iPhone 17 Lineup to Feature Familiar Chipset and Innovative Metalens Technology for Enhanced Design

The iPhone 17 series is anticipated to be officially announced in September, comprising four models: the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. In the lead-up to the official launch, an analyst has indicated that the base model, iPhone 17, will likely utilize the same chipset as the previous iPhone 16. Additionally, Apple is reportedly set to incorporate a new metalens technology within this iPhone line, which is projected to considerably minimize the size of the Dynamic Island across all four iterations.

iPhone 17 Might Keep Last Year’s Chip and RAM

According to MacRumors, referencing a research note from analyst Jeff Pu at GF Securities, it is reported that the iPhone 17 will include the same A18 chip found in the iPhone 16. This chipset may be designed using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm N3E process. The RAM of the device is also expected to remain unchanged at 8GB.

The iPhone 17 Air is predicted to come equipped with an A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may feature the A19 Pro chip. These processors are thought to be produced using TSMC’s third-generation 3nm technology, referred to as N3P. The iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to have 12GB of RAM, an upgrade from the 8GB found in the iPhone 16 Pro variants.

In November of the previous year, Jeff Pu suggested that the entire iPhone 17 lineup will operate on A19 and A19 Pro system-on-chips.

Moreover, Pu noted in his research findings, observed by 9to5Mac, that all models in the iPhone 17 series will adopt a new metalens technology for the proximity sensor. This advancement is expected to help Apple shrink the dimensions of the Face ID sensor. As a result, the entire iPhone 17 lineup is likely to feature a more compact Dynamic Island, which will enhance the screen-to-body ratio.

This marks a departure from an earlier forecast by the analyst that suggested only the iPhone 17 Pro Max would have this design enhancement. The Dynamic Island was initially introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro models, featuring a pill-shaped cutout that accommodates the Face ID components and the front-facing camera. It was included in all iPhone 15 models released in 2023.