The all-new iPhone 17 Air will likely be the standout device at Apple’s September “Awe Dropping” event, but the iPhone 17 Pro isn’t exactly getting left behind. There are design updates and new features coming, and we’ve outlined everything we know so far below.
Design and Colors
The iPhone 17 Pro models will come in the same two sizes as the iPhone 16 Pro models: 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches. While the front will look similar with no visible changes to the display, the rear of the device will be redesigned.
Rather than a titanium frame for the iPhone 17 Pro models, Apple is going back to aluminum, and also doing away with some of the glass. There will be a part-aluminum part-glass design, and the back of the iPhone won’t have an all-glass look.
Renders and dummy models suggest that there will be a glass area around the MagSafe charger and Apple logo, while the rest of the frame will be made from aluminum for enhanced durability.
Apple is also redesigning the camera bump and instead of a square-shaped bump at the left, there will be a rectangular camera bar. Camera lenses will still be arranged in a triangle shape at the left, but the flash and LiDAR sensor will be moved to the right, and the bump will take up most of the width of the iPhone. As part of the camera change, Apple could shift the Apple logo on the back of the iPhone further down.
There may also be some tweaks to the antenna system. The little antenna lines could wrap around the rear camera bump, improving 5G connectivity. Apple is designing its own Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip this year, so the updated antenna could be how Apple makes improvements to efficiency. There’s also a chance there won’t be antenna lines on the bottom of the iPhone, but this is a change most users won’t notice.
The iPhone 17 Pro models might be just a little thicker than the current models, coming in at 8.725mm thick instead of 8.25mm thick. The increased space could be used for a larger battery.
iPhone 17 Pro colors could be a little unusual this year. There have been multiple rumors suggesting that Apple is going with an “orange” color, which may actually turn out to be more of a copper shade. It sounds like it will be more bold than Apple’s traditional shades of gold. We’re also expecting a dark blue and the standard black, white, and gray options.
Display
The iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to have the same OLED display as the iPhone 16 Pro models, but there could be a change to the protective glass. Apple has been developing a more durable anti-reflective display option.
It could cut down on reflections without notably impacting the visibility of the iPhone’s screen, and it might also be more resistant to scratches and drops. It’s supposedly not quite like the nano-texture display that Apple uses for Macs and iPads, because the iPhone’s display will still have a glossy appearance.
Supposedly the new display coating process is more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield that Apple uses for the iPhone 16 Pro models.
A-Series Chip
Apple designed a new A19 Pro chip for the iPhone 17 Pro models, which is built using TSMC’s latest 3-nanometer process. We’re not expecting a huge jump in performance, but it’ll be faster and more efficient than the A18 Pro.
Apple is going to use a metal-covered battery and a vapor chamber cooling system to improve heat dissipation in the iPhone 17 Pro models, and that could provide further chip speed enhancements.
The iPhone 17 models are expected to include 12GB RAM, up from 8GB in the iPhone 16 Pro models.
Battery and Charging
The iPhone 17 Pro could be a bit thicker than the iPhone 16 Pro, providing more space for a bigger battery. Battery life could see an improvement, and Apple is rumored to be using a battery over 5,000mAh for the first time.
Qi 2.2 support is expected for all of the iPhone 17 models, so the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will charge at 25W on compatible Qi 2.2 accessories. That’s the same speed as MagSafe, but accessory manufacturers are still adjusting to Qi 2 and will now need to come out with a whole new line of Qi 2.2 chargers.
Camera
There’s a major change to the camera design, and there’s likely some reason behind it. The iPhone 17 Pro models will have an updated 48-megapixel Telephoto lens, which means all three lenses will be 48 megapixels for the first time.
Some rumors have suggested the new Telephoto lens will support up to 8x optical zoom (possibly only on the Pro Max), and the Main camera could possibly have an adjustable aperture. Apple is planning on a dual video recording feature that uses the front and rear camera simultaneously, and there will be an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera.
Apple may also add 8K video recording for the first time.
Pricing
Rumors about iPhone 17 Pro pricing have been mixed due to tariff unknowns. Apple is paying out upwards of $1 billion on tariffs in its September quarter, and that cost could be passed to consumers.
There could be a price increase, though Apple might limit it to the iPhone 17 Pro. If that’s the case, the iPhone 17 Pro could be $50 more expensive, but it might also come with 256GB of storage as a minimum, up from 128GB.
Read More
You can read more about what to expect from the iPhone 17 Pro in our dedicated iPhone 17 Pro roundup.
