Apple has pulled back the curtain on its iPhone 17 Pro, revealing a host of new features and upgrades, including a fresh design, new camera features, vapor chamber cooling, and more.
The tech giant broke down all of the latest iPhone news during its September 2025 Apple Event today. In addition to a first look at the thinner and stronger iPhone Air, today’s event focused on the iPhone 17, promising that Apple aficionados can pre-order all of the new hardware starting this Friday, September 12, with the release date following one week later, come September 19.
Apple calls its iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max the “most powerful iPhone models ever made.” That’s thanks to a “heat-forged aluminum unibody” with a ceramic shield protection that should leave users with stronger durability, as well as longer battery life and better performance, across the board.
Under the hood is that rumored vapor chamber cooling system, which is designed to more efficiently distribute heat and maintain performance for longer periods of time.
“Deionized water is sealed inside the vapor chamber, which is laser-welded into the aluminum chassis,” Apple senior vice president, worldwide marketing Greg “Joz” Joswiak said during the iPhone 17 Pro section of the Apple Event. “This efficiently moves heat away from the components, allowing for higher sustained performance. The vapor chamber directs heat strategically through the system, where it is efficiently dissipated and released by the forged aluminum unibody.”
While more general upgrades to things like battery life and performance will leave iPhone 17 Pro users with uninterrupted phone use, Apple is particularly proud of the device’s camera features. All three of its back lenses are 48MP fusion cameras for the first time, with up to 8x optical quality-zoom. The iPhone maker describes all of its updated camera features by saying it’s “like having 8 pro lenses in your pocket.”
While the base iPhone 17 starts at $799 for the 256GB model, the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro maintains last year’s $1099 price point, with the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max available for $1199. Apple is also offering a 2TB version for Pro Max for the first time, with its price sitting at $1999.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models will be available in three colors: Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue. For more, you can check out everything announced during today’s Apple Event here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
