The iPhone 16 Series has been out for about a month now, and a lot of people are disappointed with the lack of new features and changes, especially on the Pro Models. So in this video, I’m going to go through the top 10 upgrades you should expect from the iPhone 17 series to help you decide if you should wait to upgrade.
Here are 10 major reasons to skip the iPhone 16.
selfie cameras
The selfie cameras on all four of the new iPhone 17 models are finally getting upgraded from 12 megapixels to 24 megapixels, according to analyst Jeff Pu. This is going to be a massive upgrade in terms of selfie camera quality since we’ve basically had 12 megapixels ever since the iPhone 11 in 2020. The extra benefit is that the 24-megapixel camera also means the sensor size itself will be larger, which means you also get better low-light performance. Low light is currently the biggest issue for iPhone 7 selfies. When it starts getting dark, you take a selfie and there’s a bunch of noise; it doesn’t look as good, especially compared to a lot of other Android phones. So, there’s going to be a huge difference in terms of selfie camera quality.
120Hz ProMotion
For the first time in iPhone history, the regular models are getting upgraded to a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. Yes, the iPhone has had a 60Hz display since 2007, so that’s over 17 years with 60Hz on the regular models, and we’re finally getting 120Hz. This is a big deal because, personally, I would never use a regular phone with a 60Hz display. It’s too stuttery for me; I can see the refresh rate being glitchy. The Pro models are much smoother, especially when using animations, like with the Dynamic Island or the new camera control button. The text is also easier to read while scrolling, and you get the added benefit of gaming at 120 FPS, which means you can really use the power of the chip.
full redesign
We’re expecting a full redesign across the board for the iPhone 17 series, mainly with the cameras on the back, which are reportedly getting relocated from the corner to the top middle for the first time ever. This is a huge redesign, and it likely signifies other changes as well. Apple might make the phones thinner, or they could be relocating the camera to make room for a larger selfie camera. Perhaps the logic board is being redesigned and made smaller, giving them space to move things around.
new iPhone Air
The brand new iPhone Air will replace the current iPhone 16 Plus. It’s expected to have a smaller 6.55-inch display compared to the 6.7-inch, according to Ross Young. It will likely feature thinner bezels and have a single camera, which is odd but possibly necessary to make the phone thinner and fit in a bigger battery. They’re saying it will be the thinnest iPhone ever, almost as thin as the iPad Pro M4. I think this model will sell well, thanks to the new iPhone Air branding, which Apple will use to market it instead of just tacking on the “Plus” name.
Apple-designed 5G modem
Apple is going to include its own Apple-designed 5G modem. It’ll first appear on the iPhone SE4 in the spring of next year, but the iPhone 17 series will also get it. The cool thing about this is that Apple will combine 5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth all into one chip, which will be very power efficient, helping with battery life. And because it’s Apple-designed, it can be fine-tuned to match the iPhone’s hardware and software perfectly, resulting in faster, cooler operation and taking up less space, leaving more room for a larger battery.
A19 and A19 Pro chips
We’re expecting the A19 and A19 Pro chips, which will use N3P technology. This is the third generation of 3-nanometer technology from TSMC, which means it’s the most refined. We’re likely going to see about a 10% improvement in single-core performance, probably due to an increase in clock speed. The M4 chip currently runs at 4.41GHz, while the A18 Pro runs at 4.04GHz. I think Apple is going to increase the A19 chip’s clock speed, which could result in a single-core score of 3,692. It could even be faster if Apple adds more cache or possibly gives the A19 an extra two efficiency cores, similar to what they did with the M4, resulting in a massive multi-core boost.
48-megapixel Pro models camera
The telephoto camera on the Pro models is expected to be upgraded to 48 megapixels from the current 12. Leaks about this have been circulating for a while, and it would be the first time we’d see a triple 48-megapixel camera setup on an iPhone. This would provide consistent camera quality across all lenses, as the current 12-megapixel telephoto lens isn’t as sharp as it could be, even though it’s a 5x optical zoom.
New iPhone Ultra model
We might get a brand-new iPhone Ultra model, replacing the Pro Max. Mark Gurman has hinted at this for a couple of years, and though Apple delayed it, it could finally happen next year. I don’t think Apple will just change the name; I believe they’ll give us a completely new model with unique, exclusive features not available on other iPhones. This could be part of a larger restructuring of Apple’s iPhone lineup, possibly eliminating numbers altogether and using names like iPhone, iPhone Air, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Ultra.
A19 Ultra chip
The Ultra model could feature the exclusive A19 Ultra chip, giving it even more power. This would be the only way to justify features like 12GB of RAM and enhanced AI performance that would be exclusive to this model. It would also explain why the Ultra might need an upgraded cooling system with vapor chamber technology, as a faster chip would require more cooling.
Replace volume buttons and action buttons
There’s a rumor that Apple is testing a new button to replace the volume buttons and the action button on the Ultra model. This could be the haptic feedback button that was rumored last year, which would allow you to swipe up and down to adjust the volume and press to use the action button, combining multiple buttons into one. This could also improve water resistance.
There you have it—10 major reasons to wait for the iPhone 17 series instead of upgrading to the 16.
