What is the tech community expecting from the iPhone 17?

Cybernews asked around to see which iPhone 17 rumored features are the most awaited and which are raising eyebrows and putting smirks on tech experts' faces. Some are excited about possible battery grades, while others remain sceptical about the release of the reportedly thinnest iPhone yet.

Since 2012, Apple has made early September its signature launch window. In a futuristic venue where everything signals innovation and tech dominance, the company presents the devices that shape the whole year ahead.

This year is no different – on September 9th, the company is expected to unveil the new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, Pro, and Pro Max – Apple’s strongest magnet for profit, Apple Watch, and other flagship products.

But what do we know about the “awe-dropping” event ahead of it? This year, the stakes are high for AI-driven innovations, according to Cybernews experts and rumored new features.

Get ready for an awe dropping #AppleEvent on Tuesday, September 9! pic.twitter.com/uAcYp2RLMM

undefined Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 26, 2025

So what are the seven likely innovations related to iPhone 17, and what do experts think about them?

1.iOS 26 and new AI features

This year’s stakes are particularly high after Apple postponed a major upgrade to its Siri voice assistant. This update is said to have been a better competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

Specifically, this feature caught the eye of Kaveh Vahdat, CEO of RiseAngle, a generative AI-powered game and video generation company. Vahdat is skeptical about Apple’s habit of releasing polished but very controlled versions of big ideas. In the latest update, he is looking to see Siri as a proactive companion.

“With the iPhone 17 Pro, the first thing I want to see is how far Apple really goes toward a true AI companion. I will be watching closely to see if the device can anticipate intent, remember past interactions, and handle everyday tasks like scheduling or pulling up the right information before I even ask”, he says.

“I also want to test how well Apple balances on-device intelligence with cloud support, since they promise privacy but need to prove the performance is still fast and reliable”, Vahdat concludes.

Cybernews has previously reported on a lawsuit where Apple was accused of violating user privacy by improperly storing and analyzing voice recordings, which were then tied to targeted advertising.

As part of the settlement, Apple has not admitted wrongdoing but agreed to the payout to avoid further litigation for users who owned devices with Siri between October 2011 and September 2022.

Back to iOS 26 and new AI features in the new iPhone 17. The line up of new Apple phones is likely to launch with iOS 26, which is rumored to bring a “Liquid Glass” interface and enhanced AI tools.

Other anticipated innovations include a redesigned Dynamic Island, improved ProMotion interactions, and further AI integration across the system.

2. Ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air

It has been speculated for months now that Apple’s next iPhone can be the slimmest Apple phone ever made. Rumored to be just 5–6 mm thick (imagine about 4 credit cards put on each other), this new phone should be slimmer than its predecessor iPhone 16 Plus, by almost 2 mm (going down from 7.8 mm).

Pro model frames are also said not to change and still be made from aluminum, while the Air model could use a titanium-aluminum mix – the combination that could make the gadget lighter than before.

“I'll be eager to see how durable the frame really is. Not in a lab drop test, but in the hands of users who are using it daily for years”, says Steven Athwal, CEO and Founder of The Big Phone Store, a fast-growing UK refurbished tech retailer.

Having been in business for almost 30 years now, he has watched Apple go through many design swings. With the release of the iPhone 17, he has his worries on the gadget's durability.

“Thin phones are wonderful on a keynote stage, but everyday life is another story. People sit on them, cram them into snug pockets, twist them in bags. That's where you discover that sleek and expensive doesn't necessarily mean durable”, he says.

“Apple's excellent at getting a phone to look and feel high-end, but the proof is evident six months down the line when people are back reporting how it survives actual use. To me, innovation isn't all about the novel features today – it's whether the iPhone 17 Pro is still going five years from now, and whether it's a product we can still confidently keep using”, he concludes.

3. Battery and charging

The new iPhone 17 series could bring some big changes to the battery. The thin Air model may get a smaller 2,800 mAh battery, meaning shorter battery life compared to other models.

Also, imagine charging your phone up to 50 percent in under 30 minutes. That could be possible if the rumored Pro Max packs a larger battery than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which could allow the phone to be uncharged and still working for a few days.

These features caught the eye of Jeremy Boudinet, VP of Growth at Textla, a texting platform for small, medium, and growing businesses, who says battery performance and message management are critical for small business owners who rely on iPhones to run their operations.

“The iPhone 16’s most frustrating limitation involves message organization that forces small business owners to manually sort through hundreds of personal and business texts daily without intelligent categorization or priority filtering systems,” Boudinet explains.

He also points out that the iPhone 16’s battery shortcomings have been problematic for business use.

“Many clients experience device shutdown during peak customer interaction periods that can cost immediate sales opportunities,” he says.

Looking ahead, Boudinet expects the iPhone 17 to address both of these pain points.

It’s also been rumoured that Pro models may support reverse wireless charging for topping up AirPods or an Apple Watch on the go.

4. Not so shiny, therefore, better new display

For the first time, all iPhone 17 models are expected to feature 120 Hz ProMotion screens, with Always-On display, reports MacRumours. This means a user will be able to scroll and always see key information such as time and date, or notifications, without having to wake the phone.

Apple fans may be surprised by new screens that are easier to see in sunlight and look sleeker, but that is only if rumors of the iPhone 17 Pro versions getting better anti-reflective coatings and possibly curved-edge screens turn out to be true.

5. Advanced cameras

The Pro models could see a 48 MP telephoto lens that zoom in an out on a bigger range, compared to the 16 Pro’s 12 MP telephoto lens. Rumor birds also tweet that these phones might also have a new horizontal “bar-style” rear camera module.

“Bar-style” means the cameras and sensors would be placed together in a single long rectangular strip, like a small bar, instead of separate bumps.

The front camera is expected to upgrade to 24 MP TrueDepth, which in practice would mean sharper selfies and better low-light portrait quality. Multi-cam recording is also on the table and presented as a video quality advantage against the iPhone 16.

6. Less heating up when using the phone intensely

Pro and Air models may get 12 GB of RAM, up from 8 GB before. A new vapor chamber cooling system is also rumored to keep the phone cooler during heavy use.