Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 lineup is already generating buzz, months before any official announcement. One of the most talked-about rumors centers on the Dynamic Island, the pill-shaped display cutout that houses notifications and Face ID sensors, first introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro. Several credible analysts now suggest that Apple is preparing to shrink the Dynamic Island across all iPhone 17 models, thanks to a new technology called metalens.
Jeff Pu, an analyst at GF Securities, recently shared in an investor note that the entire iPhone 17 lineup, including the base iPhone 17, the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the smaller iPhone 17 Pro, will feature metalens technology. This is a significant shift from earlier reports, which had suggested that only the top-tier iPhone 17 Pro Max would benefit from the upgrade. Metalens replaces traditional glass or plastic lenses with ultrathin nanostructures that can focus light more precisely and in less space, allowing Apple to make key components like the Face ID infrared sensor and projector smaller.
The result could be a more compact Dynamic Island, giving users a slightly larger screen-to-body ratio without compromising on functionality. Importantly, this change is about efficiency and design, not a reduction in features. The Dynamic Island’s interactive resizing based on apps and activities is expected to stay intact. That said, the rumors aren’t all in agreement. Ming-Chi Kuo, another prominent Apple analyst, predicted back in January that the Dynamic Island would remain “largely unchanged” for the iPhone 17 series, suggesting Apple might be sticking to the current design for now.
Beyond the metalens shift, Pu’s latest note adds more intrigue to the upcoming lineup. He claims the base iPhone 17 will use the same A18 chip found in the iPhone 16, while earlier predictions pointed to the A19 chip for the entire range. Pu now believes the iPhone 17 will feature 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 17 Air and Pro models will move up to 12GB of RAM, marking a notable boost in performance for the slimmer Air model.
It’s worth noting that while Pu has shared accurate insights in the past, his track record isn’t flawless. Some of these predictions contradict each other or differ from what other analysts like Kuo have reported, which makes it clear that Apple is likely still testing multiple configurations internally. Meanwhile, looking further ahead, rumors about the iPhone 18 Pro models suggest even bigger changes on the horizon, including under-display Face ID that would leave only a small hole for the front camera, pushing Apple closer to a seamless full-screen design.
(via 9to5Mac)
