iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

[beerseagulls]

I’m getting a 16 Pro Max on clearance before the 17 models come out. I really, really don’t like the design they’re going for, aluminum is indeed a downgrade compared to titanium or stainless steel (just look how it dents), and I don’t really care about camera upgrades, add the price uncertainty for the 17 lineup because of tariffs and the decision to go for a 16 PM looks easy.

where can one get a 16 Pro Max on clearance just before the 17 comes out?

 

[npmacuser5]

Original iPhone V1 user. Never had anyone tell me my iPhone cool looking. Every one of my iPhones had a protective case. The metal, just metal never seen. No issues with dents. What is important, functionality.

 

[GuruZac]

I suppose the 17 "Air" is the one to watch out for this year, isn't it? Seeing as the Pro is shaping up to be, well, uglier.

It’s the one I’m looking at. Replace my 15 Pro Max with the 17 Air, at least based on rumored design and features. Replace my Watch Ultra which will be 3 years old this year for an Ultra 3.

 

[GuruZac]

This may be the first year in a while I don't upgrade.

What was the reason you upgraded from the 14 to 15, or 15 to 16!? Virtually zero difference is for a or function.

 

[FattiesGoneWild]

Sorry, MacRumours. That camera bump is a flaw, not a feature. It's a major reason I just plonked for a 16 Pro.

Lies. It will suddenly “grow” on you as more news comes in closer to release. See you on launch day! You are fooling no one, especially Tim Apple!

 

[TheLocNar]

Switching to an aluminum frame and it'll cost even more vs the titanium without this tariff craziness.

In the real world, aluminum over titanium would be a cost saving measure.

 

[I7guy]

What was the reason you upgraded from the 14 to 15, or 15 to 16!? Virtually zero difference is for a or function.

14 to 17 is a good upgrade. A path I will take.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Damn….it’s saltier than usual in here today

 

[Skyscraperfan]

Cameras are the biggest issue. If you have a 5x ratio between two cameras, the wider camera needs a lot more megapixels to fill the gap. Otherwise a 4x photo will have a very low resolution. So either give the 1x camera 200 megapixels or - better - add a fourth camera.

There are Chinese smartphones that do that much better for a much lower price.

 

[novagamer]

2TB. By next year at the latest but probably this year. Book it.

Will be a second-level differentiator from the Air which will max out at half the storage the pro offers once this occurs.

 

[GuruZac]

14 to 17 is a good upgrade. A path I will take.

Yeah that makes sense. I think yearly updates don’t make any sense anymore, for me.

 

[N2PVP]

While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.

Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:

• Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a stainless steel frame. The back of the devices will supposedly have a new "part-aluminum, part-glass" design.
• Rectangular camera bump: iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to have a large rectangular camera bump with rounded corners. Apple apparently plans to stick with a triangular arrangement for the rear camera lenses.
• More scratch-resistant display: iPhone 17 Pro screens are rumored to have a new anti-reflective coating that increases scratch resistance compared to previous models.
• Larger battery: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to have a slightly thicker design that allows for a larger battery.
• A19 Pro chip: iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to use Apple's next-generation A19 Pro chip, which will reportedly be manufactured with TSMC's newer third-generation 3nm process. Like usual, expect modest year-over-year performance gains and power efficiency improvements compared to the current iPhones.
• Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip: All four iPhone 17 models are rumored to get a Wi-Fi 7 chip designed by Apple rather than Broadcom.
• 24-megapixel front camera: All four iPhone 17 models are said to feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, whereas all iPhone 16 models are equipped with a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.
• 48-megapixel rear Telephoto camera: An upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto camera is rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, up from the 12-megapixel Telephoto camera on iPhone 16 Pro models.
• Dual video recording: According to Jon Prosser, of the YouTube channel Front Page Tech, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will allow users to record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously in the Camera app.
• 8K video recording: Apple allegedly tested 8K video recording on the iPhone 16 Pro models, but such functionality is still not available. With the iPhone 17 Pro models expected to have entirely 48-megapixel rear cameras, perhaps 8K video recording will debut on those devices.
• 12GB of RAM: An increased 12GB of RAM was initially rumored exclusively for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but later the iPhone 17 Pro as well. This upgrade should help to improve the performance of Apple Intelligence and multitasking. All four iPhone 16 models have 8GB of RAM.
  Improved cooling: All four iPhone 17 models are rumored to feature internal design changes that result in better heat dissipation. A vapor chamber cooling system has been rumored for the Pro models.

Bookmark our iPhone 17 Pro roundup to stay up to date with more rumors.

Article Link: iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Just make the phone thicker, no camera bump and bigger battery.

 

[HighwaySnowman]

Smaller, thinner, lighter - all improvements.
Thicker, larger, increased cost - all downgrades.

This was a public service announcement to remind MacRumors what “improvements” means.

Thicker, larger, cheaper - all improvements.
Smaller, thinner, lighter, increased costs - all downgrades.

Improvements means actually making it better and cheaper. Thinner is zero value, negative value when there's a stupid camera wart sticking out of the back.

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

8k is nice but can't be displayed on any current Apple device. Maybe the Pro Display XDR 2 ?

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

Thicker, larger, cheaper - all improvements.
Smaller, thinner, lighter, increased costs - all downgrades.

Improvements means actually making it better and cheaper. Thinner is zero value, negative value when there's a stupid camera wart sticking out of the back.

After reading HighwaySnowman's comment about improvements and downgrades, Apple decides the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a 1-foot screen, 1-inch thickness, 20-oz weight, and sell for $999 (thanks to lower-quality materials).

 

[johnsawyercjs]

Me to myself in September:

I think we can vote with our wallets to Make Apple Great Again! We must stop this ugly blasphemy. What they have done to iPhones in the recent years is comparable to genocide. Phones are thick, large bricks with same unchanging “lazymalism” UI-UX, lack of innovation is all over the place. AI?? They haven’t even managed to deliver that yet lol!!

It's the deep state, I tell ya!!

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

It's the deep state, I tell ya!!

Solid state embedded deep within, so yeah, I guess you can call that deep state.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

Damn….it’s saltier than usual in here today

I don't know. We've seen a lot of petit Iwo Jima-y attitudes on MacRumors before.

 

[mrr]

I would like to see support for the Apple Pencil.

 

[doctorshusband]

Steel vs titanium vs aluminum makes no difference when almost everyone uses a case; same for the new screen less prone to scratches when everyone uses a screen protector.
Crazy how many “mandatory” accessories a smartphone has instead of making life simpler.
Hate the camera bump. Hate the “camera-bump-protector” accessories.
It does feel I’ve taken a long time to upgrade my iPhone 13 Pro though…

 

[BBCWatcher]

“Pro” models still starting with 128GB of flash storage, of course. Fabulous for 8K video.🤨 But will we see a 2TB or even 4TB iPhone 17 Pro?🤔

Is Apple going to remove physical SIM card support from any iPhone 17 models in any more countries?🤔

This year’s 15/16e/16/17e(?)/17Air price reshuffle will be strange. What’s Apple going to do? Maybe something like this?

• 15: discontinued, with the usual opportunistic “fire sales” in select markets/channels
• 16e: $50 price reduction (to $549)
• 16: usual $100/$130 price reduction ($699) — or discontinue the 16 too and leave the 16e at $599?🤔
• 17e: either skip this generation (with a $599 18e arriving in March, 2027) or release a 17e in March, 2026, at $599, possibly with the 16e hanging around until September, 2026, at $499
• 17 Air: $849 or $899?

These are “old” reference prices, assuming no tariff issues. U.S. pricing will obviously be subject to tariff complications. I don’t see how Apple maintains the pretense that U.S. pricing is their global reference pricing with Trump tariff headwinds and top tier Android competitors chasing every other market that much more aggressively. Apple is already quietly decoupling U.S. pricing from pricing in other markets especially in Asia.

 

[ChrisA]

...Aluminum doesn’t make any sense either.

I'm thinking about cooling. Aluminum has an order of magnitude (10X) better thermal conductivity than titanium.

iPhones, unlike computers, don't have fans or even vents. So the only way to get rid of heat is to conduct it to the outside

 

[EugW]

These are “old” reference prices, assuming no tariff issues. U.S. pricing will obviously be subject to tariff complications. I don’t see how Apple maintains the pretense that U.S. pricing is their global reference pricing with Trump tariff headwinds and top tier Android competitors chasing every other market that much more aggressively. Apple is already quietly decoupling U.S. pricing from pricing in other markets especially in Asia.

Trump flip-flopped and has now exempted smartphones and computers from the tariff.

 

[itti]

Can we get carbon-silicon batteries this time for a 20% capacity increase?

 

[Mr. Donahue]

I wish they’d make an iPhone mini 17 or iPhone flip. My mini 13 is on its last legs with crashing and battery life depleted. I might leave and go to Motorola Razr Plus 2025 (60 Ultra) this year since I doubt they’ll make a flip or a mini for another couple years.