Why should you wait for iPhone 17? Here are 17 convincing reasons

Apple plans the iPhone for years at a time, often working with suppliers to develop multiple generations of the device at once. As a result, rumors of new features often surface well in advance, sometimes months before the official launch.

The iPhone 17 series is no exception, and we now have a pretty clear look at what Apple has in store for 2025.

If you're considering skipping the iPhone 16 or are simply curious about the future, here are 17 notable rumored features expected to appear on the iPhone 17, which Apple is likely to launch around mid-September.

1. iPhone 17 Air

Apple is reportedly planning to launch an all-new iPhone 17 model with a “significantly thinner” design, according to a report from The Information.

This device, possibly called the iPhone 17 Air, will mark a "transformation" in design, featuring a single camera cluster placed on a horizontal bar extending at the top of the device, along with a more neatly refined "Dynamic Island".

According to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 Air will be an impressive 5.5mm thin at its thinnest point, making it the thinnest iPhone ever, although the camera will still protrude significantly.

The display is expected to be 6.6 inches in size, and this model will likely replace the Plus version in Apple's product line.

Other rumored specs include an aluminum chassis, a new-generation A19 chip, Apple's in-house developed C1 modem, an Action button, a dedicated Camera Control button, and especially a 24MP front camera, a significant upgrade for selfie and video calling needs.

2. All-new unibody aluminum design

Apple is said to be bringing aluminum back to the design throne with the entire iPhone 17 product line. In particular, the two high-end iPhone 17 Pro models will mark the first time the aluminum frame reappears on flagship devices, since Apple began to clearly differentiate between Pro and non-Pro versions.

In recent years, aluminum has mainly appeared on popular iPhone models such as the iPhone SE or iPhone 16, while high-end versions have favored stainless steel frames and most recently titanium frames on the iPhone 15 Pro, as a step to emphasize the difference.

However, this change with the iPhone 17 shows that Apple is moving towards a more unified design strategy, with a lightweight, durable and sophisticated aluminum frame that will be applied uniformly across the entire device line.

3. Completely new and significantly improved camera design

This year's iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to have a major breakthrough in design, especially in the rear camera cluster. Instead of keeping the familiar square camera cluster, Apple is said to switch to an aluminum horizontal bar design, extending along the width of the device.

This new camera cluster will be color-matched to the body, giving it a more seamless and premium look. However, this notable change will likely only appear on the Pro line, not the standard iPhone 17.

In addition, the back of the iPhone 17 Pro will also be redesigned with a combination of aluminum and glass. Specifically, the top half will use aluminum, including the camera cluster machined from aluminum instead of traditional 3D glass, while the bottom half is still glass to support wireless charging.

This is the first time Apple has brought aluminum back to the back of an iPhone since the iPhone 7, marking the return of a material that was once associated with iPhones in the pre-2017 era.

In addition, according to The Information, the new aluminum camera cluster on the iPhone 17 Pro will be larger in size than previous generations, promising to bring outstanding improvements in both photography performance and visual experience.

4. Screen with completely new size

Last year, Apple upgraded the screen size of the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, increasing from 6.12 inches and 6.69 inches to 6.27 inches and 6.86 inches respectively, providing a more spacious and vivid display experience for users.

Moving into 2025, Apple is expected to continue expanding this improvement to the standard iPhone line, with the basic iPhone 17 model also possessing a 6.27-inch screen, which was previously only available on the Pro line.

More notably, the successor to the iPhone 17 Plus, possibly called the “iPhone 17 Air,” is expected to feature a completely new screen size, promising to make a significant change in the way Apple shapes its product line.

5. 120Hz ProMotion Display (Always on Display)

Apple is expected to expand ProMotion technology to all iPhone models by 2025, bringing a 120Hz refresh rate to all versions, making scrolling smoother and optimizing the video experience. Previously, this feature was only available on high-end iPhone Pro models.

What's special is that ProMotion will allow the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air's screens to slow down to a refresh rate of just 1Hz, saving power. This feature not only improves performance but also allows the screen to always be on, displaying information such as the clock, widgets, notifications and Lock Screen wallpaper even when the device is in a locked state, providing convenience and ease of checking information quickly.

6. Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip

Apple's high-end iPhone models in 2025 are expected to be equipped with a custom Wi-Fi 7 chip for the first time. With Wi-Fi 7 support, the iPhone Pro models will be able to send and receive data simultaneously over the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands when connected to a compatible router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more stable connections.

Integrating Apple’s own Wi-Fi chip also reduces its reliance on outside suppliers like Broadcom, which currently supplies the iPhone’s combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips. This not only provides a performance advantage, but also gives Apple more control over the technology and optimizes its products.

7. 48MP resolution Telephoto lens

Apple is said to upgrade the telephoto lens to 48MP on the iPhone 17 Pro models, marking the first time the entire rear camera system uses a 48MP sensor, promising to deliver outstandingly detailed photos.

The lens is also said to be optimized to work with the Vision Pro headset, although the specific connection mechanism is currently unknown. According to rumors, Apple will switch from 5x optical zoom (120mm) to 3.5x zoom (85mm), a focal length more suitable for portraits and everyday photos, allowing users to easily frame without standing too far away.

The big breakthrough is the new 48MP sensor, which supports digital cropping with better quality, allowing for simulating long focal lengths without a significant loss of sharpness, a significant step up from traditional digital zoom.

8. 8K video recording

Apple is said to have tested 8K video recording on the iPhone 16 Pro, but the feature is not ready yet. However, with the complete 48MP rear camera cluster on the iPhone 17 Pro, the possibility of 8K video recording support this year is very high.

Currently, some competitors like Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or Google Pixel 9 Pro already offer this feature. Although not popular among content creators, 8K recording is still useful in many situations such as recording with the ultra-wide camera and then cropping the frame by 50% while still maintaining 4K resolution.

Notably, technology expert Mark Gurman (Bloomberg) once revealed that Apple will focus on superior video recording capabilities when launching the iPhone 17 Pro, and 8K could be the key feature promoted later this year.

9. 24MP selfie camera

According to rumors, the iPhone 17 series will have its front camera upgraded to 24MP with a 6-element lens, surpassing the 12MP camera and 5-element lens on previous generations.

Doubling the resolution not only makes photos sharper, but also maintains good quality when zooming in. In addition, the 6-element lens promises to bring clearer and more detailed images, improving the experience of taking selfies and video calling.

10. Scratch-resistant, anti-reflective screen

The iPhone 17 will reportedly feature a superior anti-reflective and scratch-resistant display, which is said to be better than the current Ceramic Shield layer on the iPhone 15.

Although the iPhone 16 Pro already uses a new generation of Ceramic Shield, which is twice as hard as regular smartphone glass, Apple is said to continue upgrading with an outer layer of glass with an "ultra-hard anti-reflective coating", which helps reduce glare and increase scratch resistance.

It's unclear whether Apple will adopt Gorilla Glass Armor like Samsung did on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the description of the technology from US materials technology group Corning is very similar to recent rumors.

11. Larger memory

One or more models in the iPhone 17 lineup are said to be getting upgraded to 12GB of RAM. Analyst Jeff Pu says both Pro models will get the higher RAM, while Ming-Chi Kuo says only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will get it. Another source claims the entire iPhone 17 lineup will get 12GB of RAM.

Previously, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus both had 6GB of RAM, while the iPhone 15 Pro and the entire iPhone 16 series had 8GB of RAM.

The increase to 12GB will improve multitasking capabilities, while also providing better support for Apple Intelligence features that require large data processing and language models that run directly on the device.

12. The “Dynamic Island” section is reduced in size

Apple's top-of-the-line iPhone in 2025 is expected to feature a significantly smaller "Dynamic Island" thanks to the application of ultra-thin metalens technology for the Face ID system, according to Jeff Pu and a source from China.

Unlike traditional curved lenses, metalens are flat lenses with microscopic patterns that help focus light more precisely in tight spaces. If the rumors are true, this will be the first time Apple has shrunk Dynamic Island since the feature debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022.

13. A19 processor

Apple typically upgrades its iPhone chips every year to boost performance and save battery life. While the iPhone 17 series hasn’t yet reached 2nm chips, it’s likely to use the new A19 chip, manufactured on the upgraded 3nm process (N3P) of the world’s leading semiconductor chipmaker TSMC.

As predicted, the iPhone 17 and 17 Air will use the standard A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will be equipped with the A19 Pro.

The N3P technology that TSMC will mass produce by the end of 2024 is expected to help the A19 chip increase performance, reduce power consumption and increase transistor density, surpassing previous 3nm generations.

14. Custom Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Chip

Starting in 2025, Apple will equip the iPhone 17 series with its own designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips, replacing the current components from Broadcom. This helps Apple reduce its dependence on outside partners and have better control over performance and system optimization.

According to analyst Jeff Pu, all four iPhone 17 models are expected to support Wi-Fi 7 thanks to the new chip. This is part of Apple's long-term plan to combine connectivity technologies into a single processor, in addition to the recently launched C1 modem.

15. New heatsink design

According to a report, the iPhone 17 series will feature a vapor chamber heatsink to improve thermal performance. Vapor chamber technology has been used in many high-end Android devices.

The vapor chamber works by spreading heat evenly over a larger surface area, preventing thermal throttling and maintaining consistent performance, which is especially beneficial in thin devices. The report claims that every model in the iPhone 17 series will adopt an improved thermal radiator.

16. Wireless reverse charging feature

According to leaked information from the social networking platform Weibo (China), Apple is testing the 7.5W wireless reverse charging feature on the iPhone 17 Pro.

This feature would allow the iPhone 17 Pro to power other Apple devices, like AirPods, Apple Watch, or possibly the new MagSafe Battery Pack.

17. Larger battery capacity

Apple is said to have increased the thickness of the iPhone 17 Pro Max to 8.725mm, compared to 8.25mm on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is an increase of 0.475mm.

According to the leaked source, this change certainly shows that the battery has a larger capacity. However, in terms of design, the iPhone 17 Pro Max frame is expected to have no changes, and its appearance will remain the same as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.