Apple is expected to release its new iPhone 17 series in the second half of this year. Among the usual lineup, a new model might join — the iPhone 17 Ultra. According to a report from South Korea, Apple could replace the current iPhone 16 Pro Max with this new Ultra model. If this happens, it would be Apple’s first smartphone to use the Ultra name.

iPhone 17 Ultra: What’s new?

The report from the South Korean blog Naver, which got information from investors and supply chain sources, says Apple is planning a big change. The iPhone 17 Ultra could take the place of the ‘Pro Max’ version in the lineup.

Apple has never used the Ultra name for its iPhones before. It has only appeared on Apple Watches and chips. So, if this model launches, it will be a first.

The iPhone 17 Ultra is rumored to come with a smaller dynamic island — the cutout at the top of the screen. It may also include a vapor chamber cooling system. This helps keep the phone cooler during heavy use, like gaming or video editing.

The Ultra model is expected to have a bigger battery too. Because of this, the phone might be thicker than the current iPhone 16 Pro Max. That model has a 4,685mAh battery, which Apple claims gives 33 hours of video playback on one charge. The Ultra could offer even more battery life.

Other iPhone 17 series models

Along with the Ultra, Apple is rumored to release other models in the iPhone 17 series. Reports suggest these phones will have an aluminum frame and run on Apple’s powerful A19 Pro chip. They could also come with 12GB of RAM for faster performance.

The standard iPhone 17 and a lighter model — possibly called the iPhone 17 Slim or iPhone 17 Air — are expected to feature A18 or A19 chips, with 8GB of RAM.

You might also be interested in: iPhones gets its first-ever native porn app Hot Tub