While the iPhone 17 Pro may not bring the drastic design refresh fans were hoping for, the upgrades in camera tech, AI performance, and chip efficiency make it a promising upgrade.
Apple is gearing up to launch the iPhone 17 series in September 2025. While early rumours hinted at a bold new design, a fresh report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests otherwise. According to him, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will retain a design similar to the current iPhone 16 Pro models, with subtle tweaks rather than a dramatic overhaul.
iPhone 17 Pro design: No dual-tone finish, minor tweaks only!
Contrary to leaked renders and rumours of a new dual-tone rear panel, Gurman says the iPhone 17 Pro will look quite similar to its predecessor. The camera island will not feature a contrasting colour—it’ll match the rest of the phone’s body. So, while the horizontal camera layout may stay, don’t expect a two-tone finish or smaller dynamic island this year.
“The iPhone 17 Pro isn’t a major departure from current models,” Gurman noted in his Power On newsletter.
Bigger design shift coming in iPhone 19 (2027)
If you were hoping for a radical redesign, you may have to wait until 2027. Gurman hints that Apple is saving a “bold new Pro” iPhone for the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, which could also include the much-rumoured foldable iPhone.
Major camera upgrade: New 48MP Telephoto sensor
While the design might feel familiar, the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to bring major upgrades to the camera system:
- A 48MP telephoto lens (up from 12MP) with an 85mm focal length
- Improved portrait photography and low-light performance
- A new in-sensor crop zoom tech offering up to 7x lossless digital zoom
- Reduced optical zoom to 3.5x (from 5x in iPhone 16 Pro), but compensated by sensor-based digital zoom.
The iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly retain a triple-lens setup—Main, Ultra-Wide, and Telephoto—all with 48MP sensors.
Front camera gets a boost too!
The TrueDepth front camera is also tipped for a major upgrade, going from 12MP to 24MP, which should improve selfies and FaceTime video quality significantly.
A19 Pro chip: Faster and more efficient
Under the hood, the iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly be powered by the new A19 Pro chip, built on TSMC’s advanced 3nm N3P process. Expect:
- Faster performance
- Improved battery efficiency
- Better support for AI-driven features in iOS 19 and beyond
As always, Apple is playing the long game, with bigger design changes expected in future iPhones.
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