We Are Days Away From the iPhone 17 Pro's Likely Reveal: Will Apple Raise the Price?

  • The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max could get a price increase in the US.
  • The iPhone 17 Pro might have a rear camera bump that stretches across the entire phone.
  • iPhone 17 Pro rumors point to camera upgrades and a telephoto lens with up to 8x optical zoom.
  • The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are expected to be released Sept. 9, 2025.

This pricing news follows a recent alleged image of the iPhone 17 Pro’s aluminum chassis that appeared on the Chinese social media site Weibo, as reported by MacRumors. The photo shows an unfinished aluminum frame with cutouts for the cameras and a full-body wide camera bump (that lines up with other rumors). It’s impossible to know if this is an actual body for an iPhone 17 Pro or just a mock-up that someone made. But if it’s true, it validates previous rumors that Apple could be changing the iPhone Pro models’ frame from titanium to aluminum, which is much lighter.

Although speculation about an ultrathin iPhone 17 Air has hogged the spotlight, the Pro models tend to have more upgraded features. In addition to the camera, the Pro could get a surprising new color and the much-coveted scratch-resistant, antireflective display. 

Apple hasn’t announced anything or confirmed any rumors, and we likely won’t find out for sure until the next iPhone officially comes out. Until then, we’re tracking all the biggest leaks and rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and sharing what we’ve heard so far. 

Preorder the iPhone 16E

In February, Bu posted CAD renders of what could be the iPhone 17 lineup, and Front Page Tech also shared iPhone 17 Pro renders in this video on YouTube (Apple filed a lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser, featured in this video, over leaks about the iOS26): 

Pu wrote in March that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will feature a 48-megapixel telephoto rear camera, up from 12 megapixels on the iPhone 16 Pro models. That would mean all three cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro models — wide-angle, ultrawide and telephoto — would be 48 megapixels.

Front Page Tech reported in April that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may also add a built-in video feature that allows you to record with the front and rear cameras simultaneously. The feature would let you overlay a shot of your face over an outward-facing video. A video upgrade from the already stellar iPhone 16 Pro could add some serious value for video creators considering the iPhone 17 Pro.

Pro displays could get an antireflective upgrade

On July 16, MacRumors cited a “reliable source” in reporting that the Pro and Pro Max could get a scratch-resistant antireflective display, reversing itself on previous reports that Apple had to scrap plans due to scaling issues. If the latest rumor proves true, the upgrade from Apple’s Ceramic Shield display could prove an enticing feature for the Pro and Pro Max. 

Apple Insider reported in May that the iPhone 17 could get a larger display than the iPhone 16. DSCC founder and Counterpoint Research VP Ross Young posted on X that the base iPhone 17 will be 6.3 inches, an upgrade from the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch display. In theory, that means the iPhone 17 would have the same screen size as the iPhone 17 Pro.

Rumored design changes for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

The latest rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max design include colorful developments and a new frame composition.

Orange among the Pro color lineup

Rumors of a new color for the iPhone started in April, when Twitter user and leaker Majin Bu (not the Dragon Ball Z character) posted that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could get a sky blue option. 

But on July 14, Bu posted that Apple is ditching sky blue for the Pro Models, with only the rumored iPhone Air claiming the hue. Then on July 29, Bu posted a video on X of Pro mockups in four colors: 

  • black
  • silver
  • dark blue
  • orange 

Digital blogger Weibo said that one of the colors is “related to the liquid glass design of iOS 26,” saying it would be white but with different visual effects depending on which light it was in. 

The Pro models have traditionally featured more muted colors, so the prospect of an orange or glass-inspired color could offer an exciting new look for the Pro.

The change in location is reportedly coming to make room for the larger camera bump design.  

More RAM for iPhone 17 lineup

Apple Intelligence and AI are likely to play more prominent roles with the iPhone 17. To support the new features, all the iPhone 17 models will step up to 12GB of RAM, tipster Digital Chat Station reported in April. Kuo said the iPhone 17 Air and Pro models would get that increased 12GB of RAM, but not the base model.

Considering that the iPhone 16 lineup had 8GB of RAM across all models, this could be a big upgrade for the iPhone 17. 

Aluminum frames for all, except Air

There’s been plenty of discussion about whether the iPhone 17 Pro will ditch its titanium alloy frame for an aluminum one. In February, MacRumors said Pu predicted that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have all-aluminum frames or potentially part glass, part aluminum for better durability. The iPhone 17 Air would stick with Apple’s current titanium frame — or possibly a mix of titanium and aluminum.

Dynamic Island size in question

Pu predicted in May that all iPhone 17 models will use a new metalens technology for the proximity sensor, which could result in a smaller Face ID sensor and Dynamic Island, according to a report by 9to5Mac. However, Pu’s report contradicts Kuo, who said that the iPhone 17’s Dynamic Island would remain “largely unchanged” compared with the iPhone 16.

Dimensions

According to a report by 9to5Mac in May, the iPhone 17 Pro line may be thicker, 8.725mm, compared with the iPhone 16 Pro, which clocks in at 8.25mm thick. That larger size could potentially make room for more battery.  

In a post on X on July 11, Majin Bu showed a video of a case for a thicker iPhone 17 Pro model, with the design likely based on the iPhone 17 Pro’s rumored dimensions: 

New A19 Pro chip could improve performance

There’s been some back and forth about the chip for the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, but rumors have consistently given the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max the A19 Pro chip. 

Battery life could get a big boost 

What good is a new phone if it doesn’t last all day, right? The iPhone 17 Pro Max will get the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, the Weibo leaker known as Instant Digital said in a post on X, as reported by MacRumors. However, the site noted Instant Digital’s spotty record with Apple rumors. If the Pro’s dimensions are identical to the Pro Max’s, as they’re rumored to be, it stands to reason that the Pro could get the bigger battery, too.

And Majin Bu posted on July 3 that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will feature a vapor chamber cooling system, which could help prevent the bigger battery from overheating.

iPhone 17 Pro release date expected in September

Apple is holding an event on Tues. Sept. 9. We expect the iPhone 17 series to be announced along with new Apple Watches and AirPods. Preorders for a new iPhone typically begin the Friday after the announcement, with the phone shipping a week later. Based on the Sept. 9 event date, the preorder date could be Sept. 12.

Tariffs could raise the price, but there are other factors

Trump has raised, lowered and paused tariffs a dizzying number of times since February, all of which could affect the cost of the iPhone 17 Pro. 

Apple, which says it could move much of US iPhone production from China to India, has escaped many of the tariff hikes thanks to a reciprocal tariff exemption list that includes many phones, laptops and other electronics that Apple produces. 

However, all the reprieves appear to be temporary so reciprocal tariffs could still affect prices by the time the iPhone 17 is released. 

Trump threatened Apple with a 25% tariff on all iPhones made outside the country in a social media post on May 23. Later that day, he said that all smartphones — not just iPhones — would be hit with the 25% tariff by the end of June if they don’t move operations to the US.

Regardless of how tariffs play out, Apple plans to raise iPhone prices later this year, The Wall Street Journal reported. Apple apparently plans to ascribe the price increase to better features and design costs so it can avoid pointing the finger at tariffs and incurring the wrath of Trump (like Amazon temporarily did). 

Holland points out that the iPhone is overdue for a price bump. He noted that Apple has never increased the price for an iPhone Pro ($999) since the iPhone X was first introduced in 2017. 

So yes, you should expect to pay more for the iPhone 17, regardless of tariffs.

Read more: Thinking About Buying a New iPhone? Here’s Why You Should Wait

Are new iPhone rumors and leaks to be trusted?

Here’s the part where I come in and say: Everything’s a rumor until Apple officially releases the next iPhone. Rumors and speculation leading up to the iPhone’s release are often based on insider knowledge or leaked information from teams working on the iPhone’s designs, but those designs are works in progress — not necessarily the final product.

Source: CNET.

almond

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