco. In this way, users won't block the antennas when holding the phone, thereby improving the iPhone's signal performance.

However, in the view of Leikeji, Apple's main intention with this design is to distinguish the iPhone 17 series from the older models.

Data released by Counterpoint Research shows that Apple's sales in mainland China declined to varying degrees for three consecutive quarters in 2025, and its market share dropped to sixth place. On the one hand, the improvements in the iPhone in recent years have indeed been minimal. More importantly, the continued use of the same appearance design has caused aesthetic fatigue among many users. Therefore, replacing it with a new design that may not be as good - looking but has high recognizability is one of Apple's best choices at present.

Market data also confirms this indirectly. According to the news released by Weibo blogger @RD Observation, the sales of the iPhone 17 series in the first week increased by 30% compared to the previous generation. As of October 12, the cumulative number of domestic activations has exceeded 4 million units. Apple's sales seem to be on the verge of returning to their peak.

Although the Xiaomi 17 series has a similar appearance design to the iPhone 17 series, the back screen newly added to the Xiaomi 17 clearly has stronger functional attributes.

(Photo source: Leikeji filming)

Xiaomi officially introduced that the back screen has three main uses: First, it can display service notifications such as takeout and Didi rides, as well as key information for travel vouchers such as high - speed rail tickets and air tickets. Second, users can take selfies with the rear - facing camera through this small screen. Third, there are some small interactive functions, such as remote control linkage with smart home appliances and Xiaomi cars.

Leikeji wasn't initially interested in this back screen. It thought that Xiaomi added it just to make a difference in appearance from previous generations of products and didn't want to leave a large blank area like Apple, so it inserted a small - sized back screen.

Unexpectedly, both Leikeji and Xiaomi didn't anticipate that this back screen would "go viral" from a special angle - it has won the favor of a large number of female users on platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Because this back screen can not only display pictures and videos as a showcase but also use AI to turn users' favorite pets and characters into AI videos.

This is a huge attraction for many anime fans and pet owners. It can even be said that this is the only product on the market that supports this feature.

(Photo source: Leikeji production)

Therefore, the sales distribution of the Xiaomi 17 series is quite different from the previous two generations. In the past, the standard versions of the Xiaomi 14 and 15 series were the main sales drivers, but in this generation, the highest - priced Pro Max version contributed 50% of the sales, while the standard version only accounted for 20%. This shows the market's recognition of this small screen.

The upcoming Realme GT8 Pro has also come up with something new for its camera Deco - a replaceable camera module design. Realme officially stated that the camera module protective cover of the GT8 Pro can be replaced with modules of different shapes by removing two screws.

(Photo source: Realme official)

This design isn't just a simple shell replacement. There are 16 neodymium - iron - boron magnets inside the module to ensure quick alignment during installation. In addition, a large number of contacts have been added. When the phone detects that the user has replaced the camera protective cover, it will automatically match the corresponding theme and watermark.

Take the REDMI K90 series for example. Its camera Deco design is actually somewhat similar to that of its "big brother," the Xiaomi 17 series. However, REDMI has added a speaker with a decent power output to the blank area of the module. Just by looking at the renderings, one can guess its sound performance. We can look forward to Leikeji's subsequent review for more details.

(Photo source: REDMI official)

Take the OPPO Find X9 series for another example. Although it hasn't made functional changes like the previous ones, it is more recognizable than the previous generations.

It can be said that changing the design is a common feature of the new phones released in the second half of this year.

Severe homogenization, appearance becomes a new innovation point

Going back to the initial question, have manufacturers really stopped focusing on aesthetics and started focusing more on recognizability? This statement is only half - right.

Recognizability is indeed the core factor that can make a mobile phone stand out in the market at present. Just like in the years when the "Oreo" camera module was popular, if you covered the logo on the back, it's estimated that 80% of readers wouldn't be able to recognize which brand the phone belongs to.

(Photo source: Leikeji filming)

Over the years, people have always said that the mobile phone industry has "severe homogenization." Manufacturers spend a lot of money on researching and developing new technologies, such as higher refresh rates and more powerful cameras. But in the end, they all get caught up in a "parameter competition" and often overlook what users really "want." This one - sided approach of adding features is only suitable for the early stage of development. Nowadays, users need a phone that has been streamlined and is more suitable for them.

For example, the back screen that Xiaomi spent one billion on is essentially a "hardware innovation." But what made it popular is the "cultural empowerment" spontaneously given by users - young people have grafted their preferences and circle cultures onto this hardware, turning it from "a function" into "a core selling point."

Currently, except for vivo, almost all manufacturers have chosen a smaller camera Deco than their previous products. On the one hand, it's to create recognizability. On the other hand, due to the technological innovation of sensors in recent years, they don't take up as much space as the previous one - inch large - bottom sensors and dual periscope telephoto lenses. At this time, a small and well - coordinated camera Deco has become the favorite choice of manufacturers.

Moreover, upon closer inspection, we can find that many fancy decorative elements have been abandoned, such as various rivet designs, anti - slip patterns simulating lenses, and glass - metal stacking processes. On the one hand, this can reduce the manufacturers' costs and allow them to invest this part of the funds in upgrading the internal core configuration. On the other hand, it avoids some meaningless and cumbersome designs, which better meets the current requirements of users for a mobile phone.

(Photo source: Leikeji filming)

As for whether the new phones are good - looking, that's a matter of personal preference, so we won't discuss it further here.

Recognizability is important, but being good - looking and useful is even more important

Rather than saying that mobile phone manufacturers are no longer keen on innovation, it's more accurate to say that mobile phones have now reached the most universal form. It's very difficult to add new functions or make major changes without affecting the user experience. In other words, mobile phone manufacturers need an opportunity.

However, at the Honor press conference a few days ago, Honor released a short video showing the functions and form of a concept phone. According to the official video, this phone called Honor ROBOT PHONE has a foldable gimbal camera. Its form is somewhat similar to the well - known DJI Pocket 3, but it can be retracted into the empty space of the module when not in use.

But this interesting gimbal lens doesn't just serve for shooting. The video also mentioned that the Honor ROBOT PHONE has more powerful edge - side AI capabilities. It can understand the surrounding environment at any time through this gimbal lens and guess the user's needs. Whether it's practical or not will have to wait until MWC 2026 next year to find out.

(Photo source: Leikeji filming)

Anyway, the Honor ROBOT PHONE has indeed brought some new vitality and ideas to the highly homogenized mobile phone market. Almost all mobile phones are confined to the traditional rectangular shape. Although the screen quality is better and the imaging performance is stronger nowadays, the improvement in the user experience is actually decreasing.

Honor has chosen to do the opposite by exposing the mechanical structure. Although Leikeji guesses that this product won't be launched in the short term, it's undeniable that Honor has indeed created a brand - new and very bold product.

Ultimately, mobile phone manufacturers' pursuit of "recognizability" doesn't mean they've really abandoned aesthetics. Instead, they're trying to find new breakthrough points in the homogenization dilemma. From Apple's long - strip Deco to Xiaomi's back screen, and then to Realme's replaceable module, they all essentially use differentiated designs to meet users' personalized needs.

After all, for consumers, a mobile phone that can be remembered at a glance and can solve practical pain points is far more attractive than one that is simply "good - looking."

The concept design of the Honor ROBOT PHONE also serves as a reminder to the industry: Future mobile phone innovation may not be limited to "adding or subtracting functions." The combination of mechanical structure and AI capabilities may be a new innovation route.

Of course, whether it's the current competition for recognizability or the future exploration of form, what will ultimately retain users is always the balance between being "good - looking" and "useful."

This article is from the WeChat official account "Leikeji" and is published by 36Kr with authorization.