iPhone 17 Pro rumors: release date, specs, and everything you need to know
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max could come with a big camera upgrade, a new design, and huge batteries
š± Apple is rumored to release the iPhone 17 Pro later this year
šø The device is expected to get a couple of design tweaks, including a huge camera bump
š¤ It could sport an advanced cooling system, faster performance, and a slightly thinner Dynamic Island
š The batteries could grow this year, which is big news for power users
š Apple might even add āUltraā to the name of one of the phones
š Hereās what you need to know about Appleās next Pro iPhones
Appleās next premium phone, the iPhone 17 Pro, could be a pretty big upgrade.
The company is rumored to release the iPhone 17 Pro alongside the regular iPhone 17 and super-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and so far, the rumors are pretty juicy. Itās not like the phoneās going to fold or anything (although that could happen next year), but it should have an array of upgrades to help it stand out compared to last yearās excellent iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the latter of which could see an even more powerful successor with a new name.
Weāve been following along to all the biggest iPhone 17 Pro leaks and rumors, and thereās no doubt that these phones will be poised to take on the likes of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro with ease. Hereās what you should know about Appleās upcoming smartphones, summarized in our signature Shortcut style.
iPhone 17 Pro rumored release date and price
š Most likely September. The iPhone 17 Pro will be announced at Appleās September 9 āAwe droppingā event. Alongside it will be the regular iPhone 17 and the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. We predict the phone will go up for preorder a few days later on September 12, then launch on September 19, if history is any indication.
š° Itāll cost about the same. We havenāt heard any rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro price going up or down compared to the 16 Pro, so it seems we can expect the device to start at the same $999 for the smaller model and $1,199 for the larger one. Of course, inflation and ongoing tariff negotiations could cause the price to go up a bit, but right now, it doesnāt look like it will.
iPhone 17 Pro name rumor
š This could be an āUltraā year. There have been certain leaks that refer to the highest-end iPhone 17 as the "iPhone 17 Ultra,ā not the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple has never shipped an āUltraā iPhone, but itās shipped chips with āUltraā in the name before, so itās no stranger to the companyās branding. This rumor is extremely sketchy for now (hence why weāll refer to the bigger iPhone Pro as the 17 Pro Max), but interesting nonetheless.
iPhone 17 Pro design rumors
š Bye-bye, titanium. After switching to a titanium frame with the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple might ditch it and go back to using aluminum with the iPhone 17 Pro. It would be used on the frame of the device as well as at the top of the back of the phone for the camera system (more on that in a second). Meanwhile, the rest of the device will use glass, which is critical for wireless charging. Notably, weāve heard that the camera bump and back glass will be the same color, contrary to many leaked renders.
š· A Pixel-like camera bump. Apple might take a play out of Googleās playbook and add a huge camera visor to the back of the iPhone 17 Pro. Why? We donāt really know, but it could simply give Apple more room to fit more complicated components. The bump will keep the three main cameras to the left and move the LiDAR sensor and flash to the right. It also looks a lot different than the current iPhone, soā¦ I guess thatās a plus.
š Extra thickness. The iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly go in the opposite direction of the iPhone 17 Air and get a bit thicker. The 16 Pro Max is already 8.25mm thick, so itās likely that the phone wonāt get that much thicker. Itās meant to accommodate a larger battery, which is the only reason you should ever make your phone thicker, in my opinion.
šļø A slightly smaller Dynamic Island? There have been some rumblings that the iPhone 17 Pro Max could come with a smaller Dynamic Island, but it would only be shrinking a tiny bit. Between the fact that itās only supposed to happen on one of this yearās Pro phones and that weāve seen conflicting reports, itās probably best to assume the Dynamic Island wonāt be changing this year.
šŖ© The same screen sizes, now anti-reflective. Apple is expected to keep the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR displays on the iPhone 17 Pro series, but there will be a change on their top layer: the screens will get an anti-reflective coating, making them easier to see in direct sunlight. Samsung beat Apple to the punch by adding it to last yearās Galaxy S24 Ultra, so itās about time the iPhone caught up.
iPhone 17 Pro camera rumors
šø Triple 48MP. Apple is expected to include three 48MP cameras on the iPhone for the first time with the 17 Pro. The 5x telephoto lens will be getting a big upgrade from 12MP to the full 48MP that the ultra-wide and main cameras already enjoy.
š 5x to 8x. Apple will reportedly include the āmost powerfulā telephoto camera on any smartphone with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Its focal length will be able to physically move between 5x and 8x zoom, giving you more versatility than any telephoto camera weāve tested before. While phones like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro lean on AI for improved zoom quality, it seems that Apple will use hardware to make it happen.
š„ 8K video recording. There are some rumblings that Apple could finally bring 8K video to the iPhone with the 17 Pro. The company was rumored to be working on it for the 16 Pro, but ultimately scrapped it. Of course, itās unclear where youād watch the 8K video you record since no Apple device (and most peopleās TVs) donāt have an 8K screen, but it could somehow tie into creating content for the Vision Pro.
š A big selfie upgrade. Apple is rumored to double the amount of megapixels on the selfie camera in the iPhone 17 Pro. The phone will reportedly come with a 24MP sensor thatāll help let in light and capture more detail, which could be a game-changer for anyone trying to take selfies at night.
šļø Better ultra-wide photos? Thereās also a rumor that Apple will give the ultra-wide lens a mechanical aperture that can physically move to adjust the amount of light hitting the sensor. We havenāt seen a lot of rumors hinting at this, but it seems like a possibility given Appleās strong focus on cameras every year.
āļø Dual-capture mode. Jon Prosser said in a video about iOS 19 that he believes Apple will add the ability to record a video using both your rear and front cameras at the same time. Itāll be available on both the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max/Ultra, and itāll reportedly resemble a FaceTime call when recording video. We havenāt heard this rumor anywhere else beyond Prosser, so take this with a grain of salt.
iPhone 17 Pro specs rumors
šļø The fastest chip will likely get faster. Apple will more than likely upgrade the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro to the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro. Itās unclear how much faster itāll be, but itās supposed to be built on an upgraded N3P 3-nanometer process, meaning itāll run more efficiently while still improving speed.
š¾ RAM might get a boost. The iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to get four extra gigs of RAM, bringing the total up from 8GB to 12GB. This will help with background tasks, multitasking, and Apple Intelligence features, whatever they wind up being in iOS 19.
š§ Keeping things cool. It looks like Apple could be adding a new vapor chamber cooling system to the iPhone 17 Pro to keep things cool under heavy workloads. IF youāre unfamiliar, the system helps to disperse heat across the phone and vent it out while preventing any throttling. Weāve seen this technology in gaming phones and other high-end devices like the OnePlus 13, so it would make sense to see it from Apple.
š Bigger batteries FTW. Like I mentioned earlier, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to get a bigger battery, at least in the Pro Max. Itās unclear how big the battery will get, but any increase in capacity will be welcome. Notably, it doesnāt seem like Apple will be switching to a silicon carbon battery, which helps to increase capacity while limiting its overall size.
ā”ļø Reverse wireless charging? Thatās the question of the year for the iPhone 17 Pro series. We heard that the phone might add it since Apple reportedly had a prototype 17 Pro with the feature on deck. A recent rumor suggested that the feautre will make the final cut and actually ship. Right now, itās still unclear whether itāll actually happen, but we can cross our fingers.
š¶ No C1 for you. The iPhone 16e introduced Appleās own in-house 5G modem called C1 that improves efficiency while still supplying reliable sub-6GHz 5G connections. The iPhone 17 Air is also expected to come with the chip, but the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro will likely stick with a Qualcomm modem since Apple will likely want to offer mmWave 5G. Maybe the C2 will integrate mmWave so every iPhone can get the more efficient chip.
iPhone 17 Pro coverage continues
Weāll be keeping our eyes peeled for more iPhone 17 Pro rumors and leaks as they pop up. Subscribe to The Shortcut so you can stay up to date on all of them ahead of Appleās rumored September iPhone event.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. Heās been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.