iPhone 17 Pro: New design, camera upgrades and more expected from Apple

Apple's new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to debut with a redesigned camera bar, all-48MP rear cameras, A19 Pro chip, a larger battery, and reverse wireless charging support

Apple will be hosting its ‘Awe dropping’ event on September 9, where it is expected to launch the new iPhone 17 series. Alongside the all-new iPhone 17 Air, the spotlight will also be on Apple’s ultra-premium offerings — the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. This year, Apple is tipped to deliver one of the biggest upgrades to its Pro lineup in terms of design, performance, cameras, display, and battery life.

 

Here’s everything expected from the iPhone 17 Pro models:

iPhone 17 Pro/ Pro Max: What to expect

Design

Apple is expected to introduce its biggest design overhaul in years with the Pro lineup. The most noticeable change is said to be in the rear camera housing. Instead of the familiar square-shaped camera bump, Apple may adopt a horizontal camera bar that spans across the back of the phone. The lenses are expected to remain aligned as before, but the flash and LiDAR sensor could shift to the opposite side for a refreshed look. 

 

  The devices could feature a dual-tone design with an all-aluminium frame and a matching aluminium camera bar, while the bottom half remains glass to support MagSafe, wireless charging, and pass-through functionality. The Apple logo will reportedly stay in the middle but be realigned to sit specifically within the glass section instead of the entire back panel.

 

Colour choices may also expand this year, with Apple expected to introduce a copper-like orange finish alongside black, grey, silver, and dark blue options.

Display

Apple was initially expected to bring a new scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating to the iPhone 17 Pro’s display. However, according to a recent report from MacRumors, the company is facing challenges in mass-producing the coating, which could push its debut to a later generation. Still, there’s a chance Apple might manage to roll it out with the 17 Pro models in time.

 

Another notable change could be a smaller and narrower Dynamic Island cutout, which would free up additional usable display area on the screen.

Camera

The camera system is set to be one of the headline upgrades. Both the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to get a new 48MP telephoto lens, replacing the current 12MP version. This means the phones could feature an all-48MP triple rear camera setup, enhancing image detail and possibly enabling 8K video recording. 

  While the telephoto lens may step down to 3.5x optical zoom (85mm equivalent) from the current 5x (120mm) zoom on the Pro Max, the higher resolution would make up for it by offering more flexibility with digital cropping to simulate longer focal lengths.

 

The front camera is also likely to receive a big bump, going from 12MP to 24MP. Apple may also introduce dual video recording, allowing footage to be captured simultaneously from the front and rear cameras. On top of that, iPhone 17 Pro models could feature a secondary Camera Control button.

Performance

iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to be powered by the A19 Pro chipset, built on TSMC’s advanced N3P 3nm fabrication process. The new chip is expected to get additional GPU cores compared to the standard A19 chip which will power the base iPhone 17 models. It is also expected to bring notable upgrades to the Neural Engine (NPU) for improving on-device AI capabilities.

 

Another significant change could be the introduction of a vapour chamber cooling system. Replacing the traditional graphite sheet thermal solution, this technology spreads heat across a wider area to help the iPhone maintain stable performance under heavy workloads and prevent throttling.  ALSO READ: Hindalco to build aluminium unit in Andhra as state expands iPhone ecosystem

Battery

Apple is reportedly planning to make the iPhone 17 Pro models slightly thicker than the 16 Pro series to house larger batteries. The iPhone 17 Pro Max in particular could pack a 5,000mAh cell, making it the biggest battery ever in an iPhone.

 

Alongside the bigger capacity, Apple may also enable reverse wireless charging for the first time. This would let users wirelessly charge AirPods, Apple Watch, or even another smartphone directly from the back of the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max.