I’ve got two fresh iPhone 17 rumors for you, but one of them stinks

The iPhone 17 could finally bring in a display upgrade over the iPhone 16 (Image credit: Future)

All iPhone 17 models are tipped to get Samsung M14 OLED panels
This could mean 120Hz displays for the standard and Plus iPhone 17 models
A new iPhone 17 Pro Max render still tips a doubtful design

Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 models could all use new Samsung M14 OLED displays, which would mark the first time in years that all iPhones use the same panel.

That’s according to a tipster on Chinese-language social media site Weibo (as reported by GSMArena) who made the claim but didn’t detail the source; having covered such rumors for years, I’d posit that it comes from someone in the display supply chain for iPhones.

Such a tidbit of information holds little surprise, given that Samsung Display has provided OLED panels for iPhones for years, and that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max both currently use the M14 panels. But it’s encouraging to hear that the next-generation iPhone family could all use these OLED panels, and it could also finally see the standard and Plus iPhone models move to a 120Hz refresh rate, rather than Apple doggedly sticking to 60Hz, which feels positively archaic in 2025. That being said, new OLED panels aren’t guaranteed to bring with them a higher refresh rate.

We should expect an increase in brightness for the displays of the iPhone 17 and 17 Plus with the M14 OLED displays, though, as they provided a 30% boost in peak brightness for the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.

And that’s about all we have on that iPhone 17 rumor, but there’s more…

Not sure I’m buying this…

Next up we have a fresh render of the iPhone 17 Pro Max created by 3D artist Asher Dipprey for a Front Page Tech video – the YouTube channel run by previously prolific Apple tipster Jon Prosser – which is supposedly based on insider information that may or may not have come from serial tipster Majin Bu, whose track record for accuracy is less than perfect.

While we've seen this design via FTP before, Dipprey put the render on a brighter background and boosted the lighting to give us a better look at it.

When put in good lighting, iPhone 17 Pro design suddenly looks... bearable pic.twitter.com/FtOWKrd6vcFebruary 18, 2025

The render shows a rather normal-looking iPhone 17 Pro Max from the front, perhaps with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island. But on the back, the phone has a huge rectangular camera module that basically spans all of the top portion of the phone; it looks a tad Google Pixel 9 Pro-esque.

Now unless I’m missing something, there’s no logic behind such a design change. There’s no extra camera, or anything that looks like new sensors. Say what you will about Apple’s design language, but the company rarely implements design changes unless they're seen as offering a particular benefit to the user, or incorporate new features.

So I’m not putting much faith in this render, or the information it’s based on. Nor do other iPhone 17 design rumors so far seem to back up such a design change.

Ultimately, we’ve reached a point where radical changes aren’t likely to happen with many of the best phones. While I’m all for change, both Apple and Samsung have established strong design languages with their phones, and aren’t likely to change them beyond a few nips and tucks. And since the Pixel 6, Google has basically been following suit.

Really, the bigger changes in the smartphone world tend to be happening with foldable phones, or under the hood in the form of more powerful chipsets and access to a whole host of AI tools and software. Less prominent phone brands, at least in the US, like Honor and Xiaomi may mix up their designs, but in general I don’t think we can expect any major changes from most phone brands, and especially not from Apple.

So I don’t think this iPhone 17 Pro Max render will come to fruition. Instead, the more interesting aspects of the iPhone 17 family might be how the standard model could nip at the heels of the Pros, and how Apple Intelligence could permeate more into the iPhone experience.

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Roland Moore-Colyer is Managing Editor at TechRadar with a focus on phones and tablets, but a general interest in all things tech, especially those with a good story behind them. He can also be found writing about games, computers, and cars when the occasion arrives, and supports with the day-to-day running of TechRadar. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face and a nose for food markets.