Special vapour chamber cooling system said to be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max

Following a claim by Chinese tipster Mobile Chip Expert (手机晶片达人), it's possible that the iPhone 17 models having more RAM than the iPhone 16. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared a different perspective on the specs of the iPhone 17 lineup. 

Kuo wrote on X that the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the only model with 12GB RAM, while the rest of the lineup and the iPhone SE 4 will have 8GB RAM. This will enable the top-end model to offer "enhanced on-device AI capabilities," which Apple could use as a major selling point.

Additionally, Kuo says an "upgraded cooling system combining vapour chamber (VC) and graphite sheets" will be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. At the same time, the other iPhone 17 and SE 4 models will use graphite sheets. 

Using a customised VC cooling system for specific phones in a lineup is nothing new in the smartphone scene. Numerous companies have done so, including the Galaxy S24 series (which has a 1.9x bigger VC than the Galaxy S23), the Redmagic 9S Pro, and the Sharp Aquos R9. 

To date, Apple has not used a special VC to differentiate its iPhones. However, the company is reportedly considering a graphene thermal system for the iPhone 16 to avoid a repeat of overheating issues on some iPhone 15 models. 

Kuo added that almost 40% of new iPhone shipments are contributed by the Pro Max model. Apple will likely continue using a differentiation strategy, where it packs the best features to upsell the Pro Max. 

As it is still a year before the iPhone 17 launches, we reckon that Apple will continue to develop exclusive features for the Pro Max model.

Source: @mingchiukuo via 9to5Mac

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.