Tech

iPhone 17 rumor guide: Everything we think we know about the specs, cameras, colors, and release date

Published

2 months ago

August 14, 2025

Vicky

It's almost September, which means it's almost new iPhone season.

Apple's annual flagship launch extravaganza is theoretically weeks away, so we should probably stop, sit down, catch our breath, and review what we know so far. As always, there have been plenty of leaks and rumors surrounding the iPhone 17 launch over the past year. Some of them will undoubtedly be true, while others seem pretty sketchy. That's just how these launches go.

Let's not waste any more time. Here is everything we know, everything we think we know, and everything we know we don't know about the iPhone 17 so far.

Table of Contents

What iPhone 17 models will we get?

First up, let's establish exactly how many iPhones we're expecting in Setpember.

Naturally, there will be a base iPhone 17 model. That's a given, as predictable as the sun setting at night. All indications point to the iPhone 17 getting Pro and Pro Max models, as well, which would be in line with previous Apple mobile releases from the past few years. It would be a real shock if Apple pivoted away from that.

That said, that doesn't mean this year is bereft of surprises or big changes. Numerous leaks and rumors point to an ultra-thin model, potentially called the iPhone 17 Air. The Air could replace the Plus model that used to grace the iPhone lineup for the past few years, so instead of getting a bigger version of the base model, we'll get something that has an identity of its own.

We don't know exactly how big the Air will be, but leaks suggest it will measure in somewhere between 5 and 6mm of thickness. That would make it Apple's slimmest iPhone yet, putting it in competition with the recently released Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, a 5.8mm thick device.

iPhone 17 release date

For the past few iPhone launches, Apple has stuck with a rough "second week of September" time frame for its big livestreamed announcement event. Thus, the week of Sept. 8 is one to watch this year, specifically Tuesday, Sept. 9. It would not be a surprise at all if Apple chose that date to give us the goods.

9to5Mac also pointed out that Apple always places the official release date of each new iPhone on the Friday of the week after the launch event, so keep an eye on Friday, Sept. 19 for the phone's official release date.

Over at Forbes, reporter David Phelan recently made two more predictions about the iPhone 17 release. He also predicts a Sept. 9 announcement but adds that Apple will likely confirm the date on Tuesday, Aug. 26. What's more, he predicts the new iOS 26 update will officially arrive on Monday, Sept. 15 or Tuesday, Sept. 16.

iPhone 17 lineup: The specs

Obviously, we won't see the full spec sheet for these phones until the second week of September, so none of this is certain. But we have a rough idea of what to expect from these phones.

Let's start with the displays. Prolific leaker Ice Universe (via 9to5Mac) reported all the way back in July 2024 that these would be the approximate display sizes for each new iPhone:

iPhone 17: 6.3-inch
iPhone 17 Air: 6.65-inch
iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.7-inch

Perhaps the most exciting rumor (at least for me, so far) that's emerged about these new phones is that both the iPhone 17 and 17 Air will reportedly feature 120Hz displays, per MacRumors. Apple has frustratingly limited high refresh rates to its Pro phones for a few years now, even as budget Android phones like the Pixel 9a have had that feature for years. This would be a massive upgrade for Apple and would make the base and Air models even more appealing.

It's also expected that the new iPhones will have new A19 chips inside them. Like in previous years, the base model will likely have a regular A19 chip, while the Pro and Pro Max models will have a more powerful A19 Pro chip powering them. Leaker Fixed focus digital on Weibo suggested the Air model will have a slightly downgraded version of the A19 Pro chip instead of a base A19, potentially giving it some additional juice over the base iPhone 17.

What about the cameras?

close-up of the camera array on the iphone 17 pro

Credit: Zain bin Awais / Mashable

Again, we won't know the full, precise camera specs for the new iPhones until September, but there are some leaks to go off of for now.

Perhaps the biggest potential development this year is a big selfie cam upgrade for the new iPhones. It sounds like they'll have 24MP selfie lenses, up from 12MP on previous models. We'll have to wait and see how that actually manifests in practice, but hey, a bigger number is nice.

It also sounds like the Pro models will have a trio of 48MP lenses this time. Last year, the telephoto lens was only 12MP, so that could potentially be a big step up. One last thing to note is that the Air model will supposedly only have one rear camera, similar to the old iPhone SE and iPhone 16e models. No ultra-wide or telephoto shots for Air users, unfortunately.

The iPhone 17 colors

Leaker Sonny Dixon recently posted some photos of iPhone 17 dummy models that purported to show the color options for this year's new models.

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Perhaps the most striking one is a new orange color for the Pro models, which is definitely eye-catching, if nothing else. The Pro models also appear to have regular black, white, and dark blue options for people who want something a little less exciting.

Weirdly, the base model and Air seem to have less exciting color options this year than the Pro phones. In the photos, the base model appears in black, white, light blue, and pink. The Air, meanwhile, comes in black, white, beige, and light blue.

What about the iPhone Fold?

The as-yet-unnamed foldable iPhone, which tech reporters simply call the iPhone Fold, is rumored to be ready to enter production soon, but not for a 2025 release date. The most recent rumors point to a 2026 launch for Apple's long-awaited foldable phone, which will reportedly be made with Samsung display technology.

So, unless Apple has a huge surprise up its sleeve, we won't see a foldable iPhone until the launch of the iPhone 18 in 2026.

Vicky

Tech

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 29, 2025

Published

3 hours ago

September 29, 2025

Vicky

Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires some knowledge on NASCAR and football.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Table of Contents

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

Yellow: Numbers for a football score
Green: Greek Freak
Blue: Places in the southeast
Purple: Racecar drivers

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

Yellow: Points That Can Be Scored on One Football Play
Green: Associated with Giannis Antetokounmpo
Blue: SEC Cities
Purple: NASCAR Cup Series Champions, Familiarly

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #371 is…

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

Points That Can Be Scored on One Football Play – 1, 2, 3, 6
Associated with Giannis Antetokounmpo – 34, BUCKS, GREECE, MVP
SEC Cities – ATHENS, FAYETTEVILLE, NORMAN, OXFORD
NASCAR Cup Series Champions, Familiarly – CALE, DALE, JEFF, JIMMIE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Vicky

Tech

NYT Pips hints, answers for September 29, 2025

Published

3 hours ago

September 29, 2025

Vicky

Happy Saturday and welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

Table of Contents

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO:

Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 20, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO:

NYT Strands hints, answers for September 19, 2025

Easy difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 29 Pips

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically; 1-0, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 29 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this red space must be equal to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this blue space must add to 5. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this green space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 6. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 29 Pips

Number (6): Everything in this space must add to 6. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this red space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-5 placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-1, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (18): Everything in this space must add to 18. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Vicky

Tech

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 29, 2025

Published

3 hours ago

September 29, 2025

Vicky

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Table of Contents

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

The NYT Connections puzzle today shouldn't be hard to solve if you're a music lover.

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If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

SEE ALSO:

NYT Pips hints, answers for September 2, 2025

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

Yellow: Worn under the clothes
Green: A hoax
Blue: What a plumber might touch
Purple: Old-school jams

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

Yellow: Kinds of underwear
Green: Play a joke on
Blue: Parts of a toilet tank
Purple: First words in '70s rock song titles

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #841 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

Kinds of underwear: BOXER, BRIEF, HIPSTER, THONG
Play a joke on: FOOL, PRANK, PUNK, TRICK
Parts of a toilet tank: CHAIN, FLAPPER, FLOAT, HANDLE
First words in '70s rock song titles: BABA, BOHEMIAN, HOTEL, STAIRWAY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands?

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Vicky