iPhone 17 leaks: Apple likely to abandon Plus variant, Dynamic Island will see big changes

There are still a few months left until Apple announces its latest iPhone 16 lineup, but even before that, the rumor mills can't stop buzzing about all the changes the Cupertino-based tech giant is bringing to its next year's flagship series, the iPhone 17. series, plans. The latest rumors show that the iPhone 17 series could come with a refreshed look, front camera improvements, and a smaller Dynamic Island, among other things.

According to an investor note from Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu, Apple plans to abandon the Plus variant and instead opt for a Slim variant with the iPhone 17 series. A similar claim was also made by analyst Ross Young in his report earlier this year.

iPhone 17 design changes:

Similar to other iPhone series in the past, the iPhone 17 series is also expected to come in four variants, with the Plus variant being replaced by a slim model. The reported sizes of these models are listed below:

iPhone 17: 6.1-inch display

iPhone 17 Slim: 6.6-inch display

iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display

iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display

Apple is expected to offer the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Slim and iPhone 17 Pro models, as well as an aluminum design that will be “more complex.” Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will continue to feature a titanium construction.

In a shocking development, Pu also reveals that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a “narrowed dynamic island” thanks to the new “Metalen” technology used for the premium device's proximity sensor. All other iPhone 17 variants are likely to come with the same design as before.

iPhone 17 Series Specifications:

According to Pu, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Slim variant are likely to come with 8GB of RAM and be powered by the A18 or A19 Bionic chipset. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to come with 12GB of RAM and run on the A19 Pro chipset. Additionally, Pu says the iPhone 17 series will likely feature 24MP front cameras, a huge improvement over the 12MP cameras on the iPhone 15 series.

The current generation iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus come with 6GB of RAM, while the Pro variants come with 8GB of RAM. However, the company is expected to equip all of its iPhone 16 models with the same 8GB of RAM.