Whereas we usually wait till phones are literally launched to check them, Apple’s subsequent iPhone fashions are so extremely anticipated that we’ll make an exception. We’re basing our comparisons on probably the most credible rumors of what is coming within the iPhone 17 series, together with a possible super-thin iPhone 17 Air, to present readers an early sense of how the brand new collection of telephones might look.
Final yr’s iPhone 16 series added a handful of upgrades over its predecessors, most notably the brand new Camera Control key. Whereas the essential iPhone 16 and Plus fashions obtained a brand new ultrawide digital camera and larger battery, as is typical with Apple’s telephones, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max obtained the lion’s share of the enhancements with upgraded rear cameras, professional video recording modes and thinner bezels.
Final yr’s iPhone upgrades are a template for what we anticipate within the iPhone 17 — this is how we anticipate these comparisons to shake out.
The iPhone 16 Professional Max led the road.
iPhone 17 lineup value comparability
Apple will hold its iPhone 17 launch event on Sept. 9, with the tagline “Awe dropping” — and since its cutesy mantras normally trace at merchandise being launched, there’s plenty of speculation going round as to its that means. The iPhone at all times goes on sale the Friday of the week after it is introduced, which must be Friday, Sept. 12, although Apple might at all times change it.
The iPhone 17 prices are up within the air, primarily as a consequence of tariffs. Elevated prices of imports imply Apple might elevate iPhone value tags, with Jefferies analyst Edison Lee predicting a $50 price hike throughout the lineup except for the bottom iPhone 17 mannequin. If that is the case, then anticipated US beginning costs may very well be as follows:
- iPhone 17: $829 — Rumors counsel the baseline iPhone 17 will not get as aggressive of tariff hikes, however market fluctuations might bump the worth up barely.
- iPhone 17 Air: $979 — If the iPhone 17 Air is slotted into the lineup the place the iPhone 16 Plus was priced (because the costlier commonplace mannequin), and with the rumored tariff hikes, its value might creep to just about 4 figures.
- iPhone 17 Professional: $1,049 — Rumors counsel the smaller Professional mannequin might get a small value hike to begin at $50 above final yr’s iPhone 16 Professional.
- iPhone 17 Professional Max: $1,249 — Likewise, the higher-spec iPhone 17 Professional Max might get the identical $50 value hike.
The iPhone 17 Professional might include new finishes and colours.
iPhone 17 lineups’ design and show adjustments, in contrast
- iPhone 17: Digicam bump redesign — Rumors counsel that the square-shaped digital camera bump from prior years will give approach to a vertical pill-shaped ovoid with the same old two cameras (major and ultrawide).
- iPhone 17 Air: Thinner, single-camera — Leaked CAD renders counsel the brand new, skinny mannequin will take the place of the iPhone 16 Plus because the bigger non-Professional mannequin, however might differ in solely a single major rear digital camera. Not like the usual iPhone 17, the CAD suggests this can have a horizontal digital camera bump.
- iPhone 17 Professional: Bigger horizontal digital camera bump — Rumors counsel the smaller Professional mannequin will not have any huge adjustments except for its rear cameras, which will probably be of their similar offset three-lens triangle configuration however with a large horizontal bump that extends the width of the telephone.
- iPhone 17 Professional Max: Similar bigger horizontal digital camera bump — Likewise, the iPhone 17 Professional Max may differ from final yr’s mannequin in a digital camera bump that extends horizontally throughout all the rear width of the telephone.
The largest change we anticipate within the iPhone 17’s design is in a single mannequin doubtlessly added to the lineup: the iPhone 17 Air. Following loads of rumors, the Air can be a thinner mannequin of the iPhone line, akin to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which might give attention to a slimmer, lighter physique which may have lowered battery life as a consequence. CNET Senior Reporter Abrar Al-Heeti found that with the S25 Edge. The Air might take the place of the bigger Plus mannequin within the iPhone 17 lineup, although whether or not which means the thinner telephone can also be greater than the usual mannequin is much from sure.
We have additionally heard rumors that the iPhone 17 line might swap from the sq. digital camera block it is used for years to extra of a pill-shaped digital camera bar that runs throughout the width of the telephone’s physique. Leaker Majin Bu posted a leaked image and CAD renders on X that present a in another way formed digital camera setup for every telephone. And case-maker Dbrand is preselling an iPhone 17 Pro Tank case that exhibits off the broader digital camera bump as nicely.
iPhone 17 Lineup CAD pic.twitter.com/xednTkpJnq
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) February 23, 2025
A Bloomberg report in April affirmed that apart from the digital camera block, the iPhone 17 lineup will look very similar to final yr’s telephones, not less than so far as rumors go, with the usual iPhone 17, Professional and Professional Max fashions largely unchanged from their iPhone 16 predecessors.
Assuming Apple is not altering the sizes of the smartphones, anticipate the iPhone 17 to have a 6.1-inch show, the iPhone 17 Professional to get a 6.3-inch display and the iPhone 17 Professional Max a 6.9-inch show. The iPhone 17 Air’s measurement is unsure, however Apple does tend to retain telephone sizes for years (simply take a look at the iPhone SE line utilizing the identical show dimensions because the iPhone 6), so if the brand new skinny telephone has the identical dimensions because the iPhone 16 Plus, it might have a 6.7-inch show.
One other show rumor means that Apple will shut a function hole between the baseline and professional fashions by making all telephones have a most 120Hz refresh price (prior lineups have stored the cheaper telephones at 60Hz).
The iPhone 17 Professional might get an oblong digital camera bump.
Evaluating iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Professional, iPhone 17 Professional Max Cameras
- iPhone 17: No adjustments — Rumors have not hinted at something altering within the iPhone 17 from the 48-megapixel major digital camera and 12-megapixel ultrawide in final yr’s iPhone 16.
- iPhone 17 Air: Single digital camera — CAD renders counsel the iPhone 17 Air may have a single digital camera, presumably the 48-megapixel major digital camera discovered on the iPhone 16E.
- iPhone 17 Professional: Improved zoom digital camera — Whereas not extensively corroborated, one rumor suggests the Professional fashions will get an as much as 8x zoom digital camera, up from the 5x telephoto present in final yr’s iPhone 16 Professional. It might presumably inherit its predecessor’s 48-megapixel major and 48-megapixel ultrawide cameras.
- iPhone 17 Professional Max: Improved zoom digital camera — Likewise, the iPhone 17 Professional Max might get a greater telephoto digital camera and maintain its predecessor’s 48-megapixel major and 48-megapixel ultrawide cameras.
We anticipate the same old function hole to separate the iPhone 17 technology, with the usual iPhone 17 having two cameras (48-megapixel major and 12-megapixel ultrawide) whereas the Professional and Professional Max fashions bump the ultrawide to 48 megapixels and likewise embody a 3rd telephoto digital camera (presumably the 12-megapixel with 5x optical zoom inherited from final yr’s iPhones). One of many wildest rumors is that the 17 Professional and Professional Max may have 8x telephoto cameras. The report comes from MacRumors and mentions the lens having transferring components for steady optical zoom at varied focal lengths (suppose Sony Xperia 1 V).
Rumors counsel the fourth mannequin — presumably the iPhone 17 Air — will solely have one digital camera, which might doubtless be a 48-megapixel major shooter much like the iPhone 16E. That will set it other than final yr’s iPhone 16 Plus, which had the identical two cameras as the usual iPhone 16.
The one different vital digital camera rumor means that the front-facing shooters on all of the telephones will probably be upgrading to 24-megapixel cameras, up from 12 megapixels on final yr’s telephones.
The iPhone 17 line will run iOS 26.
All iPhone 17 mannequin specs in contrast
- iPhone 17: Similar CPU, presumably new modem — Rumors counsel the brand new iPhone 17 will pack the identical A18 chip as its predecessor, however might get the Apple-made C1, a 5G modem, that debuted on the iPhone 16E.
- iPhone 17 Air: New CPU, presumably new modem — Intriguingly, rumors counsel the thinner iPhone 17 Air might get the identical A19 chip that is anticipated to be within the Professional fashions out this yr. It might additionally get the C1 modem.
- iPhone 17 Professional: New CPU, presumably new modem — The iPhone 17 Professional is predicted to get an improve to a brand new A19 chip, in addition to presumably the C1 modem.
- iPhone 17 Professional Max: New CPU, greater battery — Equally, rumors counsel the iPhone 17 Professional Max is anticipated to pack an A19 chip and doubtlessly the C1 modem, in addition to a barely bigger battery.
As is typical with the function hole between commonplace and professional fashions, rumors counsel the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max (in addition to the Air) will get the latest A19 chip, whereas the common iPhone 17 will get the identical A18 chip that powered final yr’s iPhone 16.
It is unclear if the brand new telephones will get one other tech development — Apple’s C1 chip, the internally developed 5G modem that debuted within the iPhone 16E launched earlier this yr. Presumably, the corporate will wish to carry it to the brand new iPhone 17 lineup, however we’ve not heard rumors suggesting so.
Whereas Apple by no means explicitly says how a lot RAM its iPhones pack, most telephones require 8GB of RAM to make use of AI options — and given Apple Intelligence debuted on the iPhone 16 lineup, it is closely suspected that these units got 8GB of RAM. Presumably, the iPhone 17 collection may have the identical quantity.
There’s additionally no cause to consider Apple will change up its storage choices. The usual iPhone 17 will doubtless be provided in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB tiers, whereas the iPhone 17 Professional ought to have these and a 1TB model. The iPhone 17 Professional Max will doubtless solely have 256GB, 512GB and 1TB choices.
The batteries of the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Professional aren’t anticipated to alter, although a leak suggests the iPhone 17 Professional Max might broaden its capability to five,000 mAh, up from the 4,685 mAh on the iPhone 16 Professional Max. The massive query would be the measurement of the iPhone 17 Air’s battery, which is able to virtually absolutely be smaller because of the thinner physique; by comparability, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge solely has a 3,900 mAh capability.
All iPhones will virtually absolutely launch with iOS 26, the subsequent model of Apple’s iPhone software program that was renamed to align with the yr following its launch.
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