iPhone 17 rumors say new Wi-Fi chip, faster display on the way

Rumors are heating up around the iPhone 17 and 17 Air, and two new reports could shed light on what to expect

Image credit: Max Buondonno / The Shortcut

• 📱 Apple will reportedly include its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in the iPhone 17

• 🛜 This could give your phone entirely new wireless capabilities

• 🤳 Another report says the iPhone 17 and 17 Air will get ProMotion displays

• 📅 We expect the iPhone 17 to arrive next September

While the dust is still settling from the launch of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, rumors continue to swirl around the iPhone 17 series, and it looks like it could offer a big upgrade for wireless connections. Apple is reportedly readying its own combination Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that will be included in the iPhone 17 and ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on X. In addition, a second report suggests the iPhone 17 and 17 Air will sport faster ProMotion displays, which can refresh at up to 120 times per second for an incredibly smooth experience.

Apple’s custom chips could add new wireless capabilities to iPhone 17

According to Kuo, Apple is starting to rely less on its current Wi-Fi chip supplier in order to make room for its own chip in the near future. We’ve been hearing about an Apple-designed Wi-Fi chip for some time, and it’s been rumored to arrive on iPhones since last year’s iPhone 15 series. While it hasn’t made its debut yet, it looks like it could come around in time for the iPhone 17 later next year.

Kuo says the chip will combine Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth into a single 3-nanometer process, which will give Apple greater control over the wireless experience of its phones. It’ll work in conjunction with the Cupertino company’s custom-designed 5G modem, which is rumored to debut in the iPhone SE 4 in early 2025. Previously, it was reported that the Wi-Fi and 5G chips would be an all-in-one affair, but that doesn’t seem to be the case any more.

Interestingly, Kuo also mentions other devices in Apple’s lineup will get the new Wi-Fi chip in the latter half of 2025, although it’s unclear which devices in particular will get it.

The new Wi-Fi chip could unlock new features in iOS and the larger Apple ecosystem since Apple will have more control over its functionality. What those features could be is unclear, but it’ll at least lay the groundwork for development moving forward. The chip could also translate to improved battery life since Apple will be able to control how efficient it is when operating.

ProMotion rumored again to come to iPhone 17

In a separate report, the iPhone 17 has once again been rumored to ship with 120Hz ProMotion displays. South Korean outlet ETNews says the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will sport the upgraded display tech, which helps everything look way smoother than the iPhone 16’s display can since it refreshes twice as often every second.

The one detail I’m looking for in these ProMotion reports is how slow the refresh rate can become. If it can reach 1Hz on the iPhone 17, that means the phones will likely get an always-on display since that’s what Apple requires for its AOD to operate. But if it follows in the footsteps of the iPhone 13 Pro and only slows to 10Hz, you might still need to buy a Pro-grade iPhone to get it.

The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are expected to debut next September, if history is any indication. We’ll also see the iPhone 17 Pro around the same time.

Max Buondonno is a writer at The Shortcut. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop.