The other day, I entered the Verizon store and I saw a surprising number of people buying a new iPhone 16. He took everything in me so as not to admit: “Are you sure you want to wait and see what Apple has planned for the iPhone 17?”
With the planned launch of the iPhone 17 in September, it could be a good idea to keep tight and buy the new phone or get the iPhone 16 at a reduced price. Apple has still not confirmed the existence of the iPhone 17, and we do not have official specifications or features, but here is how it could compare itself to the iPhone 16, according to rumors and speculation.
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 17: Rumor specifications compared to the main
We still have no confirmed details on the iPhone 17, but that did not prevent the Moulin with rumors of Barber and so -called leaks from going around. Speculation extends throughout the iPhone 17 range, pro models to what could be a thinner “air” version (which can be Apple’s response to the Samsung Galaxy S25 edge). But I’m going to focus on the basic iPhone 17.
Screen differences
One of the most awaited changes could be that the iPhone 17 adds a 120 Hz screen, which would be welcome. Currently, only iPhone Pro models have this higher cooling rate, while basic and more models are blocked with a 60 Hz screen. Bumper this cooling rate could also encourage Apple to bring the display always on the basic model, which facilitates the glance quickly at the time and your notifications without waking up your screen.
There have been back and forth to find out if the iPhone 17 will have a scratch-resistant anti-reflective display. But the most recent reports suggest that the functionality will only be available on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, not the basic iPhone 17 (or air). There may therefore be no major differences between the iPhone 16 and 17 on this front.
Camera differences
It is possible that the selfie camera of the iPhone 17 obtains a 24 -megapixel bump, instead of the current 12 megapixels found in the frontal shooter of the iPhone 16. Megapixels are not the only decisive factor for good quality photos, but if it is an upgrade, this could make selfies or shooting videos for social media on the frontal camera.
There was also a conversation on the camera bump in the next Apple iPhone range. It is likely that only the cameras of the pro models will be nestled in a new larger panel which extends horizontally at the back of the phone (perhaps evoking the “Geordi visor” on Google Pixel 9) and that the basic line will keep a camera arrangement similar to the iPhone 16. Only time will say it.
Design differences
Rumors suggest that, like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17 will have an aluminum frame. (In fact, it is possible that this is the case for the whole range, except for iPhone 17 air, which could have a titanium frame to make it lighter.)
It has also been reported that the iPhone 17 will use a new compact “Metalens” technology for the local sensor, which could reduce the size of the ID Face sensor and the dynamic island. This could give a little more real estate at the top of the 17 screen.
Processor and ram
A key element that could remain unchanged on the two phones is the processor. The rumor says that the iPhone 17 was packing an A18 chip, just like the iPhone 16.
With Apple’s plans to extend its Apple Intelligence of AIA Capacities, it is possible that the iPhone 17 range can be accompanied by 12 GB of RAM instead of the current 8 GB – or at least part of it could.
In April, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that iPhone 17 air and pro models would wear 12 GB of RAM, but that Apple still decided to equip it with the basic model of this higher amount. In May, analyst Jeff Pu noted that the basic line would remain at 8 GB. We will have to wait to see what Apple finally decides.
Speaking of Apple Intelligence, a new adaptive power feature fed by AI arriving with iOS 26 can help keep the battery by making “small performance adjustments”, such as “allowing certain activities to take a little more time”, according to Apple. The next iPhone should arrive with the next operating system on board, but you can also download iOS 26 on the iPhone 16, as well as older iPhones, once it is available publicly. This should help you stretch the life of your battery on one or the other device.
Color options
What is inside can be the most important, but people also want to know what fun colors the iPhone 17 could wear. Rumors suggest that the next device could have come in black, blue, silver, purple and green.
For comparison, the iPhone 16 is available in black, white, pink, sarcelle and ultramarine.
Everything we think we know about the iPhone 17 is only speculation, so we will have to see what Apple unveils this fall.
Should you buy an iPhone 16 now or wait for the iPhone 17?
If you desperately need a new phone and I can’t wait any longer, who am I to stop you? But if you can cling hard until September, when Apple should announce the iPhone 17, you can either mark the new flashy device or get a discount on the iPhone 16. (The previous years, the company has dropped the price of the old models of around $ 100.)
It is likely that the changes between iPhone 16 and 17 will be relatively modest. Apple tends to start the new features of its pro models before finally moving them through the full range, as it did with the dynamic island of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max and the action button on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Thus, all the new shiny capacities will probably first land first on its higher -end phones, such as anti -reflective display and redesigned cameras on iPhone 17 pro models.
But perhaps the biggest changes could arrive next year with the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, for which Apple “prepared a major upheaval” of the telephone design, according to Bloomberg. This includes a foldable version (long -term) and a “bold new pro model that uses glass more widely”. The iPhone 17 may not yet be announced, but it is never too early to look even further.
