It’s nearly iPhone season again. And if history (and leaks) are any guide, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. That’s right in line with the company’s usual launch schedule.
While the full iPhone 17 family will likely include four devices: the standard iPhone 17, the slimmer iPhone 17 Air, the high-end iPhone 17 Pro, and the massive iPhone 17 Pro Max, we’re focusing on just the base iPhone 17 here. And this year, it might actually feel like a proper upgrade.
1. A refreshed design, but still familiar
Apple is expected to make subtle yet noticeable changes to this year’s iPhone 17 design. The body will still be made of aluminum with a glass back, but the company is expected to improve the overall hands-on feel of the phone.
Size-wise, the iPhone 17 could be slightly taller and wider. That’s thanks to a 6.3-inch display, up from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 16, and slimmer bezels.
The iPhone 17 models are also expected to feature a redesigned Dynamic Island, although the change seems to be more software-based than hardware-related.
And speaking of appearance, Apple seems to be leaning into color again. The base iPhone 17 is expected to come in ultramarine blue, turquoise, pink, black, white, and possibly deep purple. It’s also rumored to include a dedicated camera control button.
2. 120Hz in base iPhones, finally!
Yes, you read that right — the base iPhone 17 may finally get a 120Hz display with ProMotion support. It’s been a long time coming, and Apple appears ready to introduce smoother scrolling and animations to all iPhone buyers, not just those spending $1,000 or more.
Apple will reportedly use LTPO technology, which enables a dynamic refresh rate. That means the screen can scale down to preserve battery life during static use or ramp up when needed for smoother visuals.
This also means we will get support for Always-On Display on the base iPhone. It’s strange, but AOD is a Pro-exclusive feature for iPhones to date. It will allow the screen to dim and show essential info like time, calendar events, and notifications even when the phone is locked.
3. Under the hood
The iPhone 17 is expected to debut with Apple’s new A19 chip. Unlike expected, it won’t be a 2nm SoC; rather, Apple is rumored to use an upgraded 3nm fabrication (3NP) process, which will bring increased performance efficiency. It’ll also be tuned for Apple Intelligence, Apple’s generative AI framework.
You can expect the A19 to feature:
- A 6-core CPU (2 high-performance + 4 efficiency cores)
- A 5-core GPU with hardware ray tracing
- A 16-core Neural Engine optimized for AI tasks
The base iPhone 17 will ship with 8GB of RAM, though there are also leaks about a 12GB version. Storage options will likely stay at 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
To keep all this cool, Apple is reportedly adding graphite plates and vapor chamber cooling. On the software front, the phone will launch with iOS 26.
4. A big change for the front camera
One of the more surprising upgrades will be on the front camera. The base iPhone 17 is rumored to jump to 24 megapixels, doubling the resolution of previous models. It’ll also use six-lens optics, which should help with clarity in both well-lit and low-light conditions.
This should be especially noticeable during FaceTime calls, selfies, and facial recognition tasks. It may even support variable aperture for better depth-of-field effects.
On the back, the iPhone 17 will likely include:
- A 48MP main sensor
- A 12MP ultra-wide
5. Battery, charging, and build changes
Battery life has long been a priority for Apple, and the iPhone 17 may make it easier to service, too. Apple is expected to use a new electrically-activated adhesive to secure the battery, which might make the replacement easier.
The iPhone 17 models are expected to support up to 35W wired charging speeds. On the wireless side, Apple could add support for up to 25W charging when using third-party chargers that comply with the new Qi 2.2 standard.
6. Price and availability
Apple is expected to keep the $799 starting price for the iPhone 17 with 128GB of storage. Pre-orders should go live within days of the announcement, and global availability will follow within two weeks.
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
Stay ahead in tech! Join our Telegram community and sign up for our daily newsletter of top stories.
