iPhone 17 Ultra Tipped to Launch This Year, Replacing 'Pro Max' Variant

iPhone 17 Ultra could debut as the first Ultra phone released by Apple.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 17 March 2025 11:58 IST

iPhone 17 Ultra Tipped to Launch This Year, Replacing 'Pro Max' Variant

Photo Credit: Apple

Apple is expected to offer a vapour chamber cooling system in the Ultra model

Highlights

A new leak gives us a key clue about the iPhone 17 Ultra model
Cupertino-based company has used the Ultra moniker for its smartwatches
The Ultra model is expected to have a thick profile

Apple's iPhone 17 series is believed to go official in the second half of this year. While there have been a few leaks about the design and specifications of upcoming models, a new report emerging from Korea is suggesting there will be a new iPhone model. Apple is said to introduce a new iPhone 17 Ultra as part of its 2025 lineup. The Ultra variant will reportedly replace the current iPhone 16 Pro Max. If the report is true, it would debut as the first Ultra phone by Apple.

Apple iPhone 17 Ultra Could Launch This Year

South Korean blog Naver, citing details from investors and sources inside the supply chain, has shared information about a new iPhone 17 Ultra model. The new model is said to replace the 'Pro Max' device in the upcoming iPhone lineup.

Apple has not used the Ultra label for its smartphones to date, so if the iPhone 17 Pro Max indeed gets replaced by iPhone 17 Ultra, it would be Apple's first Ultra phone. The Cupertino-based company has used the Ultra moniker for its smartwatches and chipset.

iPhone 16e Battery Capacity Reportedly Larger Than iPhone 16 Pro

The purported iPhone 17 Ultra is said to come with a smaller dynamic island. Apple is expected to offer a vapour chamber cooling system in the Ultra model for enhanced thermal management. It is tipped to feature a larger battery and as a result the handset is expected to have a thicker build. The current iPhone 16 Pro Max is said to have a 4,685mAh battery that is claimed to deliver 33 hours of video playback time on a single charge.

iPhone 17 Air's Thickness With Camera Bump Suggested in New Leak

Several rumours about the iPhone 17 series have emerged in the last couple of months, giving us a glimpse at what Apple may be working on. The upcoming high-end iPhone models are tipped to have an aluminium frame and run on Apple's A19 Pro chip. They are said to pack 12GB RAM. The standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Slim or Air model are likely to debut with A18 or A19 chip with support for 8GB RAM.

iPhone 16 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Massive screen size
Brilliant display
Performance beast
Camera Control is a boon
Fantastic battery life

Bad
Big phone for one-hand use
Expensive
No Apple Intelligence at launch
Slow-wired charging support

Read detailed Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review

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Further reading: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and... more »