By Staff Reporter
With all the rumoured upgrades, is the iPhone 17 series worth the upgrade?
Say hello to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max — sleeker, cooler, and just three months away. Rumour mill’s buzzing: think aluminum structure (titanium for the Pro Max), a sky blue stunner, beefier batteries, 8K video magic, a smooth-as-butter 120Hz display and a 48MP zoom. Does that mean business? Throw in Apple’s A19 Pro chip, Wi-Fi 7, 12GB RAM, and dual video wizardry. Could this be just the glow-up your pocket’s been waiting for?
Leakers continue to dish out speculation about so-called “upgrades” on the upcoming iPhone 17 series, of which there are four models expected.
The four variants include the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, the Pro and Pro Max. Is it worth upgrading from the 16 or earlier versions?
As the debate rages on, here’s what we know about the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max so far (as of mid-June), some 3 months from September launch.
Rumour mill’s buzzing
About eight months ago, Apple Hub summed up and teased upcoming specs of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in particular. The blog has a fairly good record as tech product leaker.
When will Apple launch the iPhone 17? Do I want to buy it?
In a post on X, the site emphasised the iPhone 17 comes with a completely revamped design — a more pronounced “camera bump”, new frame machining, and a shift from titanium to aluminum.
The structural shift of the Pro Max is the “biggest departure” so far (from previous iPhone), Apple Hub noted.
That’s apart from styling.
It also teased a 6.9-inch OLED display, a 120Hz refresh rate and a titanium design for the Pro Max.
This is the reported “final design” of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, as per YouTuber Matt Talks Tech. The highly-anticipated premium smartphone from Apple includes Sky Blue colour, bigger batteries, 8K video, and a 48MP zoom, as well as Apple’s A19 Pro chip, Wi-Fi 7, 12GB RAM, and dual video.
This is the reported “final design” of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, as per YouTuber Matt Talks Tech. The highly-anticipated premium smartphone from Apple includes Sky Blue colour, bigger batteries, 8K video, and a 48MP zoom, as well as Apple’s A19 Pro chip, Wi-Fi 7, 12GB RAM, and dual video.
Screengrab | Matt Talks Tech
12 new changes
Apple Hub identified new changes, or 12 major upgrades, coming to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, a list echoed by Jason C, who runs Phone Made Simple site, as well as MacRumors:
Sleek aluminum + glass body
Bold new camera bump
Fresh “Sky Blue” colour
Bigger battery (Pro Max)
A19 Pro chip
Apple-made Wi-Fi 7
24MP front camera
48MP telephoto lens
Front + rear video recording at once
8K video
12GB RAM
New vapour-chamber cooling
Rumoured extras:
Mechanical variable aperture
Shrunk-down Dynamic Island
ProMotion (120Hz) for every model
What we know so far
In terms of design and structure, the iPhone 17 has a more pronounced rectangular camera bump, a reshaped frame, and a switch from titanium to aluminum.
Other tech watchers, including Unbox Therapy, also confirmed the 17 is a “sizable redesign”, including a camera bump.
Launch timing
Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone event in early to mid-September 2025, likely around September 9–10 (Tuesday/Wednesday) for the announcement, with pre-orders that Friday and availability the following week.
Tech talk sites specifically point to September 11–13 for the Pro models, including Pro Max.
Pricing
In the US, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to start above $1,199, though a tariff scenario could push it as high as $1,700 to $2,300+ as per Toms Guide.
Toms Guide says a “modest” price increase is likely due to tariffs and global manufacturing shifts. In India, leaks suggest the iPhone 17 may have the following pricing:
Base iPhone 17: Around Rs89,900.
iPhone 17 Air: Around Rs95,000
Pro Max: Around Rs164,900
Speculation
All of these, however, are speculative. While tech leaks are good indicators of what’s to come, nothing is etched in stone (titanium?) until Tim Cook or someone senior at Apple makes the September reveal.
With all the rumored upgrades, is the iPhone 17 series worth the upgrade?Or you’re the type of use who keeps your iPhone for at least 3 years before making an upgrade.
Source: Gulf News
