Apple is set to launch its much-awaited iPhone 17 series at a special event on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at Apple Park, Cupertino. Pre-orders would start on September 12, followed by the official launch and availability in stores from September 19. With significant design overhauls and beefed-up upgrades on the horizon, here are five reasons why holding on for the iPhone 17 could be a good idea.
1. A New “iPhone 17 Air” Model
Apple will be launching an all-new model under the name iPhone 17 Air, to reportedly succeed the Plus model. Apple is said to make this its thinnest iPhone yet at 5.5mm thick. The phone is said to have:
- A 6.6-inch screen
- A slim aluminium frame
- A19 chip and C1 modem
- A reworked horizontal camera bar with a single rear camera lens
- A high-powered 24MP front camera
- New Action button and a separate Camera Control button
- This new design approach might be a game-changer for Apple’s iPhone direction.
2. Redesigned Pro Models
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will be its most dramatically redesigned Pro models in years. Instead of the traditional square-shaped camera hump, Apple could opt for a full-width aluminium camera bar that seamlessly mingles with the colour of the device. Sources indicate the Pro variants will use a two-tone setup—aluminium for the top and glass for the bottom—to keep wireless charging capabilities intact. Apple is going back to aluminium-backed components, a design that hasn’t been utilized since the days of the iPhone 7.
3. New Display Sizes Throughout the Lineup
After the move to bigger screens for Pro models in 2024, Apple will most likely bring bigger screens to its base lineup as well. The starting iPhone 17 could come with a 6.27-inch screen, and the iPhone 17 Air will introduce a new size of 6.6 inches. This change will bring bigger screens to more models beyond the Pros, which will be desirable to consumers who want bigger screens without a premium tag.
4. ProMotion for All iPhones
One important upgrade may be the addition of ProMotion technology to the entire iPhone season 17 lineup. That would be a major update, considering ProMotion has only been available on the Pro models up to this point, but ProMotion is very impactful and a blessing when utilizing the phone (or iPad) with ProMotion. With a 120Hz refresh rate, things are smooth like butter when scrolling, animations are silky, and videos are smoother than ever when watching or creating videos. Pro-Motion provides adaptive refresh rates with the ability to go as low as 1Hz for minimal battery usage along with always-on displays for widgets, clocks, and notifications. If Apple only uses 120Hz panels for regular models, it would simply improve and better the display quality on each device in the line up.
5. Huge Camera Upgrade on Pro Versions
For camera lovers, the iPhone 17 Pro camera system might be the biggest selling point. Apple will launch a 48MP telephoto lens with a maximum 8× optical zoom, which is a considerable upgrade from the 5× zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro, if it does happen. This would make the iPhone 17 Pro the world’s first smartphone with 48MP on the back of the phone, providing for better detail, low-light performance, and able to bring a new level of capability for pro photography and video. The system is reportedly to offer smooth integration with Apple’s Vision Pro headset for more uses of the iphone within spatial computing.
Final Thoughts
From the new slim iPhone 17 Air, to the reworked Pro models, bigger screens, ProMotion rollout, and revolutionary camera system, the iPhone 17 lineup is looking set to be one of Apple’s most ambitious redesigns in years. For anyone looking to upgrade, holding off until September could see them receive a device that revolutionizes the iPhone experience.
