Are you looking forward to the iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max? Good news: the announcement date of the next Apple smartphones has just been clarified.
It’s no longer time to focus on the iPhone 16, but rather on the iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. At the heart of rumors for many months, these next high-end Apple models would not be far from us, with a presentation event that would take place during the week of September 8, 2025.
When will Apple release all iPhone 17s?
Mark Gurman is back to titillate Apple and his future projects. Far from the HomePad or the folding iPhone, the Bloomberg journalist has decided this time to tackle his next generation of smartphones: the iPhone 17.
Expected for the start of the 2025 school year, the new models have now had their presentation period specified. According to him, the Apple company has set its sights on the week of September 8, “but I think the 9 or 10 is more likely”.
This estimate is based on Apple’s habits, which generally favor an announcement keynote for Tuesday — and sometimes Wednesday. As a reminder, four phones are expected:
- The iPhone 17, the standard model par excellence
- The iPhone 17 Air, the first ultra-thin phone
- The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are the cream of the crop
The iPhone 17e is expected to be released in the spring of 2025, succeeding the very successful and accessible iPhone 16e a year later.
In addition to smartphones, the September presentation event would also be an opportunity to unveil various accessories, including the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3. AirPods Pro 3 could also be in the game, even if their announcement for this year seems increasingly uncertain.
Finally, it would also be an opportunity to discover a new generation of connected trackers: the AirTag 2. This will allow Apple to help its users find their everyday objects even more easily thanks to three big new features.
In short
- Apple is reportedly planning to announce the iPhone 17 during the week of September 8.
- Four models are expected: 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max.
- Keynote also dedicated to the Apple Watch, AirTag 2 and maybe AirPods Pro 3.
What are the technical characteristics for the iPhone 17?
Apple would also take advantage of this redesign to review the materials used in the chassis. The iPhone 17 would retain its aluminum, but the iPhone 17 Pro would abandon its (very light) titanium layer, again in favor of aluminum. All high-end iPhone models have retained their aluminum, but the iPhone 17 Pro would abandon it so far benefiting from a premium material, whether it is stainless steel (inaugurated with the iPhone X) or, therefore, titanium (since the iPhone 15). Even more surprising, if only the iPhone 17 Air would be entitled to a little titanium in its chassis, perhaps to strengthen it?
Another important change: the back, usually made of glass, would give more or less space to aluminum, which would house the famous bump. While glass is essential for MagSafe charging, a partially aluminum back would reduce the risk of breakage in the event of a fall.
In terms of design, we should expect a considerable change: on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro, the Apple logo would be repositioned… a little lower, to accommodate the camera block. The manufacturer would like to avoid its logo being too close to the big bump.
What is only an aesthetic detail hides a more important novelty: the MagSafe magnetic rings have been redesigned, causing cascading changes for the accessories. Does this mean that the cases and other docks of the previous iPhones will not be compatible with the iPhone 17 Pro? According to rumors, it won’t change anything. We can breathe!
Rumors don’t expect drastic changes to the design at the front, which means that the Dynamic Island is here to stay. On the other hand, the diagonal of the screen would be revised upwards for the iPhone 17: it would go from the 6.1-inch of the iPhone 16 to 6.3 inches — the same size as the iPhone 16 Pro, in short.
The bezel around the iPhone 17 and 17 Air’s screens is said to be thinner, similar to that of the iPhone 16 Pro. Thus, all models of the 2025 vintage would be entitled to ultra-thin borders, no jealousy!
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max would keep their 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch panels respectively. The iPhone 17 Air would introduce a new diagonal of 6.6 inches. The range would benefit from a new anti-reflective coating, more resistant to scratches than the current Ceramic Shield (a variant of Corning’s Gorilla Glass).
While all Android smartphones, including entry-level smartphones, offer refresh rates of 90Hz and above, consumer iPhones have remained firmly stuck at 60Hz. Only the Pro models are entitled to a refresh rate that adapts to the speed of content from 1Hz up to 120Hz. What Apple calls Promotion.
Good news: all iPhones of the 2025 vintage would benefit from this infinitely smoother display technology. Apple has finally decided to use LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) panels for all models. On the other hand, the always-on screen that displays the time and notifications at all times could remain a privilege of the Pro models.
Which chips for the iPhone 17?
Under the hood, and without too much surprise, Apple would slip an A19 engine for the iPhone 17 and 17 Air, and A19 Pro for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. SoCs (system-on-chips) still engraved at 3 nm, possibly of the next generation (N3P, according to TSMC’s nomenclature). What does that mean? Quite simply, we should expect further gains in terms of energy efficiency and performance, even if it is not certain that the user will actually perceive the benefits.
The RAM envelope would swell from 8 to 12 GB on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, which is always good to take. The iPhone 17 Air would also benefit from it, but the iPhone 17 would keep the 8 GB of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, the bare minimum for Apple Intelligence.
The iPhone 17 Pro could use an original cooling technology for an iPhone: a vapor chamber. These fine thermal cavities contain a liquid that evaporates under the effect of heat and condenses on the cooler walls, effectively dissipating heat over a wide area. This is a system that is sometimes seen at work on Android “gaming” smartphones.
This process keeps temperatures low and prevents performance loss due to thermal throttling. Equipped in this way, the iPhone 17 Pro would be able to use their chip at full capacity and for longer, for big 3D games for example or very demanding apps such as video editing. This rumor mainly concerns the Pro models, but rumors also announce it on the entire range.
After a successful launch in the iPhone 16e, the C1 cellular chip developed by Apple would find a small place in the iPhone 17 Air. For the other three models, the modem would still be provided by Qualcomm. Still in the connectivity department, the entire range could integrate a Bluetooth 5.3 chip and “in-house” Wi-Fi 7, which would be a great first (to the detriment of Broadcom this time).
Eventually, Apple would like to bring together cellular access, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on a single chip. The objective is to manage energy consumption as finely as possible.
And while we’re on the subject of energy, the big change in the 2025 edition would be for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. These models would offer the battery removal system that is easily detachable by circulating a (weak) electric current. This technology was inaugurated with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus and carried over to the iPhone 16e. No change on the other hand on the wired charging speed: 35W.
On the charging side, we could have a good surprise for the MagSafe. Apple is expected to integrate the new Qi 2.2 specification for wireless charging, a standard capable — in theory — of going up to 50W. The Qi 2 makes do with 15W. It remains to be seen whether the iPhone 17 will actually be able to refuel at this speed, especially if wired charging is limited to 35W.
Speaking of batteries, the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s battery should be the largest ever used by Apple: the component would have a capacity of 5,000 mAh. The 16 Pro Max makes do with, so to speak, 4,676 mAh. Not enough to guarantee a longer battery life for the moment, but this model should still retain its title of champion in this area.
Which camera for the iPhone 17?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max would be the first of its kind to feature a whopping 3 48MP photo sensors! Wide angle, ultra-wide-angle and telephoto “tetraprirism” would be there on the largest iPhone. At the other end of the spectrum, the iPhone 17 Air would only get a single 48MP sensor, which could be the same as the iPhone 16e.
The excellent 5x optical zoom would remain the prerogative of the Pro models, thanks to their tetraprism. It is rumored that at least one of the 2025 iPhones — certainly a Pro model — would benefit from a variable aperture diaphragm controlled by mechanical components. The aperture of the camera sensor could be enlarged or narrowed to let in more or less light. Today’s iPhones have a fixed aperture, which means that the amount of light that enters the lens cannot be adjusted directly by the user.
On the front, the photo sensor for selfies would be reviewed and improved: exit the current 12 MP model, users would benefit from a 24 MP 6-element sensor. More pixels for more details, that’s always a given!
What is this iPhone 17 Air?
Apple would replace the Plus model, which is apparently not the most popular, with something completely new. This is what rumors have called the iPhone 17 Air, a smartphone that would boldly play the wasp-sized card even if it means sacrificing certain specifications.
Rumors are still struggling to determine the thickness of this smartphone, which ranges between 5.5 mm and 6.25 mm. It wouldn’t be Apple’s thinnest product — the 12.9-inch M4 iPad Pro makes do with 5.1mm! — But for a smartphone with much more condensed innards than in a tablet, it would still be a great feat. A video of a mock-up of the iPhone 17 Air compared to the other models gives a small idea of the finesse to expect:
One of the compromises that Apple would be willing to make to achieve such a thickness is to reduce the number of camera sensors on the back to a minimum. It would only have one, like the iPhone 16e, while the Galaxy Edge has two! All this, despite a chassis of about 5.6 mm.
The iPhone 17 Air seems to be first and foremost designed as a statement of intent for Apple, a way to lift a corner of the veil on the future of its smartphones. The iPhone X had played this role in its time, before all other models adopted a similar design. The novelty could allow this very fine model to find a buyer among all those who swear by novelty.
