Month: October 2024

Supposed leaks and rumors around th iPhone 17 line are already popping up, with talk of a new button and a new model.

The iPhone 16 line has only recently landed at the time of writing, and yet there are already numerous iPhone 17 claimed leaks – some of which emerged even before the launch of Apple’s latest phones.

As such – even though we’re not expecting the iPhone 17 and its siblings to launch before September 2025 – we already have some idea of what to expect from these phones. That includes camera upgrades, yet another new button, better screens, and even an entire new model.

Below then, you’ll find full details of all the credible leaks and rumors we’ve heard so far, and we’ll be updating this article whenever we hear anything new.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next flagship iPhone

When is it out? Probably September 2025

How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399

A predictable release date

The iPhone 16 (Image credit: Future)

Likely to be announced in the first half of September
Could start at upwards of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399

There aren’t any iPhone 17 release date rumors yet, but we don’t really need any, as Apple tends to follow a highly predictable pattern.

As such, based on past form we predict that the iPhone 17 will be announced in the first half of September 2025. Typically Apple announces the device on a Tuesday or Wednesday, but the company broke with that pattern for the iPhone 16 and used a Monday, so we aren’t totally confident of the exact day.

That said, Apple more often uses the second week of the month, so it could be announced sometime between Monday, September 8, and Friday, September 12, with September 8, 9, or 10 being most likely based on the weekdays Apple usually goes with.

In any case, the phones will likely then go up for pre-order on the Friday of their announcement week (meaning probably Friday September 12 or failing that September 5 if our guesses are right), and then ship on the following Friday, which would probably be September 19 but could be September 12.

As for the price, the only leak there so far is for a new model possibly dubbed the iPhone 17 Slim or iPhone 17 Air (more on which below), but a report suggests this slimmer iPhone 17 model could have a starting price of $1,299 (about £1,000 / AU$1,950).

We would however take that with a pinch of salt, as that would be a higher price than the current top iPhone, and some other leaks suggest this would be positioned more in the middle of the pack.

In any case, we can look at previous pricing for possible starting prices of the other models. The iPhone 16 then starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599, the iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149, so successors to these models are likely to cost at least this much.

Can you trust these rumors?

We wouldn’t count on the iPhone 17 Air’s price being as high as we’ve heard, since this is more likely to sit around the middle of the range, and since no other leaks have mentioned pricing yet. The release date for all these phones will very likely be in September though.

A new model

We might not get a successor to the iPhone 16 Plus (Image credit: Future)

An iPhone 17 Air rather than a Plus model
Also expect an iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max

You won’t be surprised to hear that we’re expecting an iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max, but what about the iPhone 17 Plus? Well, while that’s a possibility, several leaks have suggested that there might be a slimmer and more expensive iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim instead.

However, a reputable analyst predicts that the iPhone 17 Air won’t be any more popular than the company’s Plus and mini models.

There’s also an outside chance that we’ll see an iPhone 17 Ultra, either instead of or as well as the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This would be an ultra-premium model that would sit at the top of the line. But that’s seeming less likely, as it’s not something that’s been leaked recently.

Claims of an iPhone 17 Air though have arrived relatively recently, and from a number of reputable sources, so there’s every chance we could see a super-slim iPhone in 2025.

Can you trust these rumors?

Numerous reputable sources have pointed to an iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim, so we’d think this is likely to make an appearance, though what it will actually be called is less clear, and we wouldn’t count on seeing an iPhone 17 Ultra.

A new button

The iPhone 16 Pro (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

A 120Hz screen for all four models
A new button in place of the Action and volume buttons
A new display technology for the Pro models

One of the more intriguing iPhone 17 design leaks we’ve heard is that the iPhone 17 Pro and possibly other models could have another new button – this time a single button that would replace the Action button and both volume keys.

Details of this possible button are limited, but it’s easy to imagine it could work like the Camera Control key, allowing you to swipe to change the volume, and press it to launch an app or feature of your choice. Perhaps it would even accept both light and strong presses to launch different things.

Apple has actually experimented with unified solid-state volume buttons in the past, including on an iPhone 14 Pro prototype, so it’s possible the idea is being resurrected for the iPhone 17 series.

And in a less likely leak, we’ve heard that Apple could equip some or all iPhone 17 models with under-display Face ID.

One other source has leaked three possible iPhone 17 Pro colors, namely Dark Green Titanium, Teal Titanium, and Green Titanium. Apparently only one of these will be used if any, and of these it’s the Teal Titanium they suspect is most likely to be used. That’s the middle shade in the leaked image below. That said, we suspect all three of these are brighter than Apple would opt for.

(Image credit: Majin Bu)

In another leak, we’ve heard that all four iPhone 17 models could have an aluminum frame, which would be a change for the Pro models, as the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max use more premium titanium.

So that seems an odd shift, and the report adds that in the case of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max the top half of the back will also be aluminum, with the bottom half sticking as glass, and the camera bump being larger than on current models.

However, another leak has since refuted this, saying the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will stick with titanium frames.

Since then, we’ve heard that the iPhone 17 series could use the frame pictured below, which could make for a Pixel 9-like design, and somewhat lines up with the leak above mentioning an aluminum top half and a larger camera bump.

(Image credit: @Jukanlosreve)

We’ve also elsewhere heard that the iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a narrower Dynamic Island than the current model, and that conflicting with the leak above it will have a titanium frame, while the other models will apparently have a “more complex” aluminum shell, which may be a reference the the half metal, half glass rear leaked above.

The same source also claims that the iPhone 17 will have a 6.1-inch screen, the iPhone 17 Air a 6.6-inch one, the iPhone 17 Pro will have a 6.3-inch display, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch one. So that’s the same sizes as the iPhone 16 line, albeit the rumored new Air model could have a slightly smaller screen than the Plus model it might replace.

There’s some disagreement on the iPhone 17 Air’s screen size though, with leaker Ross Young claiming it will be slightly smaller at 6.55 inches, while @UniverseIce says to expect a 6.65-inch screen.

Also on the subject of the iPhone 17 Air, one report suggests it won’t be as slim as Apple hoped, with the company originally aiming for around a 6mm thickness but apparently failing to achieve that, as it needs more space for the battery.

That said, another leak says the iPhone 17 Air will in fact be 5mm to 6mm thick, but that thanks to this it won’t have space for a SIM card slot (so it will be eSIM only).

This report adds that the iPhone 17 Air will also only have one earpiece speaker, rather than two as is the case on other iPhones, and that it will have a “large, centered camera bump” housing just one lens.

We’ve also heard that all four iPhone 17 models could have a 120Hz refresh rate and an always-on display. In fact, several sources have echoed this, saying that the base iPhone 17 will join its Pro siblings in having a 120Hz refresh rate and and always-on screen.

So this wouldn’t be an upgrade for the Pro models, but it would be for the standard iPhone 17, and for the iPhone 17 Plus if we get such a phone.

However, the Pro models could still get a screen upgrade, with one source claiming that their displays will use a new technology that “improves battery efficiency, maximizes display durability, and enhances overall performance compared to existing display technologies.”

Finally, we’ve heard that the iPhone 17 line’s screens might use a type of glass that’s tougher to scratch and cuts down on reflections.

Can you trust these rumors?

Apple bringing 120Hz screens to all four models is long overdue, so we certainly hope that’s true, and it has been tipped enough that for now we’d say it’s likely.

The talk of a new button is something we’re less sure about, just because only one source has mentioned it so far, and they have a mixed track record.

We’re also unsure about claims that all four models will have an aluminum frame, as that would seem like a downgrade for the Pro units.

More megapixels

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

A new 48MP telephoto camera for the Pro models
New 24MP selfie cameras for all models

The iPhone 17 line could include several significant camera upgrades, including a new 24MP front-facing camera for every iPhone 17 model, up from 12MP on the current phones. It’s a claim this source (Jeff Pu) has made multiple times.

The same source also points to a 48MP telephoto camera for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, up from 12MP currently. We’ve also heard analyst Ming-Chi Kuo say similar, though they weren’t sure whether both Pro models would get this, or if only the iPhone 17 Pro Max would get a 48MP telephoto camera.

And leaker @UniverseIce has also said that the Pro models will have a trio of 48MP cameras, meaning an upgrade for the telephoto but not – at least in terms of megapixels – for the main or ultra-wide cameras.

However, another leak says the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air won’t have a 5x telephoto camera. This isn’t really surprising but it is disappointing.

Finally, we’ve heard that Apple might be planning a camera with a mechanical aperture for at least one phone in the iPhone 17 series. This would allow you to adjust the size of the aperture, and therefore the depth of field.

Can you trust these rumors?

The front-facing and telephoto cameras seem obvious upgrade choices in the iPhone 17 line, as their megapixel counts are noticeably lower than some of the other cameras. So there’s a good chance those leaks will prove accurate.

A boost in power

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

A powerful new A19 Pro chipset
Up to 12GB of RAM

One leak suggests that – unsurprisingly – the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a new A19 Pro chipset, and that the other models will have either an A18 or A19 chipset. The same source also says to expect 12GB of RAM in the Pro models, up from 8GB currently, but that the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Slim will only have 8GB.

Another source has echoed this, saying to expect an A19 Pro chipset and 12GB of RAM in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. This chipset will reportedly be built on a new 3-nanometer manufacturing process, which could mean a big jump in performance.

That said, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will get 12GB of RAM, with the others stuck at 8GB, and that the Pro Max will also have an upgraded cooling system, and exclusively have “enhanced on-device AI capabilities.”

Kuo also claims that the iPhone 17 line could use a lighter and thinner motherboard, which would leave room for other components or a larger battery.

There’s also an outside chance that some or all iPhone 17 models could include under-display Touch ID, giving you a fingerprint sensor as well as Face ID, but we doubt that.

Finally, the iPhone 17 Air might use Apple’s in-house 5G modem, but this reportedly doesn’t perform as well as the Qualcomm modems the company currently uses.

Can you trust these rumors?

New chipsets are sure to make an appearance, and we’d expect at least some models would get boosted to 12GB of RAM, especially as this could help with AI.

We’d be quite surprised though if Touch ID makes a return, even in under-display form.

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