The iPhone 17 Ultra could be the next iPhone X moment

I still remember my first moments with an iPhone X. It felt like something from the future: the OLED screen, Face ID, all-screen design, new UX paradigms for navigation. The iPhone X was truly a leap forward for the iPhone after several years of iterative updates.

According to the latest reports, next year’s iPhone 17 could bring another iPhone 17 Ultra.

Here’s what this next iPhone could bring.

Slim, futuristic design

The iPad Pro M4 recently claimed the title of Apple’s thinnest device ever. If you have one in your hands, you know it looks like a device from the future. It’s not quite like science fiction movies where the characters hold paper-thin screens in their hands, but it’s close!

An iPhone 17 Ultra with a significantly slimmer design might just as well look like something from the future.

Some might reasonably ask: why do we need a thinner iPhone? The current model is perfectly fine. And of course, no one “needs” the iPhone to lose weight. But if Apple can still provide sufficient battery life on the device, an ultra-thin 17 Ultra would usher in a new era for iPhone design. Thinner and lighter isn’t always better, but it often can be, as the iPad Pro M4 demonstrates.

Next level camera system

We already expect the full iPhone 17 lineup to receive a significantly improved front camera, from 12MP to 24MP. However, very little is known about the rear-facing camera system, except for information provided by Information about a big design change:

The rear cameras could be moved from the top left corner of the phone’s back to the top center as part of the redesign.

Android phones have long been designed with their camera systems at the center of the device, so it’s particularly curious that Apple is now considering making the change. Presumably, the 17 Ultra would be the only model with the design change.

If this camera move turns out to be true, we can expect there to be a reason for it. The iPhone 17 Ultra is set to receive some sort of next-level camera technology that isn’t available on any of the other 17 models.

If Apple is trying to increase the average selling price of an iPhone, camera features are one of the best ways to attract customers.

A software story?

When Apple launched the iPhone X, a big part of its story was in software. Removing the Home button was significant, but it came with a major UX change for users as they had to navigate a gesture-centric interface.

When the Apple Watch Ultra launched, it too had a software history. The Wayfinder and Modular Ultra watch faces allowed users to create custom watch face configurations that were not possible before, with new designs. Night mode also offered a new twist to the watch face experience. And the Action button had a big software component.

With the iPhone 17 Ultra, I think we’ll also see a software angle to the story. There will likely be some sort of new iOS feature exclusive to the Ultra.

This may be due to the device’s unique screen size, which is expected to differ from the other 17 models and likely have a smaller cutout at the top. Or maybe the Ultra model will come with a special chip variant that will enable something new. Either way, the software is a way for Apple to differentiate the product from its siblings.

Conclude

As consumers, we’re very accustomed to iPhone Pro models being the best of the best. But Apple has shown with its other products that there is room for an Ultra version.

It’s been seven years since the iPhone X debuted, so the iPhone is starting to take a big step forward. Additionally, I suspect that a new, extra high-end iPhone would be very appealing to customers who simply want to have the best model, whether for the technology itself or simply as a status symbol.

Apple hasn’t yet market-tested an ultra-premium iPhone, but it looks like that could change soon.