Apple is hosting a Sept. 9 ’special‘ event that’s likely to include the iPhone 17 lineup. With 15+ years of covering the iPhone under our belts, here’s what we expect to see.
With Apple confirming a „special“ event at Apple Park on Sept. 9, the launch of the iPhone 17 series is upon us. That’s less than 24 hours until we’ll hear everything directly from Apple.
Apple executives have reportedly been referring to this new lineup as the „most ambitious in the product’s history.“ The biggest rumor so far has been the elimination of the „Plus“ variant in favor of a „Slim“ or „Air“ model. There’s also chatter about the Pro Max variant being rebranded as the „Ultra“ and all four models getting a 120Hz ProMotion display with 24MP front-facing cameras.
If you didn’t upgrade to the iPhone 16 or are just curious to learn what Apple has cooking, here’s everything we’ve heard about the iPhone 17 from reliable sources so far.Revised iPhone 17 Lineup: Air In, Plus Out
Of the four iPhone variants in the most recent iPhone lineups, the Plus model has fared the worst, according to Bloomberg, and Apple plans to replace it with a slimmer iPhone 17 Air. Multiple reports suggest it will have a 6.6-inch display, a single 48MP rear camera, and a minimum of 8GB RAM to support Apple Intelligence (potentially up to 12GB).
The thin model is part of Apple’s long-term plans to develop „the thinnest and lightest products in their categories across the whole tech industry.“ With a thickness of just 6.25 mm, it is expected to overtake the iPhone 6 (6.9mm) as the thinnest iPhone ever. In April, leaker Majin Bu shared images of iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro Max mock-ups, and the difference in thickness is quite significant.
One drawback of the thin design is that it may leave no space for a speaker at the bottom, so the device may have just one speaker at the top. There’s also a durability risk at stake. To avoid a repeat of the iPhone 6 Plus bending issue, Apple reduced the screen size of the 17 Air from 6.9 inches to 6.6, Gurman says. Still, the first looks at the Air, shared by leaker Majin Bu, evoke a fear of bending.
Another drawback of the 17 Air’s thin design is that it leaves less room for a big battery. Per a leak, the battery capacity is a modest 2,800mAh, 20% less than the iPhone 16’s 3,561mAh battery. As a result, Apple is hedging its bet and allocating just 10% of its production for it, The Information reports. To make up for the low-capacity battery, Apple might even reintroduce the MagSafe battery pack launched with the iPhone 12, the report adds.
The other three models will most likely retain their names, though there’s a rumor about 17 Pro Max being rebranded as the „Ultra.“ It could also receive some upgraded features that differentiates it from the Pro model. The 17 Pro Max could also get slightly thicker, according to leaker Ice Universe, going from 8.25mm to 8.725mm to make room for a bigger battery.
Overall, this could be Apple’s final iPhone 17 lineup, along with their display sizes:
iPhone 17: 6.3 inches
iPhone 17 Air: 6.6 inches
iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3 inches
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9 inches
We’ll dive deeper into the display rumors below.iPhone 17 Colors, Design Changes
While the last five generations of iPhones have looked similar, the iPhone 17 lineup will likely undergo big changes—especially at the back.
All iPhones are expected to receive rectangular camera bumps with rounded corners. The base iPhone 17 could retain the vertical bump from the iPhone 16, but the Air, Pro, and Pro Max variants could get horizontal end-to-end bumps. The bumps could be protrude more than usual, according to an image of phone cases shared by leaker Sonny Dickson.
For Pro models, this would be a major shift from the squared-off camera bumps they’ve had since the iPhone 11 Pro. While there were strong rumors about a two-tone design (separate colors for the bump and the rest of the back), Gurman ruled those out, citing a source that revealed „the camera area will be the same color as the rest of the device.“
Leaker Sonny Dickson backed that claim recently and shared the full list of possible colors based on camera lens cover parts. All four phones may come in Black and Silver (white-ish). Additionally, the standard iPhone 17 could come in Green, Light Blue, Purple, and Steel Gray, and the iPhone 17 Air could come in Light Blue and Light Gold. The iPhone 17 Pro models, on the other hand, would come in Gray, Dark Blue, and a surprising Orange, alongside the traditional Black and Silver. A sourced confirmed similar developments to Macworld as well.
It’s unclear if Apple will continue using titanium for the chassis of the Pro models, though. According to The Information, all iPhone 17 models will use an aluminum frame. But a leaker contradicts this, claiming that the 17 Pro models will continue using titanium.
On the front, the pill-shaped cutout for the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 Air will be slightly smaller than the current iPhone 16 models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Earlier reports indicated that the iPhone 17 Pro Max would get a new „metalens“ for Face ID that reduces the size of its Dynamic Island. Now, Jeff Pu says the tech might be extended to all four iPhone models.iOS Overhaul
The iPhone 17 will come with iOS 26—yes, it won’t be called iOS 19. As earlier reports indicated, Apple has rebranded its operating systems to align with the release year (like cars).
