Source: Mints
Apple’s annual event is on September 9, 2025, during which time Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 17 series. The line-up is expected to include the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, with the new Air model taking the place of last year’s Plus version.
This year, Apple faces stiff competition from Samsung’s Galaxy S25, which is already viewed as greater in many ways than the iPhone 16. To compete successfully, experts indicate Apple will need to incorporate four upgrades to the iPhone 17.
1. 120 Hz Display on Every iPhone 17 Model
While Apple’s base models don’t utilize a 60Hz display, Samsung has had both smoother and more vibrant 120Hz OLED displays for years. Including a 120Hz across all iPhone 17 models would help Apple feel more modern and would likely appeal to buyers.
2. Telephoto Camera with Standard iPhones
So far only Apple’s Pro models have optical zoom cameras, while Samsung has a telephoto lens even in the regular Galaxy S phones. Adding them to the standard iPhone 17 could enhance your photographic experience and meet customer expectations.
3. Increased RAM for AI & Multitasking
The Galaxy S25 features 12GB of RAM compared to the iPhone 16’s 8GB of RAM. While Apple has always done a good job optimizing its software so that it doesn’t need RAM to be fast, more RAM is becoming increasingly important for multitasking and new features based on AI (Apple Intelligence, or whatever they’re calling it).
4. A19 Chipset = Faster
With the new A19 chip, the iPhone 17 will be fast but why is Apple leaving its best performance for Pro models? With Samsung using Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, Apple will need to present some big performance improvements to stay ahead.
Some other key features include
Apple is expected to unveil the next-generation AirPods Pro 3, featuring the new H3 chip, heart-rate monitoring, enhanced noise cancellation, and a redesigned charging case.
Along with the new hardware, Apple will release the stable versions of iOS 26, watchOS 26, and other software updates first introduced at WWDC earlier this year.
What to Anticipate
Apple has always amazed users before with features they didn’t foresee. Even so, with Samsung’s advances in displays, cameras, memory, and performance, it’s crucial that the iPhone 17 provides substantial upgrades to show it can keep up through 2025.
The Apple brand has often shocked and amazed sceptics with product innovation, so the 9 September event could provide something more than incremental improvements. However, with Samsung pushing the bar with displays, cameras, memory and raw power, the iPhone 17 needs to provide evidence that it is competitive in 2025
