Last-Minute iPhone 17 Pro Rumors Hint At Smaller Dynamic Island, 8x Zoom, And More

When Apple takes the stage to unveil the four iPhones in this year's iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, it won't surprise long-time iPhone users who have been tracking every iPhone 17 rumor and leak since the iPhone 16's introduction last year. There's a lot of information online about the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max to spoil what Apple is about to announce. It might not be official, but separate sources have made the same claims about the four 2025 iPhones over the past year. It's very likely those reports are accurate.

It doesn't hurt that iPhone 17 leaks keep appearing online in the days ahead of the reveal event. For example, a few last-minute leaks have shared details about the iPhone 17 Pro models, seemingly confirming previous claims about the pricey iPhones. According to MacRumors, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have smaller Dynamic Island cutouts at the top of the screen. Separately, 9to5Mac reports that the two iPhone 17 Pros will feature vapor chambers and camera systems that will support 8x optical zoom.

A source claiming to work for an accessory maker shared images on X that indicate both iPhone 17 Pro models will feature smaller cutouts at the top. Apple introduced the pill-shaped cutout with the iPhone 14 Pro models in 2022. The cutout became known as the Dynamic Island, which lets Apple show contextual information from apps running in the background. A year later, the cutout made its way to the non-Pro iPhone 15 models. Future iPhones are expected to feature all-screen designs with no cutouts, but not this year.

island is now 1,5 cm (in 14-16 pro it's 2cm) pic.twitter.com/qAt5zxqGir

— Don't ask 👀 (@that_one_g3) September 4, 2025

With that in mind, it makes sense to see Apple shrink the size of the cutout starting with the iPhone 17 Pro. According to the image above, the cutout will measure 1.5 cm, down from 2 cm. The leak can't be verified at this time, but some accessory makers have already released iPhone 17 cases and screen protectors that can be ordered online before Tuesday's launch event.

#iphone17 family #leak at my work 😬
(that's the device we use to cut out screen protectors) pic.twitter.com/iO7HIOHLc7

— Don't ask 👀 (@that_one_g3) September 4, 2025

Also, as MacRumors notes, it's not the first time rumors have claimed at least one of the iPhone 17 Pro versions will feature a smaller Dynamic Island. Some reports said only the iPhone 17 Pro Max would feature a reduced cutout. Others claimed all iPhone 17 models would get the smaller cutout.

According to 9to5Mac, a Korean insider known as Jukanlosreve on X posted documentation from a Korean carrier that mentions the iPhone 17 Pro's vapor chamber and 8x optical zoom support. Jukanlosreve, known for sharing Apple and Samsung rumors in the past, has deleted the documentation. That's not an indication the information isn't accurate, however. 

Other iPhone 17 leaks said that Apple would bring vapor chamber cooling to the iPhone 17 Pro models to improve heat management. Android vendors already use vapor chambers in flagship devices that rival the iPhone to cool down key internal components, like the processor, to offer sustained performance at peak speeds for longer. Apple encountered thermal issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models two years ago, which it addressed via software.

Cooling could be a priority for Apple. The invitation for the iPhone 17 press event appears to suggest thermal improvements for the iPhone. Mark Gurman indicated in a report on Bloomberg last week that the iPhone 17 Pros might feature aluminum chassis instead of titanium to improve cooling. Gurman didn't mention vapor chambers in his report.

The now-deleted Korean carrier documentation also mentioned 8x optical zoom support for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The claim is unconfirmed, but it makes sense for two reasons. First, Apple likely wants to improve the zoom abilities of its expensive iPhones to compete better against rivals like the Pixel 10 Pros and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. More importantly, other iPhone 17 leaks mentioned improved optical zoom for the telephoto lens Apple has chosen for the iPhone 17 Pro models. The same 8x zoom estimate appeared in iPhone 17 reports earlier this year. The iPhone 16 Pro models support 5x optical zoom.