10 New Updates Coming to the iPhone 17 Pro

Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup at its upcoming “Awe Dropping” event on September 9, with the iPhone 17 Pro models receiving several noteworthy changes over the iPhone 16 Pro series. While the iPhone 17 Air is expected to grab attention as the new ultra-slim variant, the iPhone 17 Pro is also getting updates in design, hardware, and camera capabilities.

Here are 10 key changes expected in the iPhone 17 Pro over the last generation.

1. Redesigned Rear Panel

Apple is shifting from the all-glass back used on the iPhone 16 Pro to a hybrid aluminum-glass design for the iPhone 17 Pro. The new back will feature a glass section around the MagSafe area and the Apple logo, while the rest will be made of aluminum, improving overall durability and reducing weight.

2. New Camera Bump

The familiar square-shaped camera bump will be replaced by a wide rectangular bar, stretching across the top portion of the device. The three camera lenses will still be arranged in a triangular layout, but the flash and LiDAR sensor will move to the opposite side. This change may also affect the position of the Apple logo.

3. Slightly Thicker Body

The iPhone 17 Pro is expected to measure 8.725mm in thickness, slightly up from 8.25mm on the iPhone 16 Pro. The added space could accommodate a larger battery and improved thermal management components, which should help the phone last longer, both in gaming sessions and regular use.

4. New Colors

In addition to traditional black, white, and gray variants, Apple is rumored to introduce bolder finishes like dark blue and an “orange” tone resembling copper, as shown in the image above.

5. Upgraded Display

While the OLED display is expected to remain unchanged in size and resolution, the iPhone 17 Pro may use a new anti-reflective coating, similar to Samsung’s Ultra phones. This finish is expected to reduce glare for sunlight viewing and offer improved scratch resistance over the Ceramic Shield used on previous models.

6. A19 Pro Chip

The A19 Pro chip will power the iPhone 17 Pro, manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm process. Although the performance jump may not be dramatic, efficiency gains and thermal improvements, thanks to a vapor chamber cooling system, could result in better sustained performance.

7. Increased RAM

Apple is planning to bump the RAM from 8GB to 12GB across the iPhone 17 Pro models. This upgrade will help support more advanced multitasking and hopefully more AI features.

8. Larger Battery and Qi 2.2 Support

The iPhone 17 Pro could feature a battery capacity exceeding 5,000 mAh, a first for any iPhone. In addition, it will support Qi 2.2 wireless charging, enabling 25W charging speeds with compatible accessories, matching current MagSafe performance.

9. Camera Enhancements

All three rear cameras are expected to receive 48MP sensors, including an updated telephoto lens. The Pro Max version might offer up to 8x optical zoom. Apple may also introduce dual-camera video recording, an upgraded 24MP front-facing camera, and 8K video recording capabilities.

10. AI Features

Apple has been taking its sweet time developing AI features behind the scenes and has also been lagging behind its Android rivals in terms of output quality. This is why fans are expecting to see new AI features announced at this event, though it remains to be seen whether they will be powered by Google’s Gemini, ChatGPT, or a custom AI model developed by Apple itself.