The iPhone 17 Air may be getting most of the attention when it comes to Apple's potential phone releases this fall, but don't sleep on the iPhone 17 Pro.
Updated June 10
• Apple has previewed iOS 26, the new software that will run on the iPhone 17 models.
• The new iPhones could support faster wireless charging thanks to an updated Qi2 charging standard.
• It looks like the iPhone 18 Pro will get a 2nm chipset and not the iPhone 17 Pro models.
• The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 Pro could get smaller
• The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 may have the same size display
Apple has devoted a lot of attention to its Pro model in recent years, in the hopes of convincing phone buyers to look past the entry-level iPhone and pay more for a premium device. That figures to continue this year.
After all, just look at the changes Apple introduced last fall with the iPhone 16 Pro. That model received a bigger screen, upgraded cameras and longer battery life thanks to a larger battery and more power efficient processor, among other enhancements. That's a lot of improvements to make on just one model.
So how does Apple follow up on that with the iPhone 17 Pro? Based on the rumors that have emerged several months ahead of the phone's likely launch, several other notable changes are in the works for this year's model.
This could include a new design, upgraded telephoto and selfie cameras, a more powerful A19 Pro chip and a revamped iOS 19 interface.
Here's what we know so far about the iPhone 17 Pro.
iPhone 17 Pro cheat sheet
- A new design with a rectangular camera array
- Aluminum frames possibly replacing titanium
- A19 Pro chip built on a next-gen 3nm process
- Vapor chamber cooling to combat overheating
- 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB
- A 48MP telephoto lens with a 3.5x optical zoom, replacing the 12MP zoom lens with 5x zoom
- An upgraded 24MP front camera
- iOS 26 software featuring a massive redesign
iPhone 17 Pro possible release date and price
A potential release date for the iPhone 17 Pro is easy to predict, given Apple's track record with its annual flagship rollouts. Apple typically announces its new phones in September, usually in the first half of the month. It's unlikely that the launch of the iPhone 17 models, including the Pro, will be any different.
Pricing is a lot harder to forecast, and not just because we remain many months away from a potential iPhone 17 Pro launch. The Trump administration is looking to impose tariffs on other countries, with a particular focus on China where a lot of iPhone parts are sourced and a lot of phone assembly takes place.
The status of tariffs are up in the air as of this writing, so it's impossible to predict what impact they might have on phone prices this fall. With Donald Trump specifically threatening to impose a tariff on Apple unless it moves phone manufacturing to the U.S. though, it's not looking encouraging. At any rate, the Wall Street Journal says that Apple is mulling over a price hike on the iPhone 17 models.
Even before the tariff talk emerged, one leaker claimed the iPhone 17 lineup would see its first price hike in a while, though it's unclear if that leaker meant every model or specific phones like the iPhone 17 Pro.
Though that rumor is thinly sourced, it is possible that the iPhone 17 Pro's price could inch upward from the $999 that Apple charges for the iPhone 16 Pro, particularly if the company wants to sell the iPhone 17 Air for less than $1,000.
Expect more clarity on iPhone 17 Pro pricing to emerge the closer we get to the fall.
iPhone 17 Pro design and display
The iPhone 17 Pro could be in for a major design change, at least when it comes to the backside of the phone.
On the iPhone 16 Pro, the rear cameras are housed in a square camera array in the left upper corner of the phone. However, leaked CAD designs have suggested that Apple is extending that array across the length of the iPhone 17 Pro.
The lenses would still be arranged in a triangular pattern in the left corner, but other sensors would appear on the opposite end of the phone. The proposed look is similar to what Google offers with the horizontal camera bar on its Pixel 9 flagships, though renders depict a thicker camera bar on Apple's phone.
Leaked cases for the iPhone 17 Pro feature a cutout for the elongated camera array. And additional case leaks have hinted that case makers are working on customized camera covers that take advantage of the expanded space between the lenses and the sensors in the revamped camera array.
We've also seen these designs appear in dummy form, such as from AppleTrack, which match these earlier leaks and show how everything looks in 3D.
Note that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has dismissed rumors that Apple would adopt a two-color tone for the array and the back of the phone, saying instead that the array is likely to be the same color.
As for other potential design changes, analyst Jeff Pu initally claimed that the Dynamic Island would be smaller on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but now he's amended that to cover all iPhone models including the iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple currently uses titanium frames in its Pro models, and there's been some talk that the iPhone 17 Pro would swap in aluminum instead. However, other leaked claims say that Apple will stick with titanium going forward.
While the iPhone 16 Pro introduced a larger display — it grew to 6.3 inches compared to the 6.1-inch panel on its predecessor — the iPhone 17 Pro doesn't figure to make any such change to its screen. In fact, it's the iPhone 17 that could get a larger display, matching the 6.3-inch size of the Pro model.
One leaker had suggested that Apple will turn to "Low-Dielectric TEE" technology for the iPhone 17 Pro display to improve power efficiency and make the screen more durable. But a more recent report has indicated that Apple won't add that new anti-scratch, anti-glare display on either iPhone 17 Pro model.
iPhone 17 Pro color rumors have been sparse up until now, but an initial claim from leaker Maijin Bu touts a sky blue color option for the Pro that would replicate the color available for the MacBook Air M4.
iPhone 17 Pro cameras
After the iPhone 16 Pro introduced a 48MP ultrawide lens alongside a faster 48MP main Fusion camera, there's only one lens left to upgrade on the iPhone 17 Pro. And rumors suggest the telephoto camera could get a resolution boost, though it may come with a caveat.
Rumors tip the iPhone 17 Pro to feature a 48MP zoom lens, giving the phone a trio of 48MP rear camera sensors across the board. However, that improvement could come at the expense of zoom capabilities, as a report claims the new lens would support a 3.5x optical zoom. The iPhone 16 Pro offers a 5x zoom.
The front camera could be due for an upgrade, though that change will reportedly happen for every iPhone 17 model. The TrueDepth camera on this year's iPhones could use a 24MP sensor instead of the 12MP shooter Apple's relied on for years.
New camera features typically don't leak out until just before a phone's launch, but Front Page Tech's Jon Prosser says the iPhone 17 Pro models will gain dual video capture capabilities.
That means you'll be able to record video from both the front and back cameras. The feature could be particularly useful on FaceTime calls, where you can record yourself with the front camera while use a rear camera to show what you're looking at to anyone on the other end of the video call.
iPhone 17 Pro performance and battery life
For the iPhone 17 Pro, we expect an A19 Pro system-on-chip to power the phone. If Apple takes the same approach it did with the A18 silicon, that would mean an extra graphic core for the Pro version of the A19 chips.
Initial rumors suggested that the A19 silicon would be built on a 2nm process, which would mean more densely packed transistors resulting in better performance and power efficiency. Lately, though, rumors have said that Apple's chip-building partner will use a new generation of its 3nm process, which should deliver some improvements over the A18 Pro silicon in the current Pro models. Reports now suggest the iPhone 18 Pro models will be the first iPhones to get 2nm chipsets.
Apple includes 8GB of RAM on its current iPhones. Analyst Jeff Pu has raised the possibility of the iPhone 17 Pro models adding more memory to reach 12GB. Such a move would help with Apple's push to add more on-device artificial intelligence.
To help keep its phones from overheating, Apple is said to be working on a vapor cooling chamber, which would replace the standard heatsinks found in Apple's current phones. While initial rumors were unclear whether every iPhone 17 model would adopt this cooling chamber, the latest claim is that only the Pro models will offer vapor cooling.
The larger iPhone 16 Pro design allowed Apple to use a larger 3,582 mAh battery in that phone. It's unclear if Apple will have any room to increase battery size again for the iPhone 17 Pro or simply rely on better power efficiency to extend the battery life of its new phone.
One thing that could change on the power front would be a boost to the iPhone 17 Pro's charging speeds from the 20W maximum that Apple's phones have been stuck at for years.
A research note from February claims charging speeds on the iPhone 17 lineup could increase to 35W. That's still a far cry from what phones like the Galaxy S25 Ultra offer with their 45W wired charging speeds, but it's still a definite improvement.
Meanwhile regulatory filings indicate a Qi2 wireless charging upgrade bringing faster speeds could be in place for the iPhone 17 lineup to benefit from.
iPhone 17 Pro software
Apple has taken the wraps off iOS 26, previewing the software during its WWDC 2025 event. This software will almost certainly appear on the iPhone 17 Pro when the phone ships, and it delivers a new Liquid Glass design that takes its cues from Apple's visionOS software.
In addition to the new look, there are the usual round of updates to existing apps, along with the addition of a new Games app that organizes all your mobile gaming activity in one place.
Apple Intelligence features aren't getting the kind of hype they did a year ago, but Apple is adding to the suite of AI tools on its phones. You'll get live translation tools for phone calls, FaceTime sessions and text messaging, and Apple is adding call screening features as well. Visual Intelligence will now be able to look up information that's captured on your iPhone screen, too.
iPhone 17 Pro outlook
If the early iPhone 17 Pro rumors pan out, it doesn't sound like Apple is going to stop lavishing attention on its Pro models. Potential camera improvements and a new design lead the changes we've heard about so far, and other potential improvements could emerge in the months between now and the launch of the new Apple phones.
All eyes figure to be on the iPhone 17 Pro's price and what impact tariffs may have on the cost of upgrading your phone in the fall. Unfortunately, that picture doesn't look like it's going to become clearer any time soon.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
