The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s rumored vapor chamber has now been pictured

• A diagram reportedly showing the iPhone 17 Pro Max's vapor chamber has been leaked
• This is the third time we've heard that this phone could have a vapor chamber
• A vapor chamber would help keep the phone cool, thereby aiding its sustained performance

At this point, it’s looking fairly likely that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a vapor chamber, as following on from two separate sources saying as much, we’ve now seen a diagram of it.

This was shared by iOS developer @LusiRoy8 on X (via Phone Arena), and while they don’t have much of a track record for leaks, the fact that this is the third time we’re hearing about a vapor chamber makes us think there’s a fair chance it’s happening.

The image itself isn’t very detailed, but it appears as though the vapor chamber would be quite large if this is accurate, which could mean it will be designed to draw heat away from the phone’s storage and RAM, as well as the chipset.

A vapor chamber – for those who don’t know – is a metal chamber filled with liquid, and that liquid turns into vapor when it gets hot. That vapor then dissipates across the chamber’s surface area, drawing heat away from internal components – most notably the chipset.

This sort of cooling system is already used in many Android phones, but so far Apple has relied on different and less-effective methods of cooling its iPhones, with current models relying on graphite sheets.

Cooler and faster for longer

So by switching to a vapor chamber, the iPhone 17 Pro Max should be able to stay cooler for longer, which could in turn help it maintain peak performance for longer, as once a phone gets too hot, performance is typically reduced to help it cool down. A vapor chamber could also help keep the phone cooler to the touch, and prevent heat damage to components.

So there are a lot of benefits to a vapor chamber, and we’re therefore hopeful that Apple will include one. The big question though is whether all iPhone 17 models will get a vapor chamber, just the Pro models, or just the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

This latest leak refers just to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but a previous leak pointed to its inclusion in both the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the earliest vapor chamber leak suggested that all four models might have one.

We should find out which – if any – have a vapor chamber soon though, as Apple is holding an event on September 9 where it will almost certainly announce these phones.

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