17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

[MacRumors]

Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.

If you skipped the iPhone 16, or if you're just plain curious about what's on the horizon, here are 17 rumored features that we are expecting to arrive in time for Apple's successor lineup, the iPhone 17 series, which is likely to be released around mid-September.

1. iPhone 17 "Air"
iPhone 17 Plus?
Apple plans to launch an all-new iPhone 17 model with a "significantly thinner" design, reports The Information. The device, which could be called "iPhone 17 Air," will feature a "major redesign" that will feature a single rear camera located on a horizontal camera bar running along the top of the device, along with a narrower Dynamic Island, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the iPhone 17 Air will be 5.5mm thick at its thinnest point, which likely means it will have a 5.5mm chassis with a thicker rear camera bump area. The device is rumored to have a 6.6-inch display size, and is likely to replace the Plus model in Apple's lineup. Other reported features include an aluminum chassis, an A19 chip, Apple's C1 modem, an Action button, a Camera Control button, and a 24MP front camera. See our iPhone 17 "Slim" rumor roundup for more.

2. New All-Aluminum Design
All iPhone 17 Models
Apple is reportedly planning to bring all its devices back to aluminum with the iPhone 17 lineup. The two flagship iPhone 17 Pro models will mark the return of aluminum frames to high-end iPhones for the first time since Apple began distinguishing between Pro and non-Pro models. In recent years, aluminum frames have been reserved for lower-end devices like the iPhone SE and iPhone 16, while premium models featured stainless steel frames until the iPhone 15 Pro, which introduced a titanium chassis as a major upgrade. This shift in materials for the iPhone 17 lineup signals a unified approach, with aluminum frames set to return across the entire device range.

3. Significantly Redesigned Camera
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
This year's iPhone 17 Pro models will have a major redesign, specifically centering around changes to the rear camera module. Apple will move away from the familiar square camera bump to a distinctive aluminum camera bar that spans the device's width, according to recent reports. The camera area will be the same color as the rest of the device. The redesigned camera module is not expected to extend to the regular iPhone 17.

The devices are rumored to feature a new rear design combining aluminum and glass. The top half of the back will be aluminum, incorporating a new camera bump made from aluminum instead of the traditional 3D glass. The bottom half will remain glass to enable wireless charging. While Apple has used a glass back since the ‌iPhone‌ 8 and ‌iPhone‌ X in 2017, earlier ‌iPhone‌ models—except the ‌iPhone‌ 3G, ‌iPhone‌ 3GS, and ‌iPhone‌ 5C—had aluminum rears. Additionally, the aluminum camera bump on the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro will reportedly be larger than in previous models, according to The Information.

4. New Display Sizes
iPhone 17 & iPhone 17 Plus
Last year's iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max got bigger display sizes, going from 6.12- and 6.69-inches to 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. For 2025, Apple is also expected to bring the larger 6.27-inch display size to its standard ‌iPhone‌ model, while the equivalent "iPhone 17 Plus" model (provisionally called "iPhone 17 Air") could adopt completely new display dimensions.

5. 120Hz ProMotion (Always-on Display)
iPhone 17 & iPhone 17 Plus
Apple intends to expand ProMotion to all iPhone models in 2025, allowing all models to ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and video content when necessary. Previously, only "Pro" models in Apple's iPhone lineup have had the feature. Notably, ProMotion would also enable the display on the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 "Air" to ramp down to a more power-efficient refresh rate as low as 1Hz, allowing for an always-on display that can show the Lock Screen's clock, widgets, notifications, and wallpaper even when the device is locked... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: 17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

 

[indyandy]

iPhone 4 and 4s also had glass backs. That’s wrong in the article.

 

[JosephAW]

With such a powerful device with performance near the Mac mini, it’s time to merge the desktop with the mobile, would like to see dual boot options, dock the iPhone into a hub for an external display and peripherals and boot up from external drive.

 

[HQuest]

Missed “0. You have no money right now”

 

[FloridaScrubJay]

I’ll stay with my 16 Pro until the 19 or 20 models.

 

[Paddle1]

I thought the smaller Dynamic Island on the Pro Max had already been debunked.

 

[3Gmatt]

The ability to charge your AirPods by putting them on the back of the phone would be absolutely killer.

 

[mattopotamus]

With such a powerful device with performance near the Mac mini, it’s time to merge the desktop with the mobile, would like to see dual boot options, dock the iPhone into a hub for an external display and peripherals and boot up from external drive.

C'mon, you know they would not cannibalize their laptop lineup like that. Would be bad ass though.

 

[menist]

Probably comes with a price bump too.

 

[zombierunner]

Please make iOS less clunky

 

[thiscatisfat]

To be honest, there's hardly any reason to upgrade to a new iPhone since like 2020. Why bother moving from a perfectly working 12 Pro to something like this? I have a 14 Pro and I deeply regret moving from 12 Mini to this brick. The new phones from Apple have absolutely nothing that would make me get rid of my perfectly working and brand new looking 14 Pro, and I won't until they make another smaller device maybe with some Pro features to make it really worth it. This years iPhone will be as boring as they were every year since 2020. There's no reason to wait for iPhone 17, and I highly doubt there will be any reason at all to wait for the 18. It will still be an ugly huge brick with a massive camera bump.

 

[UliBaer]

Well, that's only 16 reasons, cause #6 and #14 are simply the same!

 

[AlexESP]

With such a powerful device with performance near the Mac mini, it’s time to merge the desktop with the mobile, would like to see dual boot options, dock the iPhone into a hub for an external display and peripherals and boot up from external drive.

Similar things have bien tried by other companies, and they didn’t gain market traction. Because in those use cases, you usually have a much better device for the task (a proper computer), and the experience of docking, rebooting, connecting peripherals, etc. is awful. So I think it wouldn’t cannibalize MacBook sales at all, but it would definitely result in frustrated customers.

 

[NoIdentity]

Out of the 17, I see only one relevant. Battery life.

And that is not enought to upgrade.

 

[Karannz1]

18. Higher Price

 

[addamas]

The ability to charge your AirPods by putting them on the back of the phone would be absolutely killer.

Software locked as reverse charging is/was available for MagSafe Battery Pack only

That’s really sad how Apple sometimes follow Google way and kills great products - just switching to usb-c + increasing capacity would make it great again…

 

[EugW]

Post #17!

I just hope they don't increase the price. They can reserve that price increase for the Apple foldable iPhone.

I’ll stay with my 16 Pro until the 19 or 20 models.

Well, of course. For the vast, vast majority of people, an upgrade from the 16 Pro to the 17 Pro would be a foolish waste of money.

To be honest, there's hardly any reason to upgrade to a new iPhone since like 2020. Why bother moving from a perfectly working 12 Pro to something like this? I have a 14 Pro and I deeply regret moving from 12 Mini to this brick. The new phones from Apple have absolutely nothing that would make me get rid of my perfectly working and brand new looking 14 Pro, and I won't until they make another smaller device maybe with some Pro features to make it really worth it. This years iPhone will be as boring as they were every year since 2020. There's no reason to wait for iPhone 17, and I highly doubt there will be any reason at all to wait for the 18. It will still be an ugly huge brick with a massive camera bump.

My 12 Pro Max works pretty well most of the time, but I am beginning to get occasional small lags, and I also want an improvement to the camera system. A 12 Pro Max --> 17 Pro Max will be a very nice upgrade.

However, I will get the battery replaced in my 12 Pro Max, and pass it down to my tween kid.

 

[Virinprew]

And still usb 2.0 speed in the non pro model.

 

[Boeingfan]

I don’t think there’s any reason to upgrade until they get their bag of tricks together.

 

[blcamp]

Not a fan of the camera bump now being a full-fledged "bar", spanning the entire width of the iPhone 17 Pro (& Pro Max). The bump was obnoxious enough already, this is approaching ridiculousness. If it's going to be this exaggerated, then let's increase the entire device thickness and fill it with more battery, OK?

 

[tkermit]

In recent years, aluminum frames have been reserved for lower-end devices like the iPhone SE and iPhone 16, while premium models featured stainless steel frames until the iPhone 15 Pro, which introduced a titanium chassis as a major upgrade. This shift in materials for the iPhone 17 lineup signals a unified approach, with aluminum frames set to return across the entire device range.

Why would I want to wait for this instead of getting a titanium chassis now?

 

[Jman13]

Why would I want to wait for this instead of getting a titanium chassis now?

Yeah, theyre cheaping out on the frame for the pros and I should be excited about that? Not that aluminum is bad, but it doesn’t have that solid feel that the stainless steel and titanium have.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

I have a sneaky feeling that this will be the worse selling iPhone in years, especially with the price bump it will see. I could be wrong but if prices go up due to tariffs, the lackluster changes to basically the 3rd or 4th iteration of the same phone will lead to extremely slow sales. I know for me, If it’s more than the 16 pro max I currently have, I’ll be passing. I’ve upgraded every year since the upgrade programs first started this could be my first skip in a long time.

 

[Aeronauts]

I don’t use the camera. Not much else worth upgrading for.

 

[EugW]

Why would I want to wait for this instead of getting a titanium chassis now?

Hmm... Did you not read the article? That's literally the whole point of the article. If you value titanium over all that, then feel free to get the 16 series.

Personally I have very little interest in the chassis material as long as it's strong, because I always keep my iPhones in a protective case. Regardless of the material, my iPhones' external surface almost always remains as new because of that.