Here's What's Rumored for the Regular iPhone 17 This Year

Rumors indicate that the lowest-end iPhone 17 model will have the same overall design as the lowest-end iPhone 16, so what is actually changing this year?

iphone 16 teal
Below, we recap three key features that are coming on the regular iPhone 17, according to sources such as Ross Young, Ming-Chi Kuo, and Jeff Pu.

ProMotion Display

The regular iPhone 17 and the ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" are expected to feature ProMotion, for a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz.

ProMotion has been limited to the Pro models since it debuted on the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max back in 2021.

ProMotion support would result in smoother-looking scrolling and videos, and the technology contributes to longer battery life. It could also pave the way for an always-on display, so long as the refresh rate can ramp down to as low as 1Hz.

Upgraded Front Camera

All four iPhone 17 models are expected to have a 24-megapixel front camera, up from 12 megapixels on all iPhone 16 models.

With a higher 24-megapixel resolution, photos can maintain their quality even when cropped to a greater degree, providing more flexibility in post-processing.

Kuo said the upgraded camera will "significantly improve" image quality.

Apple-Designed Wi-Fi 7 Chip

Apple's first custom-designed Wi-Fi chip is expected to debut in all iPhone 17 models.

The chip is expected to support Wi-Fi 7, which allows for data transmission over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously, with a supported router. Benefits include faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity.

The entire iPhone 16 lineup already supports Wi-Fi 7, so the spec is not much of a surprise, but the fact that the chip will be designed by Apple is notable.

A19 Chip

The A19 chip in the regular iPhone 17 is expected to be made with TSMC's newer third-generation 3nm process, which is known as "N3P."

Expect year-over-year performance and power efficiency gains as usual.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air

Popular Stories

iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

iOS 19 to Have Some of the 'Biggest' Design Changes in iPhone's History

Sunday March 16, 2025 10:35 am PDT by
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

Ultra-Thin 'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Include These 12 Features

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Bent iPhone Air Feature

Apple Canned Larger iPhone 17 Air Model Over Fears of Bendgate 2.0

Monday March 17, 2025 4:07 am PDT by
Apple prototyped a larger ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the device because of fears that it could be susceptible to bending, according to a new report. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter: When it first started work on the phone, it prototyped a device with a 6.9-inch screen — matching...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Apple's First Foldable iPhone Estimated to Cost Nearly Twice as Much as iPhone 16 Pro Max

Monday March 17, 2025 6:42 am PDT by
In an investor research note today with British bank Barclays, analyst Tim Long said Apple's first foldable iPhone could have a starting price in the $2,300 range in the United States, which would make it by far the most expensive iPhone model ever. If the first foldable iPhone starts at $2,299, that means it would cost nearly twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199. ...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Start at $899 With Surprisingly Good Battery Life, Camera Control, and More

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:05 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today shared some new details about the rumored iPhone 17 Air. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said he was told that the device may start at roughly $899 in the U.S., which means that it would occupy the same price point as the iPhone 16 Plus. This would make sense, as it has been widely rumored that the Air model will take over the Plus model's spot in the iPhone...
General iOS Mail Feature

iOS 18.3.2 Broke iCloud Mail Delivery

Monday March 17, 2025 3:31 pm PDT by
The iOS 18.3.2 update that Apple released last week appears to have broken iCloud Mail for some users. There are multiple complaints on Reddit and the MacRumors forums from users who say that iCloud Mail is not able to push new iCloud emails to their iPhones after the iOS 18.3.2 update. Affected users say that despite having the correct settings enabled, new iCloud emails are not showing up...
iphone 16e usb c feature

'iPhone 17 Air' is Step Towards Slimmer iPhones Without USB-C Ports

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:36 am PDT by
Apple considered launching the iPhone 17 Air without a USB-C charging port, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said that while Apple ultimately decided against making the iPhone 17 Air its first iPhone model without a charging port, the idea is still on the table for future iPhone models. He said the iPhone 17 Air will "foreshadow a move to...

Top Rated Comments

iObama Avatar
8 hours ago at 08:08 am
This may be the year I go standard iPhone...

ProMotion's been the only thing holding me back (and Apple knows that).
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I/0 Avatar
8 hours ago at 08:06 am
This will be the only good looking iPhone in this year’s lineup.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JokoWidodo Avatar
8 hours ago at 08:23 am
it might also get :

- new 6.3" display
- vapor chamber
- apple wifi chip
- new colors
- bigger battery
- some exclusive software features
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JohnRckr Avatar
8 hours ago at 08:12 am
Big pile of nothing.
At least it will look nice, unlike the rest of the lineup
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
winxmac Avatar
8 hours ago at 08:24 am
iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 (base models) are the best looking ones in their series and look way better compared to iPhone X, XS, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
7 hours ago at 08:32 am

I can't decide between 17 and 17 Air

iPhone 17 - dual speaker and dual cameras.

iPhone 17 Air - 6.9 inches, 5.5mm thinner and rumored to feature high-density battery.

Which one should i buy this september?
According to this rumor, Apple isn't going to offer the 6.9" Air and will have a 6.5".

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-canned-larger-iphone-17-air-model-over-fears-of-bendgate-2-0.2453301/

To answer your question, you should just keep the phone you currently own, unless there is an issue with it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)