iPhone 17 Rumours: Biggest Redesign in Years? Report Teases What's Coming

Anticipation is building for Apple's next flagship smartphone, the iPhone 17. With whispers of significant changes circulating, many are wondering if this generation will mark the biggest aesthetic overhaul in years. Recent reports are starting to paint a clearer picture of what could be in store, teasing exciting new features and a revamped look.

When Apple introduces the iPhone 17 lineup, it will, as expected, incorporate the 'Liquid Glass' software redesign first showcased at WWDC. Beyond the software, a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman details the extent of hardware alterations, while another source provides further insight into the new iPhones' prospective colour palette.

A Glimpse into the iPhone 17's Future

Building on these insights, a prominent leaker has now shared an exclusive detail: the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to feature a completely new design element – a vapour chamber cooling system. Kicking things off, respected tipster Majin Bu has revealed that the iPhone 17 Pro will incorporate a vapour chamber system.

The leaker stated, 'According to an internal source, new confidential information is emerging about the iPhone 17 Pro, revealing Apple's efforts to enhance heat management. Central to these developments is the introduction of a vapour chamber (VC) cooling system, a first for the iPhone lineup. While this represents a significant step in thermal engineering, early indications suggest a design still evolving, with some challenges to address.'

They also provided a photograph, which they asserted depicted the copper thermal plate for this system. Vapour chambers are employed to prevent phones from overheating, particularly when the processor is under heavy strain, such as during gaming, which is a highly processor-intensive activity on a mobile device.

Furthermore, with iOS 26 set to introduce a dedicated Games app, improved hardware for sustained gaming performance aligns perfectly with Apple's growing commitment to the gaming sector.

A Cooling First for iPhone?

While the iPhone currently lacks a vapour chamber, and its inclusion would mark a first for Apple's phones, some other devices, like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, already feature this technology. This system is reportedly more effective at lower temperatures than the graphite sheets found in current iPhones.

'The vapour chamber is a passive cooling system that significantly outperforms the graphite pads used in current iPhone models,' Majin Bu explained. 'It consists of a sealed metallic chamber with a small amount of working fluid inside.'

The reliable tipster noted, 'As the device heats up, the liquid evaporates in hotter regions and condenses in cooler areas, creating a continuous internal cycle that spreads heat more evenly across the surface.'

'This mechanism enables faster temperature reduction and helps prevent thermal throttling, a phenomenon where performance is reduced to protect internal components from overheating,' Majin Bu explained.

An Unexpected Design Element

The leaker also mentioned a curious aspect of the presumed vapour chamber design: a section that would stretch to the camera module. This suggests it could help dissipate heat from the camera, though as they noted, this is 'a zone traditionally not associated with high thermal output. This could imply a secondary function: using the camera zone and metallic frame as passive heat dissipators.'

Colourful New Options on the Horizon

Focusing now on colour options, even when significant design changes are minimal, Apple almost consistently updates its colour range. A recent report from Tim Hardwick at MacRumors has gathered the expected colour choices for the upcoming models.

The existing iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are available in ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black. However, it's now suggested that the iPhone 17 will come in new purple and green shades. David Phelan, Senior Contributor at Forbes, speculates these new options could replace teal and ultramarine. The report also indicates that Apple might only release one of these two new colours.

For the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, a change in materials may result in a different set of colours. MacRumors indicates that these new Pro models are 'rumoured to have an aluminium frame instead of titanium. The back of the devices will also reportedly have a new 'part-aluminium, part-glass' design,' and suggests that sky blue could be among the fresh colour options. Now, let's come back to Gurman's report.

Gurman Confirms a Redesign

Gurman's report touches on a variety of other aspects. We've heard whispers of quicker charging capabilities, both promising and concerning details about the display and variations in screen dimensions. There are also hints of a thicker iPhone 17 Pro Max than ever before, a unique design detail for the iPhone 17 Air, and concerns about that model's battery longevity, among many other speculative points.

Now, industry heavyweight Gurman has provided further details on what's coming. In his weekly Power On newsletter, when asked if this year's iPhone is considered a redesign, he replied with a definitive, 'Yes.' There you have it.