iPhone 17 rumor mill: Slim design, upgraded display, better cameras and everything else we know
The iPhone 17 line-up is expected to launch in September 2025. While official announcements are yet to come, recent leaks and rumors suggest what features the device may have. The iPhone 17 line-up is speculated to include the iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Plus.
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The iPhone 17 series is expected to bring several updates compared to the previous generation iPhones. Speculated to launch in September 2025, the phone may include the much-awaited 120Hz display refresh rate, a new design, and an updated camera system. But it gets even more interesting with a new entry. The iPhone 17 series is expected to launch with a new slim model replacing the Plus. The iPhone 17 Slim is rumored to be the thinnest phone in the Apple-verse, even thinner than the iPhone 6. What else? Let’s take a deeper dive into the rumors surrounding the iPhone 17 line-up.
iPhone 17 rumor roundup: Design
According to the latest rumor, the iPhone 17 series will revamp the traditional design for the entire line-up. While the iPhone 16 tried to do the same with the base and Plus variants, the iPhone 17 line-up is expected to see a Google Pixel-like camera bump.
On Weibo, tipster Digital Chat Station shared an image showcasing the possible design of the iPhone 17, one key change of which is the rear camera being arranged vertically. We’ve covered this design change before and also noted that the iPhone 17 Pro may feature a partial aluminum chassis instead of titanium. Although this chassis may be in development, it is possible that Apple may make changes to it before the official reveal.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the iPhone 17 Air will be about 2 millimeters thinner than the existing iPhone 16 Pro. With the iPhone 16 Pro measuring 8.25mm thick, it will dwarf the iPhone 17 Air by about 6.25mm, making it the thinnest iPhone ever. The previous thinnest iPhone was the iPhone 6 at 6.9 mm, and since the iPhone
Analyst Jeff Pu also predicts that the thickness of the new iPhone will be around 6 mm, while information suggests that it could be between 5 mm and 6 mm.
In terms of size, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be positioned between the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Rumors indicate that the display size could be around 6.55, 6.6 or 6.65 inches, making it smaller than the 17 Pro Max but larger than the 17 Pro.
Additionally, The Information reports that the iPhone 17 Air will feature a new camera design, with the rear camera moved from the top left corner to the center of the device, resulting in a “larger, centered camera bump.”
iPhone 17 display rumors
For years, the 120Hz “promotion” refresh rate has been exclusive to iPhone Pro models, but in 2025, it may be expanded to the entire iPhone lineup. Reports suggest that both the Pro and standard versions of the iPhone will feature the promotion, which will bring benefits like easier scrolling and video playback to all models. This change will mean that promotions are no longer an exclusive feature of the Pro variant.
The ProMotion supports variable refresh rates ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz, delivering high-end smooth motion, ideal for tasks like scrolling and watching video content. Additionally, rumors indicate that the iPhone 17 lineup will feature a new anti-reflective display, which is expected to be more scratch-resistant than the ceramic shield used in the current models. Apple is reportedly developing a “super-hard anti-reflective layer” designed to improve durability and better withstand everyday wear and tear.
iPhone 17: A19 processor
The iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to be powered by Apple’s next-generation A19 Pro chip, which will likely be manufactured using TSMC’s advanced third-generation 3nm process. Like previous upgrades, users can expect notable improvements in both performance and power efficiency compared to current iPhone models. Additionally, rumors suggest that at least one iPhone 17 variant will feature a custom-designed Apple Wi-Fi 7 chip, marking a change from the Broadcom chips used in previous iPhones.
The higher-end iPhone 17 models are rumored to come with 12GB of RAM, while the standard iPhone 17 is likely to have 8GB of RAM. If accurate, the 12GB of RAM represents a 4GB increase compared to the iPhone 15 Pro models, while the standard iPhone 17 has 8GB, representing a 2GB increase compared to the iPhone 15.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates that the 12GB RAM upgrade will be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with other models in the lineup including the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro likely to have 8GB of RAM. However, analyst Jeff Pu believes that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have 12GB of RAM, while the standard iPhone 17 will come with 8GB.
iPhone 17 camera expectations
All iPhone 17 models are expected to come with a 24-megapixel front-facing camera with a six-element lens, an upgrade from the existing 12-megapixel selfie camera. This increase in megapixels will allow for more detailed and sharper images, especially when cropping.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to have an impressive rear camera setup, featuring three 48-megapixel sensors: a wide camera, an ultra-wide camera, and a tetraprism telephoto camera. This will make the Pro Max the first iPhone to have three 48-megapixel cameras. On the other hand, the standard iPhone 17 model is expected to have a 48-megapixel rear camera.
A standout feature for at least one iPhone 17 variant will be a mechanical aperture, which will allow users to adjust the size of the aperture to control the amount of light falling on the lens. This will give users more creative control over their shots, enabling shallow depth-of-field effects that current iPhones, with their fixed apertures, cannot achieve.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will continue to include a 5x telephoto optical zoom lens, which is a feature reserved for the Pro models. However, the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will not offer 5x zoom.
