Fans Spot 'Secret Hints' In Apple's Weird New Logo Ahead Of IPhone 17 Reveal

Apple has announced its iPhone event for Tuesday, 9 September, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, which is 6:00 p.m. in the UK. The company has not revealed any product details, but the invite artwork and a playful interactive logo on Apple's website have sent fans hunting for hidden hints.

Apple fans are desperately trying to decipher the meaning behind the mysterious new logo for the company's upcoming event. The Californian tech giant has shared a special version of its Apple logo to promote the upcoming iPhone launch.

Decoding the Logo's Secret Meaning

The new iPhone 17 is expected to debut at the special keynote on 9 September. Apple has dubbed the event 'Awe Dropping,' but has kept a lid on what will be announced. The company has, however, put a special, interactive Apple logo at the top of its website.

When you move your finger or mouse cursor over it, the logo's colour changes as if you are looking at it through a thermal imaging camera. The logo will also glow brightly with an orangey-red heat spot, just as it would in a thermal image.

So what does it all mean? Well, Apple hasn't said a word about it, and the 'Awe Dropping' event name doesn't offer much of a clue either. However, that hasn't stopped Apple fans from taking to Reddit to speculate about its meaning.

Hinting at New iPhone Colours

Fans are speculating that the new logo is hinting at new iPhone colours. We could see new blue and orange options on some of the upcoming iPhone 17 models. 'Apple is just teasing that the new colour on the iPhones,' an Apple fan wrote.

The thermal imaging design also hints at new cooling features for Apple devices. The cooler Apple can keep its gadgets, the more it can potentially boost performance from its chips.

Since chips become less effective when they get too hot, Apple may have redesigned the interiors of its devices to improve thermal efficiency, which could result in faster mobile devices.

'I think it's related to the vapour chamber tech and the shift from titanium to aluminium,' one Apple fan wrote on Reddit.

'They'll have to market hard on the downgrade from more premium materials, so I expect this heat logo is the first step.' Another possibility is that the logo's infrared look, which is often used for health features, is connected to new wellness functions.

There have already been rumours that Apple AirPods could get heart-rate tracking, or that the Apple Watch will add blood pressure monitoring.

'They are teasing infrared, which is used in wearables for blood pressure tracking. I think they are going to launch a bunch of health-focused features this year,' a commentator wrote.

'Man, I would love an infrared camera to be added to the camera assortment,' another Redditor wrote. It is worth noting that Apple has neither confirmed nor denied these speculations yet, so for now, they remain just theories.

A Thermal Camera for the iPhone 17?

Among the more outlandish theories is the possibility that Apple could add a thermal imaging camera to the iPhone. However, this seems unlikely, as the general public would likely not derive much benefit from it. Unfortunately, Apple hasn't confirmed the exact meaning of the interactive logo. We will find out for sure on Tuesday, 9 September.

Moving on, there's another theory floating around: The Sun's Head of Technology and Science, Sean Keach, has predicted the new iPhone 17's exact release date. Last year, Keach predicted that the iPhone 16 would be available for pre-order on Friday, 13 September, with a release date of Friday, 20 September. His prediction turned out to be spot-on.

In his recent report for The Sun, Keach wrote, 'Hopefully my crystal ball (or crystal apple?) won't fail me again this year. Apple typically showcases its flagship iPhone of the year in September. It's typically in the first half of the month on a Tuesday or Wednesday.'

An Expert Predicts the iPhone 17 Release Date

Following that, pre-orders would typically begin on Friday, with the official release coming a week later. For 2025, Keach is betting the iPhone 17 will launch on Tuesday, 9 September, as this seems like a more likely option than a Wednesday, which has been the case in recent years.

Keach expects pre-orders to begin on Friday, September 12, and the official release to occur on Friday, September 19. By working backwards from previous years, he also speculates that Apple will announce the event via invitations on Tuesday, 26 August 2025.

As for the significant new iOS software release (this year it's iOS 26), Keach expects it to drop on the Monday after the big reveal, which would be Monday, 15 September. Here is a quick recap of all those dates:

• iPhone 17 event announcement – Tuesday, 26 August
• iPhone 17 event – Tuesday, 9 September
• iPhone 17 pre-orders – Friday, 12 September
• iOS 26 release – Monday, 15 September
• iPhone 17 release date – Friday, 19 September

Of course, there's no way to know if Apple will stick to this schedule or even come close to it. However, this is Keach's most accurate prediction, based on the company's iPhone release history to date.