Apple might revisit one of its contentious hardware decisions with the introduction of the iPhone 17, potentially sparking debates and controversy as it did before.
Cop a load of this: According to a toe-tapping analyst, the upcoming deck-thumping iPhone 17 might eschew a processor upgrade, rocking the same chip as the current gen models instead.
Stop by the bar for a round 'cause Jeff Pu, the big cheese at GF Securities and Apple's secret admirer, reckons the upcoming iPhone will stick with the tried and trusted A18 chipset found in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
Now hold on to your socks, because this move would mark Apple's second instance of forgetting to spice things up with a processor upgrade. In 2022, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus drew mixed reactions when they showed up rocking the same A15 chipset as the iPhone 13 and 13 mini.
Dig the latest scoop, published by PhoneArena, which suggests that only the iPhone 17 Pro models will score a chipset upgrade, boasting the A19 Pro chipset, while the iPhone 17 Air is tipped to get the A19.
Dial M for Murder (or Makeover)
So, is Apple bracing for another bout of side-eyes from disgruntled critics and customers? Well, strap in, folks, because if the latest rumors float to the surface, the base-model iPhone 17 could be the only one left out in the cold, with nary a major redesign in sight for this year's series.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to shake things up with large camera bars reminiscent of the Google Pixel 9, while the iPhone 17 Air will supposedly debut a svelte, new chassis rocking a single camera.
With the regular iPhone 17 left in the design dust, it's bound to draw more attention to its striking similarities to last year's model.
Feeling Small but Powerful
On a brighter note, whispers in the wind suggest that the vanilla iPhone 17 could still pocket a screamin' fast Dynamic Island upgrade that'll sweep through the entire iPhone 17 lineup. Word on the block, sourced from Jeff Pu, points to a scaled-down Dynamic Island packin' a metalens for Face ID. In simpler terms, that means a lens that crams both the transmitter and receiver into one sleek component[1].
However, another analyst mate, Ming-Chi Kuo, is callin' the shots on size, predicting that the Dynamic Island ain't changin' much from what we're already used to[2].
Keep your peepers peeled for the iPhone 17 series hitting the shelves later this year. Would you still cop an iPhone 17 rockin' the same chip as last year? Would a smaller, faster Dynamic Island do the trick for you? Let us know in the comments below, folks!
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Insights:
- Dynamic Island: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to feature a narrower Dynamic Island due to a smaller Face ID sensor. Other iPhone 17 models are expected to stick with the same size Dynamic Island as their predecessors[1]. No significant changes are anticipated for the functionality of the Dynamic Island across the iPhone 17 lineup.
- Chipset: The iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to use the A19 Pro chip, manufactured using TSMC's third-generation 3nm process, promising modest performance gains and power efficiency improvements[3][4]. Additionally, Apple is rumored to replace Broadcom's Wi-Fi chips with its own in-house Wi-Fi 7 chips.
- Design Changes: The iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to sport aluminum frames, deviating from the titanium frames of their predecessors. The iPhone 17 Air might feature a titanium frame. The iPhone 17 lineup is expected to introduce new display sizes, with the standard model possibly increasing to 6.3 inches. All models are expected to support a 120Hz refresh rate with ProMotion technology[2].
- It appears that some gadgets, like the upcoming iPhone 17, might not receive significant technology updates, such as a chipset upgrade, in order to cut costs or focus on other design elements.
- In the case of the iPhone 17 series, there are rumors suggesting that only the Pro models will receive an upgrade to the A19 Pro chip, while the base model could potentially use the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
