August is more than half over, which means we're getting ever closer to the usual September timeframe of Apple's iPhone event. That means the expected official announcement of the iPhone 17 line. The latest iOS 26 features will come preinstalled on the new models, as well as any additional features Apple reveals at the launch event. But since we still have to wait a few weeks (presumably) until the iPhone event, we can at least speculate what the new phones will look like. As with most unreleased iPhone models, rumors and leaks have trickled in about the hardware side ahead of the official introduction. Here's what we're expecting and what we can reasonably assume we'll get from Cupertino in September.
What are the latest iPhone 17 rumors?
The latest rumor from a Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station suggests the iPhone 17e will come equipped with a new design that includes the Dynamic Island, MacRumors reports. According to the post, the new phone will have the A19 chip and could have a 6.1-inch OLED display with a front-facing 12-megapixel camera and a rear-facing 48-megapixel camera.
In additional to the usual caveat — this is just a rumor and we won't know what the actual iPhone 17 models look like until Apple's iPhone event next month — there's a second important distinction here. This report refers to the 17e model that would be expected to launch no earlier than February 2026, if it followed the same release pattern as the iPhone 16e.
How much will the iPhone 17 cost?
Apple's announced plan to expand US-based manufacturing partners seems to give it at least some shielding from the steepest Trump administration tariffs that have already triggered price increases on everything from Switch consoles to high-end cameras to Sonos speakers. But given that President Trump's trade policies can change from week to week, and Apple's continuing reliance on Asia-based supply chains, price shocks remain an ongoing possibility. The bigger question is: Will Apple absorb any higher costs, or pass them on to consumers?
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If prices do creep up, Apple may choose to pair it with an "upgrade." Consider this recent rumor posted by MacRumors from a leaker known as "Instant Digital," suggesting that the default storage of the iPhone 17 line may start at 256GB, doubling the current 128GB baseline. While that could be accompanied by a price increase of $50, Apple could at least pitch it as a "better value." That said, the company doubled the default RAM of its Mac computers from 8GB to 16GB at no extra cost in 2024 — but that was before the current Trump tariff cycle started.
When will the iPhone 17 series be announced?
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