While the expected launch of the iPhone 17 series in September is still months away, there’s no shortage of reports pointing to what upgrades we can anticipate from Apple’s next flagship phones. According to the latest details, Apple is utilizing vapor chamber cooling tech for the first time with the iPhone 17 to help keep the phone cool while using Apple Intelligence AI features. Still, we’re more interested in how it might keep the device from getting too toasty while gaming.
Robust cooling tech is a common feature of the picks in our list of the best gaming phones, but as of yet, Apple hasn’t implemented the same sort of heat dissipation that we’ve seen work so well on devices such as the RedMagic 10 Pro and Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. We first saw reports that Apple could employ vapor chamber cooling for the iPhone 17 Pro Max last year, but according to these new details (via mydrivers.com), it looks like all four new devices could benefit from heat dissipation hardware.
Admittedly, despite the lack of cool tech, we’ve not seen many reports of iPhone 16 series devices overheating. In our iPhone 16 Pro Max review, we found that the flagship only got mildly warm after a couple of hours of playing the best iPhone games. Still, adding vapor chamber cooling to the next series of phones could indicate that Apple is planning a big performance boost, or that it’s launching more Apple Intelligence features that push the processor to the limit. Either way, there’s likely a need for more reliable cooling.
Outside of the improved heat dissipation, the new report also doubles down on rumors we’ve heard surrounding the next iPhone’s display, suggesting that all models come with 120Hz ProMotion displays. Until now, we’ve only seen Apple equip the Pro and Pro Max models with 120Hz refresh rate displays, with the iPhone 16 limping behind with just 60Hz, but that shouldn’t be the case for the iPhone 17 base model. This is also good news for gamers, as it means the best Apple Arcade games should boast even smoother visuals on the 2025 flagship.
It’s worth pointing out that while these latest reports seem pretty credible, it’s worth taking the information with a pinch of salt until we get confirmation from Apple. If you’re looking for something new to play on right away, check out our guides to the best Steam Deck alternatives and the best portable gaming consoles, with plenty of options to suit all budgets.