Updated February 14
• An unusual-looking render of the iPhone 17 Pro has appeared
• iPhone 17 Pro Max Dynamic Island size could be smaller
• The size of the Dynamic Island feature isn't expected to change on the iPhone 17
• Vapor chamber technology in the iPhone 17 aims to prevent overheating
A new year brings new iPhones, so we're already counting down the days to the iPhone 17 launch — even if that event is likely eight months away, and the current iPhone 16 lineup is still pretty new.
Still, try telling that to the rumor mill, which has been cranking out iPhone 17 updates since last year. Those initial rumors point to a more expensive series of phones, including a brand new slim model potentially joining the lineup. Other rumors tip the Pro models to get more camera upgrades and even better performance. And yes, there are the usual contradictory claims and absurd-sounding details that will sort themselves out the closer we get to the rumored fall launch of the iPhone 17.
Here’s what we know so far about the iPhone 17 based on some of the early rumors surrounding this year's phones.
iPhone 17: Potential price and release date
With iPhones, it’s pretty easy to guess the release date. For more than a decade, every numbered iPhone has been revealed in September (barring the iPhone 12, which was pushed back a month due to COVID-19). In other words, it’s extremely likely the iPhone 17 will be unveiled this September, with a release within the first two weeks of the month.
The iPhone 16 certainly fit that pattern, with Apple holding an event on September 9, 2016. The four new models hit stores on September 20.
The price of the iPhone 17 is far harder to pin down this far in advance. We now know that Apple didn't raise prices on this year's iPhone models, with the iPhone 16 starting at $799 and the iPhone 16 Pro Max topping the lineup at $1,199. Unfortunately, the first price hike in eight years could be coming this year, according to one analyst.
There’s talk of an iPhone 17 Air replacing the ‘Plus’ model, which reliable leaker Ice Universe claims to be coming this year alongside the other models. More on that below, but one pricing detail now: th Air will be expensive, with one report suggesting it could cost more than the $1,199 Pro Max models.
iPhone 17 rumored specs
iPhone 17 Air joins the lineup
The iPhone 17 Air — previously thought to be called the iPhone 17 Slim — will supposedly offer iPhone fans a new, thinner version of Apple's smartphone. Bloomberg’s well-connected reporter Mark Gurman believes this is part of a plan to make “a new class of Apple devices that should be the thinnest and lightest products in the whole tech industry.”
The iPhone 17 Air will apparently sport a 6.6-inch display, and it could feature a redesign reminiscent of how the iPhone X shook up the iPhone lineup when it dropped the Home button and introduced the notch in 2018. That said, talks of it being aluminum rather than Titanium are a touch worrying considering the price talk being bandied about.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the iPhone 17 Air will prioritize being thin above all else, to the point where the phone may only have a single main camera lens. While that seems like a really strange and disappointing downgrade to have, Kuo later claimed that the phone could be one of the first iPhones with an Apple-made modem.
To make way for the iPhone 17 Slim, analyst Jeff Pu claims there will be no iPhone 17 Plus. That’s a pity, given the rumored high price for the Slim and given our positive review of the iPhone 16 Plus, but it’s not entirely unexpected. Reportedly, the iPhone Plus series hasn’t been that much more successful than the iPhone mini, which flopped.
When the iPhone 17 Air debuts, it will have some company. Samsung just previewed an ultra-slim phone of its own with a Galaxy S25 Edge teaser — that phone is also expected to ship this year.
iPhone 17: Design and display
Beyond the Air, the iPhone 17 may not change all that much in terms of its overall look. According to analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 17 will still be a 6.1-inch device, with no plans to grow an extra 0.2 inches like this year’s Pro models. Pu claims Dynamic Island will shrink on the iPhone 17 Pro, but a separate report says the Dynamic Island will stay the same size on all iPhones. Although, known leaker Digital Chat Station hints that a new "metalens" for Face ID could result in a smaller Dynamic Island for the iPhone 17 Pro Max specifically.
Some leakers believe Apple will change up the back design by expanding the camera block sideways. But other leakers think that, even if Apple is switching things up for this generation, it's not going to look like this.
There's also talk out of China of iPhone suppliers adopting a new design that features more seamless transitions between materials like glass and aluminum on the phones. We'll have to wait for more renders to emerge to see what impact this has on the iPhone 17's look.
The standard iPhone 17 could be in line for one of the bigger additions — a 120Hz ProMotion display for smoother performance and up to 120fps gameplay. The claim, backed up by a late December 2024 supply chain report, would mean the iPhone 17 would finally have a refresh rate on par with Apple's Pro models — and practically ever other flagship handset. The planned LTPO OLED panels will be able to drop to 1Hz with the always-on display, just like the Pro models.
The screen itself may be a bit more robust. According to the leaker Instant Digital on Weibo, the iPhone 17’s panel will be “made of a super-hard AR [anti-reflective] layer” to make it “more scratch-resistant than you think.” Perhaps the days of needing a screen protector will soon be over.
Leaker Jukanlosreve later claimed that Apple would add new "Low-Dielectric TEE" technology to iPhone 17 Pro's display. This tech will apparently offer better power efficiency, more durable displays and overall better display performance.
One thing that isn't clear is whether the Pro models will utilize titanium in their frames again. While it makes sense that Apple would retain the premium metal, some rumors claim that Apple will be swapping in aluminum — a much cheaper and far less durable material. Others have disputed this, however.
iPhone 17: Performance and battery
Apple’s A-series chips are no slouch, offering some of the best smartphone performance available. The A18 Pro silicon powering the iPhone 16 Pro models has proven to be a particularly strong performer, as you can see in our iPhone 16 Pro benchmarks.
And yet, the A19 chipset you'd imagine that Apple will use in the iPhone 17 series could be a giant leap forward. It was initially reported that the new chips could be built to the 2nm process, meaning a greater transistor density for better performance and efficiency. However later reports have debunked this, insisting that 2nm chips won't be arriving until the launch of the iPhone 18.
That said, the A19 chips may still benefit from TSMC's third generation 3nm process. This is said to offer better transistor density compared to the 2nd gen process used to build the A18 chips. This would improve performance and energy efficiency, though not to the same extent as a drop to 2nm would.
There's some other good news on the power front. A report claims every iPhone 17 model will adopt vapor chamber technology designed to keep the new models from overheating. The new setup would replace the standard heat syncs used by current iPhones and address problem that past models have had with getting too hot and suffering from performance dips as a result.
Greater efficiency means less power drain, which means better battery life. And on that note, Apple is tipped to be making a change with its iPhone 17 series, building its own batteries for the first time. The aim is reportedly to offer “significantly improved performance compared to the existing one”, which sounds extremely promising.
Analyst Jeff Pu has said the iPhone 17 could feature with 8GB RAM. However, in a report to investors, Pu said the iPhone 17 Pro models could come with 12GB RAM, a notable upgrade from the 8GB found in the current models — and probably a necessary boost given Apple's push into on-device artificial intelligence. Ming-Chi Kuo also thinks the higher-end iPhones will feature 12GB of RAM.
Noted leaker Majin Bu has said the entire iPhone 17 could use a new glue to hold the batteries in place, making them easier to replace without risking damage to their devices. Apple previously used this same tech on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, but it seems ready to roll it out to all four phones in the iPhone 17 line.
iPhone 17: Cameras
While the iPhone 17 Pro Max model is tipped to get three 48MP cameras, nothing has yet been revealed about the regular iPhone 17’s rear camera array. That might be because there’s no change from the iPhone 16’s 48MP primary lens and 12MP ultrawide, or nothing has yet leaked.
One thing that has leaked is the word for an upgrade to the front-facing selfie camera. The analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting a 24MP selfie camera for the iPhone 17 — a significant improvement on the 12MP TrueDepth Cam that’s been present since the iPhone 11 Pro Max. It's also speculated that we may see a camera lens with a variable aperture for the first time on an iPhone.
Given how the iPhone 16 Pro models only saw an upgrade to their ultrawide cameras, these upgrades to their telephoto and selfie cameras could be enough to keep the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max in contention for some of the best camera phones around.
The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max could also ditch the rounded square camera array that Apple's used since the iPhone 11 Pro, adopting a horizontal camera array similar to the Pixel 9 Pro, according to several leakers.
The iPhone 17 Air, on the other hand, may only have two lenses at most, with some reports claiming it will be a single-camera phone in order to save space. You wonder how people will receive that, given the premium shoppers place on cameras when choosing a phone.
iPhone 17: Outlook
All in all, it sounds like the iPhone 17 will be a serious upgrade — especially if the 120Hz ProMotion display and performance upgrades come to pass.
The iPhone 16 phones released last September are certainly worthwhile upgrades, if not revolutionary ones, with Apple putting most of the emphasis on new AI features coming to the phone rather than significant hardware improvements. It sounds like the iPhone 17 lineup could be a departure from that, should it introduce an iPhone 17 Air to the mix.
