We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great.
Top Tier
- Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The iPhone 17 Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the first real redesign that we've seen to the iPhone in years. We got to try Samsung's competing super thin Galaxy S25 Edge, and it's nice holding such a lightweight smartphone.
- That Orange Color - The iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to come in an orange-like shade. It's probably going to be more muted than we've seen and copper in tone, but it's still a cool color we haven't seen before.
- 24-Megapixel Selfie Camera - Better selfies and FaceTime video quality? Nothing to complain about there. The 24-megapixel camera is rumored for all iPhone 17 models.
- More RAM - The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Air models are expected to have 12GB RAM, up from 8GB. More RAM is always a plus for games and future AI features.
- iPhone 17 Pro Battery Life - According to rumors, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have the biggest battery of any iPhone to date with a capacity of ~5,000mAh, so it should last even longer than the 33 hour maximum of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Pretty Awesome
- iPhone 17 Colors - The standard iPhone 17 is supposed to come in green and purple, two colors that we haven't seen for a while.
- Bigger iPhone 17 - The standard iPhone 17 will be 6.3 inches, so it'll match the size of the iPhone 17 Pro.
- ProMotion - There have been rumors that all four iPhone 17 models will support 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates this year. If that happens, it's one less thing distinguishing the Pro models, but a plus for buyers who get the standard model.
- Two-Tone Pro Design - The iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have a two-material design with more metal and less glass at the back. Anything that makes the iPhone harder to break is a plus.
- 48-Megapixel Telephoto - The iPhone 17 Pro is supposed to get an upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto lens for improved zoomed-in shots.
- A19 Chip - The iPhone 17 and 17 Air could get an A19 chip, while the 17 Pro models get an A19 Pro. It's still a 3-nanometer chip, but it'll be faster and more efficient.
- Improved Cooling - The iPhone 17 models are supposed to feature better heat dissipation, which will let the A19 chips run faster with less thermal throttling.
- Better Display Coating - The iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro could have an anti-reflective display that's more scratch resistant. Anything that improves durability is a plus.
So-So
- The Camera Bar - The iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Air are both rumored to have a horizontal camera bar that goes all the way across the back of the iPhone. Apple's version will surely look better in real life than in renders and dummy models, but who really wants a bigger camera bump?
- Titanium to Aluminum - Apple is apparently going to drop titanium for aluminum for the 17 Pro models. Aluminum is lighter than titanium, but it feels like a step backward in quality.
- iPhone 17 Air C1 Modem - The iPhone 17 and 17 Pro will get Qualcomm modems, but the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have Apple's C1 modem. It doesn't support the fastest mmWave 5G speeds.
- Relocated Apple Logo - With the larger camera bar, the two-material design, and some rumored MagSafe changes, the iPhone 17 Pro models may have an Apple logo that's lower on the device. In mockups, it's included in the design of the MagSafe ring, and it looks odd.
- Apple Wi-Fi 7 Chip - Apple's using its own Wi-Fi 7 chip in all four iPhone 17 models. This may bring battery life improvements, but it's mostly an under-the-hood change that lets Apple cut out external suppliers.
- Mechanical Aperture - iPhone 17 Pro models could have a mechanical aperture that will let users adjust the amount of light reaching the lens. It's useful for depth of field in DSLRs, but the utility in a smartphone remains to be seen, especially because Apple already has software-based tools for adjusting depth of field.
- 8K Video Recording - 8K video recording could be available on the iPhone 17 Pro. That's a cool feature, but there are a limited number of people who need to record in 8K. It's also going to take up a ton of space, and will probably require filming with an external SSD.
Lame
- Price Increases - Base iPhone pricing might go up due to tariffs. Apple's facing high prices in China, and several other countries where it manufactures iPhones. Price hikes aren't a sure thing, but probable.
- iPhone 17 Air Color - The iPhone 17 Air will supposedly come in black, white, light blue, and light gold, with that blue being similar to the super light M4 MacBook Air blue. Needless to say, these are boring choices.
- Single-Lens iPhone 17 Air Camera - Due to space constraints, the iPhone 17 Air is only getting a single-lens camera. It won't have the Ultra Wide lens for macro images or wider-angle shots, which limits versatility.
- iPhone 17 Air Battery Life - With a super thin chassis, the iPhone 17 Air needs a smaller battery. Apple is making optimizations, but it won't be on par with the 17 and 17 Pro.
- iPhone 17 RAM - Right now, rumors suggest the standard iPhone 17 is only going to have 8GB RAM, while the other models get 12GB. With AI evolving so rapidly, it's less than ideal to handicap one of the 2025 smartphones.
Do you agree with our rankings? Let us know what you're most looking forward to in the comments below. For more rumors, check out our iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro roundups, which we update regularly.
