We’re a month away from Apple’s annual developer occasion, WWDC 2025, however cell watchers are already turning their consideration to Apple’s subsequent flagship {hardware} announcement: the iPhone 17, which execs are reportedly referring to because the “most bold within the product’s historical past.”
Rumors counsel the most important change within the iPhone 17 lineup would be the elimination of the “Plus” variant in favor of a “Slim” or “Air” mannequin. There’s additionally chatter concerning the “Professional Max” variant being rebranded because the “Extremely” and all 4 fashions getting a 120Hz ProMotion display with 24MP front-facing cameras.
For those who did not upgrade to the iPhone 16 or are simply curious to be taught what Apple has cooking, here is what we have heard concerning the iPhone 17 from dependable sources thus far.
Revised iPhone 17 Lineup: iPhone 17 Air and Professional Max?
Of the 4 iPhone variants in the newest iPhone lineups, the Plus mannequin has reportedly fared the worst, as most individuals seem keen to simply pay an additional $100 for a Professional mannequin, Bloomberg notes.
Enter the iPhone 17 Air. A number of reports counsel it would have a 6.6-inch show, a single 48MP rear digital camera, and a minimal of 8GB RAM to help Apple Intelligence (potentially up to 12GB). Nonetheless, Apple may name it an “Air” mannequin as a substitute to align with its MacBook Air and iPad Air fashions. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple had plans to present the iPhone 17 Air a port-free design, however determined in opposition to it because of the European Union’s USB-C mandate.
The skinny mannequin is a part of Apple’s long-term plans to develop “the thinnest and lightest merchandise of their classes throughout the entire tech business.” With a thickness of simply 6.25 mm, it’s anticipated to overhaul the iPhone 6 (6.9mm) because the thinnest iPhone ever. Earlier this month, leaker Majin Bu shared photos of iPhone 17 Air and 17 Professional Max mock-ups, and the distinction in thickness is sort of important.
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One downside of the skinny design is that it could go away no area for a speaker on the backside, so the machine will probably have only one speaker on the prime. There’s additionally a sturdiness danger at stake. To keep away from a repeat of the iPhone 6 Plus bending issue, Apple decreased the display screen measurement of the 17 Air from 6.9 inches to six.6, Gurman says. Nonetheless, first seems to be of the Air, shared by leaker Majin Bu, evoke a concern of bending.
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The opposite three fashions will probably retain their names, however the show measurement for the bottom and Professional variants may enhance from 6.1 to six.3 inches, according to analyst Jeff Pu. The Professional Max will proceed to sport a 6.9-inch show, however it may very well be rebranded because the “Ultra” and obtain some upgraded options to distinguish it from the Professional mannequin.
The 17 Professional Max might additionally get barely thicker, according to leaker Ice Universe, going from 8.25mm to eight.725mm to make room for a much bigger battery.
Recent Appears to be like
Whereas the final 5 generations of iPhones have regarded comparable, the iPhone 17 lineup will probably endure large adjustments—particularly on the again.
All iPhones are anticipated to obtain rectangular digital camera bumps with rounded corners. Primarily based on CAD renders shared by leaker Majin Bu final month, the iPhone 17 might retain the vertical digital camera bump from the iPhone 16, however the Slim, Professional, and Professional Max fashions might get end-to-end horizontal rectangular bumps, much like the Google Pixel 9 Pro. The bumps may very well be protrude greater than regular, in response to an image of cellphone circumstances shared by leaker Sonny Dickson.
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For Professional fashions, this is able to be a serious shift from the squared-off digital camera bumps they’ve had for the reason that iPhone 11 Pro. Whereas there have been robust rumors a few two-tone design (separate colours for the bump and the remainder of the again), Gurman ruled these out, citing a supply that exposed “the digital camera space would be the similar shade as the remainder of the machine.”
Talking of colours, Majin Bu reports that iPhone 17 Professional fashions might are available in a brand new Sky Blue shade. The present iPhone 16 Professional fashions are available in 4 Titanium colours: desert (gold), pure (silver-ish), white, and black. As has been the case with Apple, we will anticipate a flowery identify for its new shade, too.
It’s unclear if Apple will proceed utilizing titanium for the chassis of the Professional fashions, although. According to The Data, all iPhone 17 fashions will use an aluminum body. However a leaker contradicts this, claiming that the 17 Professional fashions will proceed utilizing titanium.
On the entrance, the pill-shaped cutout for the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 Air can be barely smaller than the current iPhone 16 models, in response to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The iPhone 17 Professional Max might additionally get a brand new “metalens” for Face ID that reduces the scale of its Dynamic Island.
iOS Overhaul
The iPhone 17 is anticipated to return with iOS 19, which is able to mark the biggest revamp for the iPhone software program since iOS 7 in 2013, in response to Bloomberg. Customers will get redesigned icons, apps, menus, home windows, and system buttons that will look acquainted to Imaginative and prescient Professional customers.
Apple’s newest app for iOS, Apple Invites, could supply a sneak peek, with extra vibrant colours than different native apps and a settings web page that includes the translucent backgrounds seen on visionOS.
This week, Jon Prosser posted a video on his fpt. channel that includes what he says is an unique first have a look at iOS 19. He recreated screenshots of what his sources at Apple gave him to guard their identification however says the brand new OS is simply “barely totally different.” Mockups present a “extra rounded aesthetic and nearly glassy styling,” Prosser says. “No indicators of any new main AI options.”
In January, he additionally posted a video of a revamped Camera app. Prosser has a spotty track record, and Bloomberg’s Gurman is skeptical.
“[The] iOS 19 photos floating round aren’t consultant of what we’ll see at WWDC,” Gurman tweeted. “They give the impression of being to be based mostly on both very outdated builds or imprecise descriptions, lacking key options. Anticipate extra from Apple in June. Regardless, mockups—actual or not—are all the time thrilling for Apple watchers.
Apple’s WWDC is scheduled for June 9, the place we’ll get a primary have a look at iOS 19 and extra.
Show Modifications
According to ETNews, which cites a show business insider, Apple is ready to make use of the identical low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels on all iPhone 17 fashions. This implies every of the upcoming fashions might include 120Hz ProMotion refresh charges and always-on display (AOD) options—one thing Apple has restricted to the Professional fashions thus far.
Samsung will manufacture the panels for the 17 Professional and 17 Professional Max fashions, whereas LG will construct those for the bottom and Slim/Air variants, the report provides.
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Apple was additionally reportedly in talks with Corning to make the outer glass of the iPhone 17 lineup “anti-reflective” and extra scratch-resistant. Nonetheless, MacRumors now reports that Apple has canceled the plan, primarily as a result of the method of including the anti-reflective coating was taking too lengthy, even for simply the Professional fashions.
Apple might pivot to the nano-textured glass it has used for iPads and Macs. However for now, Samsung continues to carry its edge over Apple in show. The S24 Extremely’s Gorilla Glass Armor panel reduces reflections by as much as 75%. This is the way it compares to the iPhone 15 Professional’s show:
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Digicam Upgrades
Apple’s iPhones have lengthy had 12MP front-facing cameras, however that is about to alter with the introduction of 24MP entrance shooters on all 4 iPhone 17 fashions, says Kuo. These cameras are additionally rumored to be positioned extra centrally inside the Dynamic Island moderately than in its left nook.
With iPhone 17, cameras are anticipated to get twin video recording, according to Jon Prosser. This characteristic will permit customers to report movies with each back and front cameras concurrently. One other characteristic Apple followers have wished throughout the board is 5x zoom. That, nevertheless, will stay unique to the 17 Professional fashions, in response to the South Korean outlet Elec.
Among the many Professional fashions, Kuo says, the iPhone 17 Professional Max will grow to be the primary iPhone to characteristic three 48MP cameras: broad, ultra-wide, and Tetraprism. It is unclear if the identical lenses can be prolonged to the 17 Professional.
A Tetraprism is “principally a periscope or a strategy to bend gentle a number of occasions by means of glass, which is a device different cellphone makers have used of their cameras since 2017 to carry faraway topics nearer to your smartphone,” in response to our expert.
The iPhone 17 Slim, then again, is anticipated to characteristic a single 48MP rear digital camera, however details about the rear cameras for the bottom and Professional variants is surprisingly scarce.
Nonetheless, according to The Data, no less than one of many iPhone 17 fashions will characteristic a mechanical aperture, permitting customers to regulate the opening of a lens and, thereby, the quantity of sunshine coming into it manually. At the moment, all iPhone fashions have a hard and fast aperture.
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There’s additionally a rumor about 8K video recording for the iPhone 17 Professional fashions. It is a rumor that surfaced for the iPhone 16 Professional fashions as properly, however Apple caught with 4K.
Efficiency Enhance
Apple tends to improve chipsets yearly. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 17 and 17 Slim are anticipated to get the A19 chip, whereas the Professional fashions will obtain the A19 Professional chips.
Nonetheless, the rumor mill is split on whether or not these SoCs can be constructed on TSMC’s 2-nanometer chips. The most recent replace, in response to a latest X post by Kuo, is that every one iPhone 17 telephones will characteristic TSMC’s N3P, 3-nanometer know-how.
Relating to reminiscence, the 17 Professional Max is anticipated to obtain 12GB RAM, and the bottom and slim variants are anticipated to pack 8GB of RAM. For the 17 Professional mannequin, Kuo expects 8GB RAM, whereas Jeff Pu reports 12GB. A leaker named Digital Chat Station, then again, expects all iPhone 17 fashions to have 12GB of RAM to help Apple Intelligence options.
Creating {Hardware} In-Home
After growing its personal A-series and M-series chips, Apple may enterprise into growing batteries, according to ET Information. The report states that Apple is presently operating a battery growth undertaking and plans to incorporate it in “merchandise launched after 2025.” For now, the main target is on the modem.
After working on a modem chip for fairly some time, we lastly obtained a have a look at Apple’s work with the C1 modem within the iPhone 16e. The C1 helps sub-6GHz and C-band 5G spectrum however not the sooner mmWave accessible to the opposite iPhone 16 fashions. That limits the 16e’s most pace potential in areas the place mmWave is accessible.
Apple presently makes use of Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 7 know-how for the iPhone 16 fashions. In accordance with Kuo, “All new 2H25 iPhone 17 fashions will characteristic Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi chips.” Solely the iPhone 17 Slim may have the C1. That ought to scale back prices and “improve connectivity throughout Apple units,” he says.
In November, Jeff Pu additionally mentioned Apple would come with a Wi-Fi 7 chip within the iPhone 17 Professional within the second half of 2025, MacRumors reports.
One other {hardware} rumor is concerning the potential inclusion of a vapor chamber. As MacRumors notes, this know-how reduces thermal heating by spreading it throughout a bigger floor space. The part has already been utilized in high-end Android telephones, and it might assist Apple keep away from the heating issues it confronted with some Professional fashions earlier.
Launch and Pricing
Apple is most certainly to stay with its September launch window for the iPhone 17 lineup.
So far as pricing is anxious, The Wall Avenue Journal reports that the iPhone 17 Air may very well be cheaper than the Professional fashions. In accordance with Gurman, that will be round $900, the identical because the iPhone 16 Plus it is rumored to exchange. For Professional fashions, MacRumors expects Apple to retain their beginning value of $999.
All of those claims have been made earlier than President Trump introduced sweeping reciprocal tariffs that have been supposed to enter impact on April 9. Nonetheless, Trump paused those tariffs for many nations for 90 days, besides China, which he elevated from 104% to 125%.
Trump needs Apple to manufacture iPhones in the US, however that will be an costly and time-consuming endeavor. Apple is as a substitute seeking to supply extra iPhones from India (or no less than route them by means of the nation), which faces a smaller reciprocal tariff of 26%. It additionally flew in five plane-loads of iPhones from China and India in late March to keep away from the tariffs. Any extra tariffs danger increasing the cost of the iPhone 17.
We’ll replace this area as extra rumors trickle in.
About Jibin Joseph
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