With Apple today confirming a “special” event at Apple Park on Sept. 9, the launch of the iPhone 17 series is upon us.
Apple executives have reportedly been referring to this new lineup as the “most ambitious in the product’s history.” The biggest rumor so far has been the elimination of the “Plus” variant in favor of a “Slim” or “Air” model. There’s also chatter about the Pro Max variant being rebranded as the “Ultra” and all four models getting a 120Hz ProMotion display with 24MP front-facing cameras.
If you didn’t upgrade to the iPhone 16 or are just curious to learn what Apple has cooking, here’s everything we’ve heard about the iPhone 17 from reliable sources so far.
Revised iPhone 17 Lineup: Air In, Plus Out
Of the four iPhone variants in the most recent iPhone lineups, the Plus model has fared the worst, according to Bloomberg, and Apple plans to replace it with a slimmer iPhone 17 Air. Multiple reports suggest it will have a 6.6-inch display, a single 48MP rear camera, and a minimum of 8GB RAM to support Apple Intelligence (potentially up to 12GB).
The thin model is part of Apple’s long-term plans to develop “the thinnest and lightest products in their categories across the whole tech industry.” With a thickness of just 6.25 mm, it is expected to overtake the iPhone 6 (6.9mm) as the thinnest iPhone ever. In April, leaker Majin Bu shared images of iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro Max mock-ups, and the difference in thickness is quite significant.
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One drawback of the thin design is that it may leave no space for a speaker at the bottom, so the device may have just one speaker at the top. There’s also a durability risk at stake. To avoid a repeat of the iPhone 6 Plus bending issue, Apple reduced the screen size of the 17 Air from 6.9 inches to 6.6, Gurman says. Still, the first looks at the Air, shared by leaker Majin Bu, evoke a fear of bending.
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Another drawback of the 17 Air’s thin design is that it leaves less room for a big battery. Per a leak, the battery capacity is a modest 2,800mAh, 20% less than the iPhone 16’s 3,561mAh battery. As a result, Apple is hedging its bet and allocating just 10% of its production for it, The Information reports. To make up for the low-capacity battery, Apple might even reintroduce the MagSafe battery pack launched with the iPhone 12, the report adds.
The other three models will most likely retain their names, though there’s a rumor about 17 Pro Max being rebranded as the “Ultra.” It could also receive some upgraded features that differentiates it from the Pro model. The 17 Pro Max could also get slightly thicker, according to leaker Ice Universe, going from 8.25mm to 8.725mm to make room for a bigger battery.
Overall, this could be Apple’s final iPhone 17 lineup, along with their display sizes:
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iPhone 17: 6.3 inches
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iPhone 17 Air: 6.6 inches
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iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3 inches
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iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9 inches
We’ll dive deeper into the display rumors below.
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iPhone 17 Colors, Design Changes
While the last five generations of iPhones have looked similar, the iPhone 17 lineup will likely undergo big changes—especially at the back.
All iPhones are expected to receive rectangular camera bumps with rounded corners. The base iPhone 17 could retain the vertical bump from the iPhone 16, but the Air, Pro, and Pro Max variants could get horizontal end-to-end bumps. The bumps could be protrude more than usual, according to an image of phone cases shared by leaker Sonny Dickson.
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For Pro models, this would be a major shift from the squared-off camera bumps they’ve had since the iPhone 11 Pro. While there were strong rumors about a two-tone design (separate colors for the bump and the rest of the back), Gurman ruled those out, citing a source that revealed “the camera area will be the same color as the rest of the device.”
Leaker Sonny Dickson backed that claim recently and shared the full list of possible colors based on camera lens cover parts. All four phones may come in Black and Silver (white-ish). Additionally, the standard iPhone 17 could come in Green, Light Blue, Purple, and Steel Gray, and the iPhone 17 Air could come in Light Blue and Light Gold. The iPhone 17 Pro models, on the other hand, would come in Gray, Dark Blue, and a surprising Orange, alongside the traditional Black and Silver. A sourced confirmed similar developments to Macworld as well.
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It’s unclear if Apple will continue using titanium for the chassis of the Pro models, though. According to The Information, all iPhone 17 models will use an aluminum frame. But a leaker contradicts this, claiming that the 17 Pro models will continue using titanium.
On the front, the pill-shaped cutout for the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 Air will be slightly smaller than the current iPhone 16 models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Earlier reports indicated that the iPhone 17 Pro Max would get a new “metalens” for Face ID that reduces the size of its Dynamic Island. Now, Jeff Pu says the tech might be extended to all four iPhone models.
iOS Overhaul
(Credit: Apple)
The iPhone 17 will come with iOS 26—yes, it won’t be called iOS 19. As earlier reports indicated, Apple has rebranded its operating systems to align with the release year (like cars).
The biggest difference is the UI. A new “Liquid Glass” theme will provide translucent backgrounds for menus and a floating magnifier for items you swipe across. This may be a precursor to Apple introducing smart glasses.
A new dedicated Games app puts all gaming-centric features in one place. Apps like Messages and Phone also get spam-blocking features, alongside a few other helpful updates. Plus, a much-needed battery feature that will show how long your iPhone will take to fully charge.
If you are eager to try the just-announced features, you can install the iOS 26 developer beta on a compatible iPhone right away.
Introducing iOS 26 at WWDC25
Display Changes
Of the four iPhone models, two are expected to retain their display sizes, and two are expected to change. The Pro and Pro Max models will continue to sport 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to display analyst Ross Young.
However, the base iPhone 17 might increase from 6.1 to 6.3 inches (~6.27), according to analyst Jeff Pu, possibly because of the smaller Dynamic Island and the inclusion of a metalens for Face ID. As for the iPhone 17 Air, while most reports have indicated a 6.6-inch display, Young is sticking to his earlier claim of 6.55 inches.
When it comes to display panels, Apple is set to use the same low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels on all iPhone 17 models, ETNews reported in October. This means each of the upcoming models could come with 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates and always-on display (AOD) features—something Apple has restricted to the Pro models so far. A Chinese leaker, however, recently disputed those claims, stating that the panels on the base and Air variant are standard 120Hz displays and not the ProMotion ones with adaptive refresh rates.
Meanwhile, according to ETNews, Samsung will manufacture the panels for the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max models, while LG will build the ones for the base and Slim/Air variants.
According to MacRumors, Apple is also working on a new anti-reflective, scratch-resistant coating for the 17 Pro models. It’s expected to be more scratch-resistant than the current Ceramic Shield and avoid wear and tear for longer periods.
Apple could also pivot to the nano-textured glass it has used for iPads and Macs.
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iPhone 17 Camera Upgrades
Apple’s iPhones have long had 12MP front-facing cameras, but that’s about to change with the introduction of 24MP front shooters on all four iPhone 17 models, says Kuo. These cameras are also rumored to be positioned more centrally within the Dynamic Island rather than in its left corner. Additionally, according to Jon Prosser, all four phones are expected to support dual video recording, meaning you will be able to record videos with both front and back cameras simultaneously.
Apple fans have also wanted 5x zoom across the board. That, however, will remain exclusive to the 17 Pro models, according to the South Korean outlet Elec.
Coming down to the phones individually, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature a single 48MP rear camera. The 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, could become the first iPhone to feature three 48MP cameras: wide, ultra-wide, and Tetraprism. A Tetraprism is “basically a periscope or a way to bend light multiple times through glass, which is a tool other phone makers have used in their cameras since 2017 to bring faraway subjects closer to your smartphone,” according to our expert. This would reduce quality loss when compared with regular digital zoom. It’s unclear if the same camera setup would be extended to the 17 Pro.
There’s also a rumor about 8K video recording for the iPhone 17 Pro models, but that’s something that floated around for the iPhone 16 Pro models as well, with Apple eventually sticking with 4K. Additionally, according to The Information, at least one of the iPhone 17 models will feature a mechanical aperture. This will allow users to adjust the opening of a lens and, thereby, the amount of light entering it manually. Currently, all iPhone models have a fixed aperture.
Recently, MacRumors received three surprising camera tips as well. First, the iPhone 17 Pro’s telephoto lens may support 8x optical zoom. Second, Apple is reportedly working on a new pro-level camera app for both photos and videos, which could either be an upgrade to the existing Final Cut Camera app or a new standalone app. Finally, the upcoming models might feature an additional Camera Control button at the top that would allow you to quickly access camera and related settings. All three seem too good to be true, but with Apple, you never know.
iPhone 17 Performance, Storage Upgrades
Apple tends to upgrade chipsets every year. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 17 is expected to get the A19 chip, while the Pro models will receive the A19 Pro chip. A leaker claims that the 17 Air will also receive the A19 Pro, but that wouldn’t be as powerful as those on the Pro models.
The rumor mill is divided on whether these SoCs will be built on TSMC’s 2-nanometer chips. The latest update, according to a recent X post by Kuo, is that all iPhone 17 phones will feature TSMC’s N3P, 3-nanometer technology.
Leakers are also divided on the memory upgrades. According to a recent 9to5Mac report, however, the base iPhone 17 will continue with 8GB of RAM, while the other three will be bumped to 12GB.
When it comes to storage, a leaker named Instant Digital reveals that Apple might drop the 128GB option for the iPhone 17 Pro Max and offer only three variants: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. The other three phones, on the other hand, may start with the 128GB option.
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Battery and Charging
All four iPhone 17 models are expected to come with the electrically released adhesive Apple introduced last year. Previously limited to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the adhesive would be extended to the Pro models, making repair and replacements easier.
The iPhone 17 Air is also expected to come with a battery below 3,000mAh. Some say it could be 2,800, others claim it would be 2,900. In either case, the phone would hardly last a day, according to reports of internal tests at Apple.
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The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, is expected to receive a 5,000mAh battery—the biggest ever on an iPhone. For reference, the iPhone 16 Pro Max had a 4,676mAh battery, and it lasted for 22 hours and 5 minutes on a single full charge in our tests.
With the Qi 2.2 charging standard around the corner, Apple is also expected to support faster charging speeds. The max limit could go from 25W on the 16 Pro Max to 35W on the 17 Pro Max. A Weibo leaker claims the iPhone 17 Pro models could also support reverse wireless charging, meaning these smartphones will be able to charge Apple accessories like AirPods and Apple Watch without a cable.
Other iPhone Components, Accessories
After developing its own A-series and M-series chips, Apple might venture into developing batteries, according to ET News. The report states that Apple is currently running a battery development project and plans to include it in “products released after 2025.” For now, the focus is on the modem.
After working on a modem chip for quite some time, we finally got a look at Apple’s work with the C1 modem in the iPhone 16e. The C1 supports sub-6GHz and C-band 5G spectrum but not the faster mmWave available to the other iPhone 16 models. That limits the 16e’s maximum speed potential in areas where mmWave is available.
Apple currently uses Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 7 technology for the iPhone 16 models. According to Kuo, “All new 2H25 iPhone 17 models will feature Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi chips.” Only the iPhone 17 Air will have the C1. That should reduce costs and “enhance connectivity across Apple devices,” he says.
In November, Jeff Pu also said Apple would include a Wi-Fi 7 chip in the iPhone 17 Pro in the second half of 2025.
Another hardware rumor is about the potential inclusion of a vapor chamber. As MacRumors notes, this technology reduces thermal heating by spreading it across a larger surface area. The component has already been used in high-end Android phones, and it could help Apple avoid the heating issues it faced with some Pro models earlier.
When it comes to accessories, as mentioned earlier, Apple plans to reintroduce the MagSafe battery pack to make up for the iPhone 17 Air’s low-capacity battery. Additionally, following the poor response to its Fine Woven series, Apple is rumored to be working on a new “Liquid Silicon” case. As the name suggests, the material is silicone, and according to Majin Bu, it has two holes for a lanyard cable at the bottom. For the iPhone 17 Air, Gurman says Apple’s also testing an iPhone 4-like bumper case that just covers the edges, and not the entire back.
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Release and Pricing
(Credit: Apple)
Invites for the Sept. 9 event tip an “awe dropping” experience, which Gurman suggests is a “play on jaw dropping for the thin/light of the phone.” The orange is a nod to the rumored new iPhone color, while light blue is for the iPhone Air, he says.
As far as pricing is concerned, multiple reports suggest that Apple may hike prices this year to offset tariff pressure. The extent of the hikes, however, is unclear. Sources indicate that the price hike is driven by next-gen features, not tariffs. Apple typically increases prices in $100 increments, and based on that trend, the iPhone 17 base model could start at $899, while the 17 Pro Max could start at $1,299. (That’s $100 more than the 2025 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.)
For the iPhone 17 Air, The Wall Street Journal reports the price could be lower than the Pro models. Gurman says it could be somewhere around $900, the same as the iPhone 16 Plus it’s rumored to replace. If that’s the case, it’s highly unlikely that two iPhone models will be priced the same. So, the base model may retain its existing $799 pricing even when the two others get a price hike.
According to Instant Digital, the iPhone 17 Pro might get a $50 bump from $999 to $1,050.
If we were to find common ground between these pricing rumors, this is how the lineup shapes up:
Meanwhile, Trump wants Apple to manufacture iPhones in the US, but that would be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking. The president has also threatened to impose a 25% tariff on iPhones if they are made in India instead of the US.
We’ll update this space as more rumors trickle in.
About Jibin Joseph
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