Apple iPhone 17 rumour roundup: Everything we know so far
Apple’s newest iPhones are coming soon, and here’s what you can expect.
Note: This feature was first published on 18 August 2025 and was updated on 6 September 2025 with the latest from the iPhone rumour mill.
Apple iPhone 17 rumour round-up
It’s iPhone season again and it is shaping up to be one of the more significant updates to the iPhone lineup in years. In this round-up, we explore what are the rumoured changes and features coming to the iPhone 17.
New ultra-slim iPhone
Apple revived the “Plus” model in 2022 with the iPhone 14 lineup, but three years later, the company reportedly plans to retire it once more - this time in favour of an ultra-slim model dubbed the iPhone 17 Air.
Positioned as “something snazzier than a standard iPhone” yet without the advanced features of the Pro models, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to appeal to a segment of the market that the iPhone 12/13 mini and the iPhone 14/15 Plus reportedly failed to capture.
It is also said to be the next Apple product, after the iPad Pro (M4) to embrace Apple’s new design philosophy of being “the thinnest and lightest”.
So how thin would the iPhone 17 Air be? Well, rumours indicate that it is “around 5.5mm” (excluding the thickness of the camera bump). To give this figure some context, consider that the thinnest iPhone to date is the iPhone 6, which measures 6.9mm. A hands-on video of an iPhone 17 Air dummy unit shows its side profile to be barely thicker than the buttons!
To achieve this ultra-slim design, Apple reportedly made some compromises; the iPhone 17 Air is said to have a single wide camera, a single speaker, and no physical SIM card tray.
Return of the aluminium design
Two years ago, Apple set the Pro models apart from the standard models by introducing a titanium enclosure - a material that is lighter and more durable than stainless steel and aluminium.
This year, however, Apple might revert to aluminium for the Pro lineup for two reasons. First, using a common material across all models would presesnt a more unified design approach. Second, aluminium’s superior heat dissipation could help minimise the overheating issues reported by some iPhone 15 Pro and Phone 16 Pro users.
Vapour Chamber Cooling System
Vapour chamber (VC) cooling systems have been used by Android flagship phones for years, but they’ve been notably absent from the iPhones. That could change this year as Apple is reportedly exploring the technology to improve heat dissipation and cooling.
The cooling system is believed to bring these three benefits:
- Maintain high display brightness for longer periods
- Improve frame rate stability in graphics-intensive games
- Reduces overheating during 4K60fps video recording
It is still unclear whether the vapour chamber cooling system will be introduced across the entire lineup or remain exclusive to the Pro Max model.
New rear camera bar design
This year could see the end of the square camera bump design that Apple introduced in 2019.
According to dummy units and reports, the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Air are expected to feature a horizontal camera bump, placing the camera lens(es) on the left and the LED flash, LiDAR sensor (for Pro models) and microphone on the right.
The shift to a horizontal layout is speculated to make it easier to capture spatial content in portrait orientation - the format favoured by platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Upgraded telephotos lens
The current 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom on the Pro model is rumoured to be upgraded to 48MP. It may also support up to 8x optical zoom and feature a movable design, enabling optical zoom at multiple focal lengths. If true, this would make the Pro models the first iPhones to boast a triple 48MP rear camera system.
New selfie camera
Selfie enthusiasts might have something to look forward to - an upgraded 24MP selfie camera is expected on the iPhone 17 lineup. This is likely to deliver sharper details and improved image quality.
Other camera-related enhancements and features exclusive to the Pro
Apple is reportedly planning to pack more exclusive features into the Pro models.
Rumours point to a new pro camera app offering greater control over shooting settings, along with an additional Camera Control button positioned on the top edge of the device.
Video recording is also expected to see a boost as Apple aims to position the iPhone as a true vlogging camera repalacement. To get there, Apple needs to address two key issues: reducing lens flare in videos and adding support for 8K videos.
The iPhone 17 Pro might sport an anti-reflective display similar to the iPad Pro and Mac. Apple suppliers are said to have achieved sufficient yield on the anti-reflective glass. The anti-reflective panel is also stated to be more scratch-resistant than the Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 16.
Tweak to Apple logo and MagSafe placement
The new camer bar design has prompted two possible changes top the placement of the Apple logo and MagSafe magnet array.
Leaked case renders show the Apple logo shifted slightly lower on the back, now centered relative to the glass panel, while the MagSafe magnet array has been redesigned with a break in the ring.
Faster MagSafe wireless charging
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) recently announced Qi2 25W, a faster version of the Qi wireless charging standard, which will soon arrive on iPhones and other major Android phones.
With the iPhone 16 already supporting 25W, the question is: how much faster will the iPhone 17 charge wirelessly? Regulatory filings in Taiwan suggest the iPhone 17 will support Qi 2.2, which offers wireless speeds of up to 50W.
It is likely that Qi2 25W will reach older iPhones through a software update while Apple reserves the 50W wireless charging for the iPhone 17.
ProMotion and Always-On display for non-Pro models
Currently exclusive to the Pro models, ProMotion and Always-On display features could come to the non-Pro models for the first time.
The upgrade is reportedly made possible by the use of low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels, enabling 120Hz refresh rates while maintaining power efficiency.
A19 chipset and more RAM
To further distinguish the Pro models from the base variant, Apple is reportedly reserving the next-gen A19 chip for the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro.
While the iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature the standard A19 chip, the more powerful A19 Pro chip will be exclusive to the Pro model. Meanwhile, the base iPhone 17 model will continue to use the A18 chip as the iPhone 16 lineup.
In a move to futureproof the iPhone 17 lineup for Apple Intelligence and future AI capabilities, Apple is said to equip all iPhone 17 models with 12GB of RAM. At the moment, Apple devices need to have at least 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence.
Apple’s custom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip
The iPhone 17 could be among the first Apple products to feature the company’s custom networking chip.
Codenamed Proxmia, the chip is expected to replace the Broadcom component that currently manages Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity on Apple devices. Built using TSMC’s N7 process, Proxmia is rumoured to support Wi-Fi 7.
Apple’s purported long-term goal is to roll out its own networking chip across most of its products by 2027, reducing reliance on Broadcom, lowering costs, and further tightening of its ecosystem integration.
C1 modem for iPhone 17 Air
The iPhone 16E is the first iPhone to feature Apple’s in-house designed modem.
Apple’s first in-house designed modem, the C1 – which debuted in the iPhone 16E – is likely making its way to the iPhone 17 Air as part of the initial rollout.
Touted by Apple as “the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone”, the C1 modem is a logical fit for the iPhone 17 Air, whose ultra-slim design will likely come with trade-offs such as a smaller battery.
However, compared to its Qualcomm modem counterparts, the C1 may deliver slower download speeds due to its lack of mmWave 5G support. Reports suggest Apple has yet to find a way to implement mmWave reliably and efficiently in the C1, but is working to include it in C1’s successors.
New colours
Based on purported third-party camera protector rings, the iPhone 17 is expected to come in black, silver, blue, green and purple, with the latter two colours being new options Apple is testing.
The iPhone 17 Air’s colourway options were revealed last month by a render, showing the ultra-slim phone in black, silver, light gold, and light blue. The light blue tone is described as “fresh and modern” and expected to be the flagship colour.
For the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple is reportedly adding a new orange tone to the colour list of white, grey, black and dark blue. The much-discussed “Sky Blue” shade is believed to be replaced by a shade of dark blue that resembles the Blue Titanium finish seen on the iPhone 15 Pro.
Impact of US tariffs on iPhone 17 prices
Amid tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on countries worldwide, Apple is said to be considering a price increase for the iPhone 17.
Cost-cutting measures from its suppliers have so far been insufficient to offset the impact of these tariffs, which cost the company $800 million in the June quarter. For the current quarter, Apple expects a $1.1 billion hit. To maintain its profit margins, Apple is very likely to increase the iPhone 17 prices.
While earlier estimates indicate iPhone prices could spike by as much as 43%, a recent analyst’s report says prices for the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Air could increase by US$50 (~S$65). The base iPhone 17 model will not see a price increase.
Launch event, pre-order and retail availability
Apple is expected to hold a launch event in the week of 8 September to unveil the iPhone 17. Based on historical trends, the most likely date is 8, 9 or 10 September. Internal documents from German telcos suggest that the date to be 9 September (Tuesday).
Pre-orders should begin in the same week on 12 September (Friday), followed by retail availability a week later on 19 September.