The iPhone 17 Air may be getting most of the attention when it comes to Apple's potential phone releases this fall, but don't sleep on the iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple has devoted a lot of attention to its Pro model in recent years, in the hopes of convincing phone buyers to look past the entry-level iPhone and pay more for a premium device. That figures to continue this year.
After all, just look at the changes Apple introduced last fall with the iPhone 16 Pro. That model received a bigger screen, upgraded cameras and longer battery life thanks to a larger battery and more power efficient processor, among other enhancements. That's a lot of improvements to make on just one model.
So how does Apple follow up on that with the iPhone 17 Pro? Based on the rumors that have emerged several months ahead of the phone's likely launch, several other notable changes are in the works for this year's model.
This could include a new design, upgraded telephoto and selfie cameras, a more powerful A19 Pro chip and a revamped iOS 19 interface.
Here's what we know so far about the iPhone 17 Pro.
iPhone 17 Pro possible release date and price
A potential release date for the iPhone 17 Pro is easy to predict, given Apple's track record with its annual flagship rollouts. Apple typically announces its new phones in September, usually in the first half of the month. It's unlikely that the launch of the iPhone 17 models, including the Pro, will be any different.
Pricing is a lot harder to forecast, and not just because we remain many months away from a potential iPhone 17 Pro launch. The Trump administration is looking to impose tariffs on other countries, with a particular focus on China where a lot of iPhone parts are sourced and a lot of phone assembly takes place.
As of this writing, Apple's phones have received a tariff reprieve, though administration officials have warned that it's only a temporary exemption. Tariff policies seem to change on a routine basis, but the longer the U.S.'s current trade war continues, the more likely an impact tariffs will have on iPhone 17 prices.
Even before the tariff talk emerged, one leaker claimed the iPhone 17 lineup would see its first price hike in a while, though it's unclear if that leaker meant every model or specific phones like the iPhone 17 Pro.
Though that rumor is thinly sourced, it is possible that the iPhone 17 Pro's price could inch upward from the $999 that Apple charges for the iPhone 16 Pro, particularly if the company wants to sell the iPhone 17 Air for less than $1,000.
Expect more clarity on iPhone 17 Pro pricing to emerge the closer we get to the fall.
iPhone 17 Pro design and display
The iPhone 17 Pro could be in for a major design change, at least when it comes to the backside of the phone.
On the iPhone 16 Pro, the rear cameras are housed in a square camera array in the left upper corner of the phone. However, leaked CAD designs have suggested that Apple is extending that array across the length of the iPhone 17 Pro.
The lenses would still be arranged in a triangular pattern in the left corner, but other sensors would appear on the opposite end of the phone. The proposed look is similar to what Google offers with the horizontal camera bar on its Pixel 9 flagships, though renders depict a thicker camera bar on Apple's phone.
Leaked cases for the iPhone 17 Pro feature a cutout for the elongated camera array. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has dismissed rumors that Apple would adopt a two-color tone for the array and the back of the phone, saying instead that the array is likely to be the same color.
As for other potential design changes, analyst Jeff Pu has claimed that the Dynamic Island would be smaller on the iPhone 17 Pro Max (and possibly the iPhone 17 Pro), though conflicting reports claim that the feature will be the same size across all iPhone 17 models.
Apple currently uses titanium frames in its Pro models, and there's been some talk that the iPhone 17 Pro would swap in aluminum instead. However, other leaked claims say that Apple will stick with titanium going forward.
While the iPhone 16 Pro introduced a larger display — it grew to 6.3 inches compared to the 6.1-inch panel on its predecessor — the iPhone 17 Pro doesn't figure to make any such change to its screen. One leaker has suggested that Apple will turn to "Low-Dielectric TEE" technology for the iPhone 17 Pro display to improve power efficiency and make the screen more durable.
iPhone 17 Pro cameras
After the iPhone 16 Pro introduced a 48MP ultrawide lens alongside a faster 48MP main Fusion camera, there's only one lens left to upgrade on the iPhone 17 Pro. And rumors suggest the telephoto camera could get a resolution boost, though it may come with a caveat.
Rumors tip the iPhone 17 Pro to feature a 48MP zoom lens, giving the phone a trio of 48MP rear camera sensors across the board. However, that improvement could come at the expense of zoom capabilities, as a report claims the new lens would support a 3.5x optical zoom. The iPhone 16 Pro offers a 5x zoom.
The front camera could be due for an upgrade, though that change will reportedly happen for every iPhone 17 model. The TrueDepth camera on this year's iPhones could use a 24MP sensor instead of the 12MP shooter Apple's relied on for years.
New camera features typically don't leak out until just before a phone's launch, but Front Page Tech's Jon Prosser says the iPhone 17 Pro models will gain dual video capture capabilities.
That means you'll be able to record video from both the front and back cameras. The feature could be particularly useful on FaceTime calls, where you can record yourself with the front camera while use a rear camera to show what you're looking at to anyone on the other end of the video call.
iPhone 17 Pro performance and battery life
For the iPhone 17 Pro, we expect an A19 Pro system-on-chip to power the phone. If Apple takes the same approach it did with the A18 silicon, that would mean an extra graphic core for the Pro version of the A19 chips.
Initial rumors suggested that the A19 silicon would be built on a 2nm process, which would mean more densely packed transistors resulting in better performance and power efficiency. Lately, though, rumors have said that Apple's chip-building partner will use a new generation of its 3nm process.
That should still deliver some improvements to performance, though they may not be as dramatic as what a 2nm chipset would bring.
Apple includes 8GB of RAM on its current iPhones. Analyst Jeff Pu has raised the possibility of the iPhone 17 Pro models adding more memory to reach 12GB. Such a move would help with Apple's push to add more on-device artificial intelligence.
The larger iPhone 16 Pro design allowed Apple to use a larger 3,582 mAh battery in that phone. It's unclear if Apple will have any room to increase battery size again for the iPhone 17 Pro or simply rely on better power efficiency to extend the battery life of its new phone.
One thing that could change on the power front would be a boost to the iPhone 17 Pro's charging speeds from the 20W maximum that Apple's phones have been stuck at for years.
A research note from February claims charging speeds on the iPhone 17 lineup could increase to 35W. That's still a far cry from what phones like the Galaxy S25 Ultra offer with their 45W wired charging speeds, but it's still a definite improvement.
iPhone 17 Pro software
This year's iPhone software update, iOS 19, figures to arrive around the same time as the iPhone 17 launch. However, we'll get a better idea of what to expect from that software long before the fall.
Apple typically previews its upcoming software updates during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), with a public beta of the iOS update launching shortly after that event.
Apple has already set WWDC 2025 for the week of June 9, which is when we expect to get our first official glimpse at the iOS 19 software that will come pre-installed on all iPhone 17 models, the Pro version included.
According to iOS 19 rumors, Apple's focus this year will be on an interface overhaul, the first in a dozen years. The apparent idea is to make software look more consistent across different Apple devices, with the iPhone, iPad and Mac all set to receive similar-looking updates this year.
You'd also expect Apple Intelligence to be a focus of this year's software updates, as Apple looks to follow-up on the launch of its AI features. A lot of the changes will be Siri improvements that were delayed from iOS 18, though we've heard claims that built-in apps in iOS 19 will be updated to better take advantage of Apple Intelligence.
iPhone 17 Pro outlook
If the early iPhone 17 Pro rumors pan out, it doesn't sound like Apple is going to stop lavishing attention on its Pro models. Potential camera improvements and a new design lead the changes we've heard about so far, and other potential improvements could emerge in the months between now and the launch of the new Apple phones.
The biggest question centers around the iPhone 17 Pro's price and what impact tariffs may have on the cost of upgrading your phone in the fall. Unfortunately, that picture doesn't look like it's going to become clearer any time soon.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
