Just a few months ago, we heard a rumor about the iPhone 17 that dampened some of the excitement surrounding the 2025 Apple flagship phone. According to a pretty reputable source, it seemed that the base model would pack the same A18 chip as last year's iPhone 16, which in turn suggested a lack of any meaningful performance upgrade. Well, there's a new update, and it means that we might well be back on the hype train for the much-anticipated handset.
According to industry analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 17 is likely to pack the same A19 chip as the new iPhone 17 Air, while the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models get the new A19 Pro chip. This is great news for fans of the best iPhone games and Apple Arcade games, as a new chip almost always equates to performance boosts, which should make the gameplay experience of everything from Honkai Star Rail to PUBG Mobile even better on Apple's flagship phone.
The other reason this development is a big deal is that it's Pu himself who suggested earlier this year that the iPhone 17 was launching with the same processor as last year's model. We're not sure where the analyst has sourced the latest information from, but they've got a pretty proven track record as one of the first to report on the A18 Pro inside of last year's iPhone 16 Pro Max, which currently tops our list of the best iPhones for gaming.
However, the latest reporting, via 9to5Mac, does point to at least one difference between the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air. According to Pu's sources, the base model is launching with 8GB of RAM, while the new slimline middle child is expected to pack 12GB of RAM. While that's a bit of a disappointment, given that a lot of the Android picks from our guide to the best gaming phones have at least 12GB of RAM, if anyone can work some magic with just 8GB, it's Apple.
Of course, we'll have to wait for the iPhone 17 launch later this year to find out just what chip the new flagship packs, so we'd recommend taking the latest details with a pinch of salt until then. For now, feel free to check out some great tech you can get your hands on right away with our guide to the best gaming tablets and the best handheld consoles. Or, if you're a Nintendo Switch 2 owner and want to know what you've got to look forward to, see our list of all the upcoming Switch games.