iPhone 17 Pro release date: rumors, specs, and everything you need to know
Apple's next premium iPhones could come with big camera upgrades and - potentially - a new name.
📱 Apple is rumored to release the iPhone 17 Pro later this year
📸 The device is expected to get a couple of design tweaks, including a huge camera bump
🤖 It could sport an advanced cooling system, faster performance, and a slightly thinner Dynamic Island
🔋 The batteries could grow this year, which is big news for power users
👀 Apple might even add “Ultra” to the name of one of the phones
📝 Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s next Pro iPhones
Apple’s 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. It’s not like the phone’s 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 year’s excellent iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the latter of which could see an even more powerful successor with a new name.
We’ve been following along to all the biggest iPhone 17 Pro leaks and rumors, and there’s no doubt that these phones will be poised to take on the likes of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and upcoming Pixel 10 Pro with ease. Here’s what you should know about Apple’s upcoming smartphones, summarized in our signature Shortcut style.
iPhone 17 Pro rumored release date and price
📅 Most likely September. Apple has released every major iPhone in September for years, and we don’t expect the company to change that with the iPhone 17 Pro. The company typically waits until the middle of the month to make the announcement, then ship the phones about a week and a half later.
💰 It’ll cost about the same. We haven’t 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 doesn’t look like it will.
iPhone 17 Pro name rumor
🏆 This could be an “Ultra” year. There have been certain leaks that refer to the highest-end iPhone 17 as the "iPhone 17 Ultra,” not the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple has never shipped an “Ultra” iPhone, but it’s shipped chips with “Ultra” in the name before, so it’s no stranger to the company’s branding. This rumor is extremely sketchy for now (hence why we’ll refer to the bigger iPhone Pro as the 17 Pro Max), but interesting nonetheless.
iPhone 17 Pro design rumors
👋 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.
📷 A Pixel-like camera bump. Apple might take a play out of Google’s playbook and add a huge camera visor to the back of the iPhone 17 Pro. Why? We don’t 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, so… I guess that’s a plus.
📐 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 it’s likely that the phone won’t get that much thicker. It’s meant to accommodate a larger battery, which is the only reason you should ever make your phone thicker, in my opinion.
🏝️ 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 it’s only supposed to happen on one of this year’s Pro phones and that we’ve seen conflicting reports, it’s probably best to assume the Dynamic Island won’t be changing this year.
🪩 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 year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, so it’s about time the iPhone caught up.
iPhone 17 Pro camera rumors
📸 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.
🙂 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 that’ll help let in light and capture more detail, which could be a game-changer for anyone trying to take selfies at night.
🏞️ Better ultra-wide photos? There’s 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 haven’t seen a lot of rumors hinting at this, but it seems like a possibility given Apple’s strong focus on cameras every year.
iPhone 17 Pro specs rumors
🏎️ 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. It’s unclear how much faster it’ll be, but it’s supposed to be built on an upgraded N3P 3-nanometer process, meaning it’ll run more efficiently while still improving speed.
👾 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.
🧊 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 you’re unfamiliar, the system helps to disperse heat across the phone and vent it out while preventing any throttling. We’ve 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.
🔋 Bigger batteries FTW. Like I mentioned earlier, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to get a bigger battery, at least in the Pro Max. It’s unclear how big the battery will get, but any increase in capacity will be welcome. Notably, it doesn’t seem like Apple will be switching to a silicon carbon battery, which helps to increase capacity while limiting its overall size.
⚡️ Reverse wireless charging? That’s 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. Right now, it’s unclear whether it’ll actually ship, but we can cross our fingers.
📶 No C1 for you. The iPhone 16e introduced Apple’s own in-house 5M 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
We’ll 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 Apple’s rumored September iPhone event.
Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s 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.
