There have been plenty of rumors about the iPhone 17 series, expected this September. But now, there’s a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, known for his wide-ranging insider knowledge.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman sums up his thoughts about what’s coming this fall. He talks about all four of the expected iPhones, and which ones he thinks are worth considering. Here’s what he thinks, and my take on his thoughts.
He begins less-than-excited, it seems. “The standard iPhone 17 will follow the same pattern as recent years by not getting major new features. Apple reserves its latest bells and whistles for the higher-end models, and I don’t expect that to change this year,” Gurman says.
That doesn’t sound great, but let’s remember that the iPhone 16 was one of the biggest upgrades to the base iPhone in years, bringing it close to the iPhone 16 Pro in a lot of ways—though I still miss the ProMotion display with faster refresh rate that the Pro models have as an exclusive.
Gurman has something to say about that, as it happens. “As others have reported, the device is likely to get some small enhancements to its rear camera, as well as a ProMotion display, which allows for smoother scrolling and animation,” he suggests, and I think this is likely to happen. What else?
“The Pro models, meanwhile, will get major camera system upgrades, including 48-megapixel sensors across the back trio of cameras.”
There are currently two 48-megapixel cameras and one 12-megapixel sensor, the telephoto. Three cameras with the same higher pixel count could deliver numerous new features.
Finally, Gurman gives us his choice, “Given its price point, the iPhone 17 will remain a solid offering in the Apple lineup. But if I were springing for something in the $800 range, I’d try to reach another $100 or so and just get the skinny new iPhone 17 Air. You really won’t be losing that much in terms of the specifications, and you’ll be gaining a remarkably thin and light phone (with considerably more screen real estate),” he says.
This makes sense, though I think we need to know a lot more about the Air before being sure. Personally, I think a number of people may trade down from the Pro to the Air to get what’s likely to be a snazzy new design for $100 less than the price of the Pro.
