Two key specs for the base-model iPhone 17 just leaked again – and only one is an upgrade

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CPU and RAM details

The iPhone 16 Plus being held
Apple is getting ready to unveil some new iPhones (Image credit: Future)
  • CPU and RAM details of the iPhone 17 have leaked
  • Not all the rumors we've seen agree on these specs
  • The handsets should be unveiled in September

It's likely that we're only a couple of months away from the launch of the iPhone 17, and we now have a new leak listing two of the key specs of the base model – though only one is set to be an upgrade from the iPhone 16.

According to analyst Jeff Pu (via 9to5Mac), the standard iPhone 17 will get an upgrade to a new A19 chip, alongside the iPhone 17 Air. Meanwhile the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are going to jump up to the A19 Pro.

That's good news, because Pu had previously predicted that the base-model iPhone 17 would stick with the same A18 chip that currently sits inside the iPhone 16. It's a trick Apple also pulled back in 2022 with the iPhone 14 series.

There's a case to be made that modern-day iPhones are more than fast enough for most users for most tasks, and perhaps sticking with an older chip would mean an iPhone 17 price drop – but it no longer looks like the A18 chip will be reused.

No extra RAM?

Apple CEO Tim Cook shows off one of his iPhones

(Image credit: Getty Images)

While Pu now believes a chipset upgrade will happen, he's also reiterated that the standard iPhone 17 will have 8GB of RAM, matching the iPhone 16. All the other models in the series will apparently get bumped up to 12GB.

Previous rumors had suggested the iPhone 17 would join the iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max in having more RAM than their predecessors, but this latest report would seem to cast significant doubt on that.

More RAM would mean more thinking room for Apple Intelligence, and it seems strange that the iPhone 17 would stick with 8GB while the iPhone 17 Air gets 12GB. Nothing is official though, until Apple announces these handsets.

Reliable Apple tipster and Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has predicted that the iPhone 17 series will get its grand unveiling on Tuesday September 9 or Wednesday September 10, and we will of course keep you posted on any more leaks and rumors before then.

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David Nield
David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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