Knowing about the major internal changes awaiting our phones with iOS 26, we are eagerly awaiting to see how Apple has updated its latest smartphones: the iPhone 17 lineup. We’ll have to wait over a month to find out — if Apple sticks to its usual release schedule — but for now, we can only guess what the new phones will look like. As with most unreleased iPhone models, rumors and leaks about the hardware have emerged ahead of the official presentation. Here’s what we expect and what we reasonably assume we’ll get from Cupertino in September.
What are the latest rumors and reports about the iPhone 17?
Surprisingly, the latest rumors are not about the details of the iPhone 17 itself, but about when it will finally be unveiled. MacRumors reported on information originally published by iphone-ticker.de that the Apple iPhone 17 presentation could take place on Tuesday, September 9, according to information received from German mobile operators.
Although iPhone presentations usually take place around the second half of September, we won’t know the exact date until Apple makes an official announcement.
How much will the iPhone 17 cost?
Apple’s announced plan to expand its network of manufacturing partners in the US seems to at least partially protect the company from the Trump administration’s highest tariffs, which have already caused prices to rise on everything from Switch game consoles to high-end cameras and Sonos speakers. But given that President Trump’s trade policy can change from week to week and Apple continues to rely on Asian supply chains, price shocks remain a real possibility. The more important question is: Will Apple absorb any higher costs or pass them on to consumers?
If prices do rise, Apple may decide to combine this with an “update.” Check out this recent rumor published by MacRumors from a tipster known as “Instant Digital,” which suggests that the standard storage capacity for the iPhone 17 lineup could be 256 GB, double the current base capacity of 128 GB. While this may come with a $50 price increase, Apple could at least position it as a “better deal.” On the other hand, in 2024, the company doubled the standard RAM capacity of its Mac computers from 8 GB to 16 GB at no additional cost, but that was before the start of Trump’s current tariff cycle.
When will the iPhone 17 series be announced?
Flagship smartphones are usually unveiled in September. It is too early to talk about specific dates; in some years, Apple only gives a week or two between sending out invitations and holding the event. But years of experience show that the 17 models should debut sometime in September. However, this series of smartphones may be the last to follow this trend. There are hints that the presentation of the iPhone 18 collection in 2026 will be split into a pro-level announcement in the fall and a standard model announcement next spring.
What will be included in the new iPhone 17 lineup?
According to design leaks, Apple is developing an ultra-thin smartphone, which will likely be called the iPhone 17 Air to match the name of Apple’s ultra-light laptop. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who is often a reliable source of information about Apple, reported in January that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a base A19 chip and will have only one camera lens. It may also use Apple’s new internal modem, which was introduced in February on the iPhone 16e. More details about this development may leak out by September, but that’s all we know at this point.
In a note to investors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu stated that the Air will feature a titanium body. If his report is accurate, this lightweight smartphone will be the only one in the iPhone 17 lineup to use this metal; the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to be made of aluminum, which, unsurprisingly, is a lighter material than titanium. Other speculation has suggested that the Air will be made from a mixture of aluminum and titanium, so the exact materials may not be known until the official announcement.
In addition, a MacRumors report from August 4 states that the iPhone Air’s internal battery is only 2.49 mm thick, which is half the thickness of the iPhone 17 Pro’s battery. This information was published on the Korean-language blog Naver, which shows what are allegedly the batteries of the iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro side by side. The same report claims that the 17 Air’s battery capacity is only 2800 mAh, MacRumors notes. (This is less than the battery capacity of the current iPhone 16 models.)
Each new model range includes a base model, but over the years Apple has changed the range of phones it offers. Most likely, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro will be released. Apple also adheres to the “size matters” philosophy and creates the iPhone Pro Max model with an even larger screen and better battery life; the 17 model range will almost certainly also have such a model.
The new iPhone Pro models are said to feature a “camera island” on the rear panel that spans the entire width, which would be the first time Apple has opted for such a design. This feature can be seen in the iPhone 17, which has reportedly been “spotted in the wild.” The photos published on the MacRumors website show an iPhone (17 Pro?) in a black case with a distinctive rear panel. Is this a real device? The double angle of the shot adds some credibility in the age of social media, where AI-generated fakes are increasingly common, but your guess is as good as ours.
The iPhone 17 Air appears to be poised to take the place of the potential iPhone 17 Plus. Since the iPhone 16e was introduced in February at a surprisingly high price, it is unlikely that a new model, formerly known as the SE, will appear in the lower segment of the range.
At least, it seems that the iPhone 17 Air will not get rid of the charging port and will not rely solely on wireless connectivity. Bloomberg reported that although Apple was considering releasing the iPhone 17 Air without any ports, the company (fortunately) changed its plans. It also notes that the phone is rumored to have a 6.6-inch screen and will be equipped with a Dynamic Island button and Camera Control. Finally, the price is rumored to be $900 — likely more than the standard iPhone 17, but less than the Pro.
We have also received what appears to be reliable information about the color range of the new smartphones. Macworld reported that the iPhone 17 will be available in black, white, steel gray, green, purple, and light blue. The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have four color options: black, white, light blue, and light gold. While the Air colors will be less saturated, the visual effects for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be vibrant. The options for the Pro models are expected to be black, white, gray, dark blue, and orange.
On July 30, Tom’s Guide published a post by Sonny Dickson — a long-standing and generally reliable source of information about unreleased iPhone models — with images of iPhone 17 “mockups” in new colors, which were the source of the aforementioned Macworld article. Although these are literally just mockups — not actual iPhones that have been leaked — it’s interesting to see how the rumors about the design and colors translate into real-life form and feel.
What will iOS 26 be like?
Apple changed its numbering system at WWDC 2025 and will now combine the name of each new operating system with the year of its release. So when the next iPhone series comes out, they will run on iOS 26.
In terms of design, the smartphone operating system unveiled during a major presentation for developers used a controversial approach called Liquid Glass. Apple reduced the number of transparency effects in subsequent beta tests of iOS 26, but the visual glass effect will remain.
The list of features includes major and minor updates. Most notably, the Phone and Photos apps have been redesigned. There will be several features that use artificial intelligence, such as real-time translation features that will appear in the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps. Apple is also currently testing sensitive content warnings for children’s accounts, which freeze FaceTime videos if machine learning tools on the device detect nudity. In addition, the company is launching Visual Intelligence, which will use artificial intelligence to search for elements in an image.
iOS 26 also has a number of minor improvements that enhance the quality of life. Group text messages will support polls. And for those who wake up slowly, iOS 26 will finally allow you to get rid of the tyranny of the nine-minute alarm clock.
The next version of iOS is now available as a public beta. Here are our first impressions of the Liquid Glass design and other new features. iOS 26 is compatible with all models starting with the iPhone 11.
