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iPhone 17: Last Minute Rumor Recap Ahead of Tomorrow's Apple Event

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It's almost time for the September 9 Apple event, and last minute rumors have been trickling in. For a quick catch up, we've recapped the new information that we've heard over the last few days.

iPhone-17-Pro-Feature-Dual.jpg

Battery

Alleged battery capacities for the iPhone 17 models were spotted in a Chinese regulatory database, and in the past, this database has provided accurate battery information.
  • iPhone 17 - 3,692 mAh
  • iPhone 17 Air - 3,149 mAh
  • iPhone 17 Pro - 4,252 mAh
  • iPhone 17 Pro Max - 5,088 mAh
It's worth noting that in some countries like China, there will be models with a SIM tray. iPhone 17 models that have a SIM tray will have slightly smaller battery capacities, and the battery capacities above are for the non-SIM models that will be sold in countries like the United States.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to be the first iPhone that has a battery over 5,000 mAh, and it could have the longest ever battery life that we've seen in an iPhone. There's also going to be an impressive year-over-year battery increase for the iPhone 17 Pro.

It doesn't look like the iPhone 17 will offer much of an improvement over the iPhone 16, and of course, the iPhone 17 Air has the lowest capacity of the bunch. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the other models in terms of real-world battery life, because Apple may be using a denser silicone-anode battery that provides more energy in a smaller package.

SIM Trays

There have been multiple rumors suggesting that the iPhone 17 Air won't have the space for a SIM tray, which would prevent it from launching in China. iPhones sold in China are required to have a physical SIM tray, and carriers in the country do not support eSIM technology for smartphones.

The recent battery database leak mentions a variant of the iPhone 17 Air with a SIM tray, so it looks like information suggesting that the iPhone 17 Air won't be available in China could be inaccurate.

It would be surprising for Apple not to offer its flagship ultra thin device in China where it's likely to sell well.

Apple phased out SIM trays in the U.S. with the iPhone 14 launch. In most other countries aside from China, iPhones include both a SIM tray and an eSIM, but that could change this year. Rumors suggest that SIM-free iPhones will expand to more countries.

Thicker iPhone 17 Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is going to measure in at 8.725mm thick, making it thicker than the 8.25mm iPhone 16 Pro Max. The extra space could allow for a larger battery and rumored camera features like an adjustable aperture. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will be about five percent thicker than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and most people probably won't notice the increase.

A thicker chassis and a bigger battery typically means a higher weight, but Apple is transitioning to aluminum instead of titanium and replacing some of the glass at the back with aluminum, so overall weight could be the same or lower.

iPhone 17 Lanyard

We've seen leaked iPhone 17 cases that have a spot where a lanyard can connect, and an image of the accessory surfaced over the weekend.

orange-iphone-17-crossbody-strap-dickson.jpg

The image features a long crossbody strap in bright orange color that might match the iPhone 17 Pro. Both iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to come in an orange shade along with dark blue, black, and white.

The strap has a flexible metal core and uses magnetic attachment points to connect to the iPhone case.

iPhone 17 Pro Design

Last Friday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman clarified iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max design rumors. The two smartphones are expected to be made from aluminum, but with a new cutout area on the bottom two thirds of the device. The cutout will be made from glass, and it will enable wireless charging.

iPhone-17-Pro-Lower-Logo-Magsafe-2.jpg

This updated design has been rumored for months now, but it's useful to get some clarification on the half-aluminum half-glass rumors.

Sketchy Dynamic Island Rumors

On Friday, a leaker who claims to work for a company making iPhone screen protectors said the iPhone 17 Dynamic Island is 1.5cm, down from 2cm in the iPhone 16 models.

There have been some mixed rumors of changes to the Dynamic Island over the iPhone 17 rumor cycle, but reliable sources have suggested the Dynamic Island is the same. A change to the Dynamic Island is possible, but unlikely, and this rumor is on the sketchier side.

Most screen protectors do not include cutouts for the Dynamic Island, and it's not clear if that information would have been included with CAD renders sourced by accessory makers ahead of the iPhone 17's launch.

AirPods Pro 3

In a somewhat confusing last minute AirPods Pro 3 rumor, a reliable leaker said that Apple plans to release two versions of the AirPods Pro 3. There will be a standard version and a higher-end variant with an infrared camera for gesture controls, but we might not hear about the higher-end model until next year.

Apple Watch SE 3 and Ultra 3 Confirmed

Last year there were rumors that Apple would refresh the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Ultra, but that didn't happen. We're hearing the same rumors about new models this year, and it looks like they're actually coming.

A leaker with an established track record confirmed that Apple is planning to introduce Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra models tomorrow, all with an S11 chip that uses the same architecture as the current S10 chip.

Read More

For a more detailed overview on what to expect from the Apple event, make sure to check out our dedicated guide that walks through everything Apple might announce.
How to Watch

Apple's "Awe Dropping" event will start at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, September 9. Apple will livestream t... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iPhone 17: Last Minute Rumor Recap Ahead of Tomorrow's Apple Event
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/08/apple-event-rumor-recap/
Great, make them phones bigger and heavier Apple. come on! We can go directly to 7", don't be stingy
 
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the only rumor I care about is the 5/8x optical telephone zoom on the Pro models, please deliver on that Apple!
of course it would save me money if you didn't ;)
 
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navaira said:
At this point Tim Cook can just step on the stage and say: “Good morning everyone! It’s a great day here at Apple HQ. Head to Macrumors to find out everything about the new iPhone. It’s the best we’ve ever made.”
Click to expand...
At this point, the volume of leaks and rumours are killing the events. It’s like watching a movie after reading all the spoilers beforehand.

I’m already at saturation point with o go and hype about the releases tomorrow, and the releases haven’t even happened yet.

Maybe I’ll just avoid any sites, podcasts etc next year, it might fell less jaded. A bit more mystery might be nice.
 
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Took them 15 years to make the phone less than a 1 mm thicker to grant users four hours more battery life. That shows how important pennies are for Apple.

No wonder they keep selling products that are non Apple quality these days.
 
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Böhme417 said:
What happened to that glossy pearl-like color that was rumored to reflect the liquid glass aesthetic?
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My cousin works as an engineer and he said that it got cancelled because in certain conditions the material would permanently stain and affect the material causing colour changes. Also it gave the impression that the phone looked similar to other phones like Oppo/Huawei from a distance, in other words "cheaper" look.

But that's because the design team did not get the budget or approval to use a different manufacturing proces including the premium material. Hence the suggested to use the Orange colour which first was a joke because of Trump, but later some employee suggested this look premium referring to their Hermes line for Apple Watch and the Apple Watch Ultra band.
 
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navaira said:
At this point Tim Cook can just step on the stage and say: “Good morning everyone! It’s a great day here at Apple HQ. Head to Macrumors to find out everything about the new iPhone. It’s the best we’ve ever made.”
Click to expand...
It would save them a lot of million of dollars, you should mail this in. Saving pennies is the main focus, you just single handed thought about an idea that saves them millions.

They should hire you, you'd make a great asset to the current Apple.
 
JoshuaBru said:
Sorry am I correct in understanding the Pro Max will have different/better cameras on the rear than the Pro?
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Despite suggestions above to the contrary, no-one has any idea what cameras are coming on the Pros.

The camera rumours have been contradictory for months and have finally petered out just before launch.

There was something for everyone in those rumours: 3.5× with a larger sensor, 4×, 8×, an actual zoom lens hidden under the camera bar, a zoom lens only for the Pro Max that was half a mil thicker to fit it, something moving, maybe an aperture, maybe a ghost … you name it, MR published it.

Since none of the rumours stuck around for long, maybe the cameras are the same as last year except more pixels to allow more cropping.
 
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