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iPhone 17 Leaks Roundup: New Colors, Ultra-Thin ‘Air’ Model & Major Upgrades Ahead of Fall Launch

iPhone 17 Leaks Roundup: New Colors, Ultra-Thin ‘Air’ Model & Major Upgrades Ahead of Fall Launch

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Early September Launch Expected

Apple’s next iPhone reveal is right around the corner. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17 lineup is likely to be announced during the week of September 8, 2025, with Tuesday Sept. 9 or Wednesday Sept. 10 looking most likely macrumors.com macrumors.com. This timing fits Apple’s usual post-Labor Day event schedule. If history holds, pre-orders would follow later that week and a mid-September retail launch is anticipated tomsguide.com. Alongside the phones, Apple is expected to unveil new Apple Watch models at the event macrumors.com.

Four Models Including a New Ultra-Thin ‘Air’

This year Apple is rumored to launch four iPhone 17 models: the standard iPhone 17, a larger ultra-slim “iPhone 17 Air,” plus the high-end 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max macrumors.com. The iPhone 17 Air is generating huge buzz as 2025’s most exciting iPhone rumor, representing “the first real redesign… in years” macrumors.com. Leaked specs suggest the Air will be extremely thin (around 6mm thick) and very lightweight – similar to Samsung’s super-slim Galaxy S25 Edge, which reviewers found delightfully easy to hold macrumors.com. To achieve this skinny profile, Apple is making trade-offs: the Air will reportedly only have a single rear camera (no ultra-wide lens) and a smaller battery, meaning it “won’t be on par [in battery life] with the 17 and 17 Pro” macrumors.com.

Why “Air”? The Air seems to be all about sleek design. It’s rumored to use a titanium alloy frame for extra rigidity – a surprising choice, since titanium is actually heavier than aluminum. Analyst Jeff Pu claims iPhone 17 Air will have a titanium frame while the 17, 17 Pro and Pro Max use aluminum macworld.com. “This is a counterintuitive choice, to say the least, because titanium is heavier than aluminum, and the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be marketed as an ultra-lightweight smartphone,” Macworld notes macworld.com. The logic is that titanium’s greater strength could prevent a Bendgate 2.0 situation on the thin Air macworld.com. (Apple famously solved the 2014 iPhone 6 “bend” issues by reinforcing the internal chassis macworld.com, so some pundits are skeptical that titanium is truly needed.) In any case, the 17 Air aims to be an eye-catching ultra-thin iPhone for those prioritizing form over absolute camera prowess or battery endurance.

Design Changes: Camera Bar & Two-Tone Build

All signs point to a significant design shake-up for the iPhone 17 series – especially the Pro and Air models. Multiple leaks indicate the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Air will feature a new horizontal camera “bar” across the back macrumors.com, rather than the familiar separate camera bumps. In renders and dummy units this looks like a sleek strip housing the lenses (akin to Google’s Pixel design). Apple’s implementation will surely be refined, but it does mean a larger camera module area. In fact, Apple may reposition the rear Apple logo lower on the device to accommodate this camera bar and a new two-material back design macrumors.com. The Pro models are rumored to use a two-tone construction with “more metal and less glass” on the back for added durability macrumors.com. Some mockups show the logo integrated within the MagSafe charging ring area, which “looks odd” according to MacRumors’ sources macrumors.com – so it will be interesting to see the final design.

Another twist is the material for the Pro’s frame. After using titanium on the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple might drop back to aluminum for iPhone 17 Pro models macrumors.com. Aluminum would make the Pro phones lighter, but some fans see it as a downgrade in premium feel (aluminum is softer and less high-end than titanium or stainless steel). This rumor is not confirmed, but it aligns with the idea that only the special Air model gets titanium. “Aluminum is lighter than titanium, but it feels like a step backward in quality,” one commentator observed on the potential switch macrumors.com.

On the front, display sizes are growing slightly. The standard iPhone 17 is expected to jump to a 6.3-inch screen (up from 6.1″), matching the size of the 17 Pro macrumors.com. Meanwhile all four models – yes, even the non-Pros – are rumored to finally get 120Hz ProMotion displays macrumors.com. If true, this is a big deal: high refresh rate would no longer be a Pro-exclusive feature, giving every iPhone 17 model buttery-smooth scrolling. Apple may still reserve Always-On Display for Pros, but the core screen tech should achieve parity across the lineup.

Another display upgrade for the Pro models may come in the form of a special glass coating. After some back-and-forth rumors, a reliable source now says Apple will introduce a new anti-reflective, scratch-resistant glass on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max 9to5mac.com 9to5mac.com. Apple suppliers have apparently solved earlier production yield issues, meaning this anti-glare “super-hard” display coating is back on track for the Pro lineup only. The coating would reduce screen reflections (better outdoor visibility) and add durability against scratches 9to5mac.com. Notably, this feature was first rumored in March, then said to be canceled in April due to manufacturing problems 9to5mac.com – but as of this week it’s “back on” for the Pro models, according to MacRumors 9to5mac.com 9to5mac.com. Standard iPhone 17 and 17 Air will not get this new display coating if the reports hold 9to5mac.com. As 9to5Mac notes, an anti-reflective display could be a nice differentiator for the Pro models in a year when the flashy Air might otherwise steal some spotlight 9to5mac.com. (Still, given the seesawing rumors, it’s wise to stay cautious until Apple makes it official 9to5mac.com.)

Dynamic Island 2.0?

The front-camera cutout introduced with iPhone 14 Pro – the “Dynamic Island” – is reportedly set for its first major evolution on the iPhone 17. While the hardware cutout will likely remain similar this year, Apple is said to be redesigning the Dynamic Island interface to make it “more functional and integrated” tomsguide.com. Noted leaker Majin Bu recently hinted that Apple has a “significant evolution” planned for Dynamic Island’s capabilities, marking a “step forward in device interaction” tomsguide.com. Details are scarce (Bu deliberately kept specifics under wraps), but the expectation is that iPhone 17’s Dynamic Island will do more than previous iterations.

This could be a multi-year transition – Tom’s Guide points out that by 2026’s iPhone 18, Apple aims to hide Face ID under the display, leaving only a single pinhole camera, and by iPhone 20 even that may disappear with an under-display camera tomsguide.com. In that future, the concept of a black pill-shaped “island” might change radically. So iPhone 17 might be the start of these changes, potentially with a smaller or more info-rich Dynamic Island. One rumor claims the 17 Pro Max will use a new “metalens” technology on Face ID, enabling a “much narrowed” Dynamic Island area tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. For now, Apple is keeping the exact UI changes under wraps, but we may see new functionalities unveiled at the launch event.

Big Performance Boosts (No More Old Chips)

Apple’s chipset strategy is also shifting in 2025. Unlike recent years where non-Pro models used last year’s chip, the iPhone 17 and 17 Air are now expected to debut with the latest A19 chip, while the Pro/Pro Max get a souped-up A19 Pro variant macrumors.com. In other words, all models would feature new-generation 3nm silicon – great news for base-model buyers craving cutting-edge performance appleinsider.com appleinsider.com. (Apple was rumored to be considering using an older A18 for the base iPhone 17, but the analyst who claimed that has backtracked and “returned to the fold” with A19 predictions appleinsider.com appleinsider.com.)

So what does this mean? The A19 should bring speed and efficiency gains, and possibly new AI or graphics capabilities. The Pro models’ “A19 Pro” likely has higher GPU cores or clock speeds – similar to how the current A17 Pro differs from a hypothetical regular A17. Interestingly, one leaker says the iPhone 17 Air might use a binned version of the A19 Pro chip (perhaps a slightly lower-clocked Pro chip) appleinsider.com. Either way, even the cheapest iPhone 17 looks to get a serious upgrade in processing power over the previous generation.

Memory (RAM) is also getting a boost. Leaks suggest only the base iPhone 17 will stick with 8GB RAM, while the iPhone 17 Air, 17 Pro, and Pro Max jump to 12GB macrumors.com appleinsider.com. Furthermore, the Pro and Pro Max may use faster LPDDR5X memory, whereas the Air uses 12GB of standard LPDDR5 appleinsider.com appleinsider.com. More RAM means better multitasking and some future-proofing for advanced camera or AR features. As MacRumors wryly noted, “with AI evolving so rapidly, it’s less than ideal to handicap” one model with lower RAM macrumors.com – so it’s good to see only the base 17 might be RAM-limited.

To support the more powerful chips, Apple is reportedly improving cooling and thermals. The iPhone 17 chassis will dissipate heat more efficiently, allowing those A19 chips to run at full speed with less throttling under heavy load macrumors.com. This could involve new graphite layers or even a vapor chamber cooling system – details aren’t confirmed, but better sustained performance is the goal.

On the wireless side, all iPhone 17 models are expected to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 (Apple’s own custom Wi-Fi 7 chip) macrumors.com and of course support 5G. An intriguing rumor is that Apple’s first in-house 5G modem (the “C1” modem) might debut in the iPhone 17 Air macrumors.com. The Air would use Apple’s own modem (dropping Qualcomm) but with a catch: it may not support mmWave 5G macrumors.com, meaning the ultra-fast short-range 5G bands could be absent on that model. Meanwhile, the other iPhone 17 models would continue with proven Qualcomm modems for full 5G including mmWave macrumors.com. If true, this is a bold move – Apple testing its in-house modem in a niche model where super high-speed 5G is perhaps less critical to buyers.

One more tidbit: the iPhone 17 series is likely to support faster wireless charging, with third-party Qi2 chargers potentially up to 25W macrumors.com. That’s up from the 15W limit on current iPhones, which would make topping up the phone on a wireless pad more convenient.

Camera Upgrades: Sharper Zoom, Better Selfies, Possible Periscope

Photography will see incremental but meaningful upgrades on the iPhone 17 family. The headline change for camera enthusiasts is a telephoto resolution boost on the Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to get an upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto lens, replacing the old 12MP telephoto sensor for improved zoom detail macrumors.com. This could dramatically enhance the quality of zoomed-in shots and enable higher optical zoom levels or “lossless” digital zoom. Apple introduced a 48MP main camera last year, and extending that high-res treatment to the zoom lens will please those who shoot portraits or distant subjects. There’s even talk that Pro models might feature a mechanical aperture that can adjust to let in more or less light like a real camera macrumors.com, although it remains to be seen if that pans out or proves useful in practice.

All four models are said to share some camera improvements too. Notably, every iPhone 17 may sport a new 24-megapixel front-facing camera for sharper selfies and FaceTime video calls macrumors.com. That’s double the resolution of recent iPhones’ 12MP selfie cams, likely resulting in crisper details. Software enhancements will probably accompany the new sensor to optimize low-light performance and color.

On the video side, the iPhone 17 Pro could introduce 8K video recording macrumors.com for the first time on an iPhone. This has been rumored before and is definitely a niche feature – 8K footage would eat up huge storage and only benefit a small group of pro users. It might require recording to an external SSD for extended shoots macrumors.com. We’ll see if Apple enables it; if not, expect at least continued improvements to 4K HDR video and cinematic modes.

The iPhone 17 Air’s camera, as mentioned, will be pared down to a single rear lens macrumors.com. That likely means just a wide-angle 48MP main camera (possibly the same excellent sensor as the base iPhone 17), but no ultra-wide or telephoto on the Air. Apple is betting Air buyers will accept less photography flexibility in exchange for the super-slim form factor. The standard iPhone 17 (and possibly a 17 Plus, if it exists) should still have a dual-camera system (wide + ultra-wide) similar to current non-Pro models.

New Colors Across the Lineup

Apple is planning to spice up its color palette in 2025. Thanks to a leaked Apple internal document obtained by Macworld, we have a nearly complete list of iPhone 17 series color options macrumors.com macrumors.com – and it’s corroborated by multiple leakers. In total, 15 new colors are expected across the four models macrumors.com macrumors.com. Here’s the breakdown:

  • iPhone 17 (standard) – 6 colors: Black, White, Steel Gray, Green, Purple, and Light Blue macrumors.com. This includes some throwbacks (purple and green haven’t been seen in a while on base iPhones macrumors.com) and a new “Steel Gray” twist on the classic Space Gray macrumors.com. The Light Blue here is said to be a pale blue hue.
  • iPhone 17 Air – 4 colors: Black, White, Light Blue, and Light Gold macrumors.com. Notably, the Air’s Light Blue will be an even lighter “sky blue” shade similar to the MacBook Air’s color macrumors.com. And Light Gold marks the return of a gold tone for a non-Pro iPhone. MacRumors’ Juli Clover quipped that these choices (basically black/white plus pastel blue and pale gold) are “boring” macrumors.com – but they do fit the Air’s sleek aesthetic.
  • iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max – 5 colors: Black, White, Gray, Dark Blue, and Orange macrumors.com macrumors.com. The Pro models are finally breaking out of the muted grayscale palette with an all-new orange color as the highlight. This orange is expected to be a “more muted, copper-toned” shade rather than neon bright macrumors.com, but it’s still an unprecedented hue for iPhones. We haven’t seen an orange iPhone before, and it could be a signature color for this generation. The Dark Blue option might resemble the deep blue titanium finish from the iPhone 15 Pro era macrumors.com. Meanwhile Gray likely refers to a medium gray (possibly replacing last year’s Natural Titanium). Of course, Black and White (silver) remain staple choices on the Pro line.

According to MacRumors, at least three independent sources now agree on these color options, lending credibility to the leak macrumors.com. Apple often offers one unique hero color for Pro models each year (e.g. Midnight Green, Pacific Blue, etc.), and “that orange color” looks to be it for 2025 macrumors.com. There’s even chatter that Apple might market the orange with a special name or finish – one report describes a “Liquid Glass” orange concept for a Pro model macrumors.com, though details are scant. Meanwhile, the base iPhones get a fun mix, and the Pro Max shares the same colors as the Pro macrumors.com. If you were hoping for the bright yellow we saw mid-cycle on iPhone 15, sorry – yellow is notably absent this time macrumors.com. Instead, expect the lineup above, with Sky Blue now moved to the Air instead of the Pro according to the latest info macrumors.com.

Other Tidbits and What’s Next

A few more noteworthy rumors rounding out the iPhone 17 picture:

  • Battery Life: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to pack Apple’s biggest battery ever – around 5,000 mAh – which could push its longevity beyond the 16 Pro Max’s already impressive 33-hour rating macrumors.com. Combined with the efficient A19 Pro chip, the 17 Pro Max could become a true two-day phone for many users. The thin 17 Air, on the other hand, will have the smallest battery; Apple will optimize what it can, but physics limit its endurance macrumors.com.
  • Potential Price Hikes: Some analysts warn that base prices might rise due to various factors (inflation, tariffs, rising component costs) macrumors.com. No concrete numbers yet, but don’t be surprised if the iPhone 17 family costs a bit more than the iPhone 16 did – especially if the new tech (ProMotion on all models, etc.) increases Apple’s costs.
  • Possible U.S. Import Ban? In an odd twist, there’s a legal dispute involving Apple’s Chinese display supplier BOE and Samsung that could threaten certain iPhone models in the US. The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a preliminary ruling that BOE stole Samsung’s OLED display tech, and it recommended an import ban on devices using BOE panels macrumors.com macrumors.com. Some current iPhone 15/16 models use BOE-made screens, and the iPhone 17 series is expected to use BOE displays for some units (especially in China) macrumors.com macrumors.com. If the ruling is upheld in final judgment (expected by November 2025), Apple might have to ensure US-bound iPhones use Samsung or LG displays instead macrumors.com macrumors.com. Apple is already reportedly planning to restrict any BOE-supplied iPhone 17 Pro units to the Chinese market only (due to quality differences) macrumors.com macrumors.com. For consumers, this situation is mostly behind-the-scenes, but it’s an interesting drama: Samsung is effectively trying to make life hard for a rival (and by extension, for Apple’s supply chain). It’s unlikely to derail the iPhone 17 launch, but it’s something Apple will be managing carefully.
  • The Wait Is Almost Over: With production reportedly in full swing (recent supply chain reports say iPhone 17 manufacturing has reached key milestones in preparation for September intelligentrelations.com), we have less than two months until Apple’s keynote. Leaks and rumors will undoubtedly keep popping up – but the real confirmation comes when Tim Cook takes the stage. Based on this roundup, the iPhone 17 lineup is shaping up to be one of Apple’s most significant upgrades in years, bringing a new model, new materials, new colors, camera revamps, and performance leaps.

Get ready for Apple’s big reveal in early September to see how much of this intel pans out. If even most of it is true, iPhone fans are in for an exciting fall season with faster and flashier iPhones to choose from – whether you crave that Pro powerhouse or the slender style of the new Air. As always, we’ll be watching closely when Apple officially unveils the iPhone 17 series and confirms which rumors hit the mark macrumors.com macrumors.com. Until then, stay tuned – the rumor mill isn’t done yet!

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