Apple’s replace to the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max may deliver greater than only a digital camera bump change. Here is what the rumor mill has stated may very well be on the way in which for the premium fashions.
Apple is anticipated, as typical, to introduce a brand new line of iPhones in September, forming a part of its typical fall product catalog refresh. For 2025, that can imply the introduction of the iPhone 17 technology.
Similar to in earlier years, expectations are for Apple to deliver out a number of fashions, together with a premium Professional tier, consisting of the iPhone 17 Professional and iPhone 17 Professional Max.
Additionally, as regular, there are various rumors circulating about what Apple might be bringing out in its product launches at the moment. With the Professional line introducing the most recent options, they draw quite a lot of consideration from the rumor mill.
What follows is a summarization of what rumor retailers, leakers, and analysts assume might be on the way in which this fall for the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max.
iPhone 17 Professional shows
As typical, there are expectations that Apple will deliver out two completely different fashions in its Professional lineup. Whereas related in specification, the iPhone 17 Professional and iPhone 17 Professional Max will largely differ in dimension, and different areas the place physicality adjustments specs.
The present-gen iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max have screens measuring 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches respectively. The Professional has a Tremendous Retina XDR OLED show with a decision of two,622 by 1,206, whereas the Professional Max goes as much as 2,868 by 1,320 pixels.
To date, it appears that evidently the show sizes will not essentially change within the iPhone 17 technology. However that does not imply different components will stay static.
The Dynamic Island may find yourself smaller on the brand new fashions
For a begin, a rumor in February claimed that the iPhone 17 collection will use the identical Samsung M14 OLED panel materials set for all fashions, each Professional and non-Professional. This, it seems, is similar materials combine as used within the iPhone 16 Professional fashions.
This is not the one declare of show homogeneity, as in December, a Weibo leaker claimed that every one iPhone 17 fashions will get ProMotion help. It is a considerably uncommon declare to make, as ProMotion has historically been a Professional-only function, serving to to distinguish between the 2 iPhone tiers.
That show may be higher in different methods for the iPhone 17 technology. One other Weibo leak in March 2024 insisted that the glass on the entrance might be even more durable than earlier than, making it extra scratch resistant.
Relating to Dynamic Island, the {hardware} function aided by UI camouflage, there’s a distinction in opinion on if it can change this yr. In January, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that there should not be any change to the dimensions of the Dynamic Island in any respect.
Weibo leakers, nonetheless, stated in February that the Dynamic Island may shrink down within the iPhone 17 Professional Max. By utilizing a “steel meta-lens” to combine the receiver and transmitter within the TrueDepth digital camera array, this would scale back the apertures down by one to avoid wasting area, shrinking the factor.
The iPhone 16 Professional technology makes use of a titanium chassis with a glass back and front, whereas the non-Professional makes use of aluminum and glass. This is probably not the case for the iPhone 17 Professional.
In November, a report stated that Apple was going to vary the design up from the glass sandwich and a titanium filling, to utilizing an aluminum body. The change may imply a change in weight for finish customers to handle.
The change will not essentially simply have an effect on the sandwich filling. The identical report added that the rear may use a “part-aluminum, part-glass design,” as a substitute of an all-glass again.
iPhone 17 Professional digital camera bumps
An oddity of the rumors this time is an elevated concentrate on the digital camera bump on the again of the machine. One thing which will additionally clarify the rumors about materials adjustments.
Early rumors from December by way of Weibo launched the concept of Apple bringing in a brand new design of digital camera bump. Slightly than a sq., Apple may as a substitute use a bar, that stretches throughout the again of the machine, spreading the cameras out in a row.
A second digital camera bump interpretation – Picture Credit score: Jon Prosser/Asher Dipprey
By February 14, Jon Prosser posted a video insisting that the bigger bump will occur, however whereas it does stretch throughout the again, the three cameras will keep of their left-hand triangular association. The flash and LiDAR parts could be on the right-hand aspect.
This was then backed up by renders from a case producer shared by Sonny Dickson. The photographs used the identical normal broad bump design, albeit barely obscured by a clear case.
Supposed CAD renders of the iPhone 17 lineup then emerged in February by way of serial leaker Majin Bu. This had the Professional fashions utilizing the broad bump and left-side digital camera triangle association, alongside a largely untouched iPhone 17 and what may very well be the iPhone 17 Slim.
Barely just a few days later, Sonny Dickson adopted up with extra renders, once more displaying the Professional fashions with the broad bump motif.
AppleInsider’s personal renders of the brand new potential bump on the iPhone 17 Professional vary
The change to a a lot wider bump may have many various design causes, and one in every of them may very well be the problem of creating an especially skinny machine with higher cameras. Area is at a premium inside an iPhone, and a wider digital camera bump generates a good quantity that may very well be used for higher digital camera sensors and different tech, with out impacting different {hardware} an excessive amount of.
It is also completely believable that the seeming empty area on the digital camera bar-bump may very well be utilized in different methods. For instance, the Xiaomi Mi 11 had a small show within the digital camera bar, which may very well be used for notifications and different parts.
iPhone 17 Professional cameras
With the inclusion of a large digital camera bump, you’d count on there to be large adjustments to the cameras themselves. If the rumor mill is correct, it isn’t going to be a seismic change in tech.
On the rear, the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max have 48-megapixel Fusion and Extremely Broad cameras, in addition to a Telephoto utilizing a 12MP sensor and the Tetraprism lens system.
A July 2024 declare from TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated the Tetraprism lens on the Professional Max might be improved to achieve on each zoom and movie high quality. A part of this would come with switching the Telephoto sensor to a 48-megapixel model.
Months later, on January 10, Weibo leaker “Digital Chat Station” stated all three cameras on the Professional fashions might be 48MP in decision.
There are expectations of a higher-resolution Telephoto sensor for the iPhone 17 Professional
Whereas not massively earth-shattering on the again, the entrance may give some customers a little bit of a shock.
An August 24 declare from Haitong Securities analyst Jeff Pu stated the 12-megapixel TrueDepth digital camera array could be improved to a 24-megapixel model. Moreover, the lens system might be improved from a five-element to a six-element model.
This declare was later doubled down on by Digital Chat Station in January, reiterating the decision change.
Apple can also make extra of a push to seize the video market, by stressing enhancements to video recording throughout its presentation. In response to Mark Gurman on February 23this might be an try to tempt vloggers and content material creators to make use of the iPhone as a substitute of standalone cameras.
iPhone 17 Professional A19 and reminiscence
A brand new yr introduces a brand new chip line, and for 2025, that must be no completely different. Following the A18 and A18 Professional, the iPhone 17 Professional line ought to use the A19 household of chips, and presumably the A19 Professional.
In July 2024, TSMC was reportedly beginning the trial manufacturing of the A19, utilizing a 2-nanometer fabrication course of. This could be the primary time the method was used for a industrial product by the Apple chip associate.
The A19 is virtually assured for the subsequent iPhone technology.
TSMC had beforehand introduced it will be making 2-nanometer chips by 2025 all the way in which again in 2022. Apple may find yourself utilizing the method for the subsequent technology once more, with an enhanced type doubtlessly arriving within the iPhone 18 Professional.
Analyst Jeff Pu reckoned in Might 2024 that the iPhone 17 Professional line would get 12GB of reminiscence to play with. By August, Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the iPhone 17 Professional Max would get 12GB and the opposite fashions, together with the non-Max Professional, would have 8GB.
Pu reiterated his double-device 12GB declare in February 2025.
iPhone 17 Professional cooling
To go along with the brand new chip course of, Apple may doubtlessly add a greater cooling system into the combo. A minimum of, for the iPhone 17 Professional Max.
Going again to January 2021, Ming-Chi Kuo stated Apple had thought-about the usage of vapor chamber thermal techniques to be used in an iPhone. By August 2024, Kuo believed Apple was trying so as to add extra unique options to the iPhone 17 Professional Max, together with vapor chamber cooling.
Vapor chambers use liquid inside a contained system, which is heated at a supply, with the liquid evaporating and spreading all through the chamber. This spreads the warmth round, lowering the thermals across the warmth supply, which on this case could be the chip die.
The vapor condenses, returning to a wick construction and circulated to the warmth supply once more. To shoppers, this might end in a chip that stays cooler for longer, as a result of thermal administration shifts warmth away from the chip shortly.
Whether or not will probably be a Professional Max-only function stays to be seen. In January, a report claimed that all the iPhone 17 vary will use the approach.
Whereas it’s attainable for Apple to take action for your complete iPhone 17 vary, it appears extra believable for the approach for use on the Professional fashions alone, and even simply the Professional Max. A drawback of the system is that it requires a bit extra space to perform, and the Professional mannequin’s digital camera bump rumor could give simply sufficient room for it to be a actuality.
