With just a few weeks left before the debut of Apple’s latest iPhones, the rumor mills are swirling with all the latest updates about what to expect from the four flagship models. But when exactly is the iPhone 17 series launch, and what should we expect from the four devices? Let’s take a look in this article.
iPhone 17 launch date:
If Apple goes by its history of launching the latest iPhones, the new devices should make their debut somewhere in early September. For context, the iPhone 16 series was launched on 9 September, the iPhone 15 series made its debut on 12 September, and the iPhone 14 series on 7 September.
Apple usually prefers to release its new iPhones on a Tuesday in the second week of September, but last year it launched the new devices on a Monday — perhaps in order to avoid the Presidential debate on Tuesday. If the company follows that pattern, we could see the new iPhone launch on 9 September.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had also predicted 9 or 10 September as the probable date for the Apple launch event. Meanwhile, a new internal document from German mobile phone providers suggested that the new iPhones could make their debut on 9 September.
What to expect at this year’s launch event?
iPhone 17:
The iPhone 17 is expected to come with a larger 6.3-inch display compared to the 6.1-inch one on the previous generation. The phone is expected to have the same back design as last year but with slimmer bezels, and an LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
It is likely to be powered by the new A19 processor built on TSMC’s 3nm process and come with 8GB of RAM.
The phone is expected to feature a new 24MP front-facing shooter, up from the 12MP seen on its predecessor. The new sensor should improve image quality while allowing for more cropping without losing quality.
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max:
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to come with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch ProMotion 120Hz LTPO AMOLED displays. The new models could include a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating, but that leak should be taken with a pinch of salt.
If leaks turn out to be true, the iPhone 17 Pro Max could feature the biggest yet 5,000mAh battery, while the iPhone 17 Pro could feature around a 4,500mAh battery.
The two Pro models are expected to be powered by the A19 Pro chipset, come with 12GB of RAM, and start at 256GB of storage.
In terms of camera, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to offer a mechanical aperture feature that will allow users to adjust the size of their camera aperture to change the amount of light reaching the lens, enabling images to be captured with a shallower depth of field.
The new Pro models are also expected to support dual video recording — a feature that has become routine on many Android phones — allowing videos to be recorded from both the front and rear shooters at once.
They are likely to come with a triple rear camera setup: a 48MP wide, 48MP ultra-wide, and 48MP telephoto camera. A 5x optical zoom lens is expected to remain a Pro-exclusive feature.
iPhone 17 Air:
Apple’s new iPhone 17 Air is expected to be the thinnest phone ever made by the company, with a rumored thickness of around 5.5mm. However, there are notable discrepancies in various leaks about the thickness, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicting that the phone will be around 2mm thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro (which is 8.25mm thick). Meanwhile, analyst Jeff Fu predicts a 6mm thickness.
The phone could weigh just 145 grams, making it significantly lighter than all other iPhones. It may feature a bar-shaped horizontal camera bump housing a single 48MP rear camera.
It is expected to have a 6.6-inch ProMotion LTPO 120Hz AMOLED display like the other iPhone 17 models.
There may be a major hit in the battery department, with the latest leaks suggesting an under-3,000mAh battery — which could mean much worse battery life compared to the other iPhones.
The phone could be powered by the new A19 chipset, like the standard iPhone, but may have 12GB of RAM, up from the 8GB seen in the current iPhone lineup.
iPhone 17 series price:
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to start at the same price as the iPhone 17 Plus from last year, which could translate to a $899 starting price. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 models could see a $50 price hike due to Apple’s component costs rising because of Trump tariffs, according to Jefferies analyst Edison Lee.
If that turns out to be true, the iPhone 17 base model could start at $850, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max could start at $1,049 and $1,249 respectively.
