iPhone 17 Pro Series may get major cooling upgrade with vapor chamber system

Apple might now be filling a hardware gap that has existed in the iPhone since the first version: high-performance cooling. In a recent leak by tipster Majin Bu, the next-gen iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max would have a vapor-chamber cooled device- a technology that Android flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra have already enjoyed over a number of years. This would be a tremendous change in thermal management at Apple, which could carry large impacts on both performance and reliability. Read further to know more about the iPhone 17 Pro Series cooling upgrade.

iPhone 17 Pro Series: What is vapor chamber cooling?

Vapor chamber cooling involves a metal chamber filled with a little liquid where the liquid is not exposed to the atmosphere but sealed. As the phone heats up - when it is gaming or running large amounts of AI - the liquid is transformed to vapor, broadcasting heat through the chamber very quickly. The liquid is also cooled so that the vapor condenses and then the cycle can be repeated at all times. This appears way better than the graphite pads and passive aluminum shielding iPhones have right now, which leads to uncontrolled heating and thermal throttling, ensuring the phone does not go out of control in intensive operations.

iPhone 17 Pro Series: Why is Apple making this change?

New iPhones have been accused of overheating particularly when performing high activities. Even the existing cooling systems of Apple have occasionally grown to become a source of temperature warnings and feature shutdowns, in a bid to save the device. These problems might be addressed by the so-called vapor chamber technology, which supposedly provides more effective and uniform heat dissipation.

This could also be due to Apple paying increasing attention to AI functionality, known as Apple Intelligence, which will put greater strain on the CPU. Apple is according to a leak to introduce the iPhone 17 Pro models with a new A19 Pro chip, which is more powerful but also produces additional heat with loads. These AI functions will be core to the iPhone experience, and better cooling will be key to avoid losing performance in the form of throttling.

iPhone 17 Pro Series: What do the leaks say?

Majin Bu, a source with both a mixed and notable history of accurate leaks, recently posted a photo of what he described as a likely new copper heat plate, which will allegedly be a part of the vapor chamber solution that remains in the testing stage. It is still being designed and technical challenges are faced before the end of it. Although certain outlets have claimed that the upgraded cooling would be applied to the entire iPhone 17 lineup, most reports, including those of analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, assume that only the Pro and Pro Max devices could receive the upgrade because of increased size and thermal requirements.

iPhone 17 Pro Series: What does this mean for users?

If Apple succeeds in implementing vapor chamber cooling, users can expect:

• Better sustained performance during gaming, video recording, and AI-powered tasks

• Lower risk of overheating and fewer temperature warnings

• Improved energy efficiency and potentially longer device lifespan

• Cooler device surfaces during heavy use.

But since the system is being tested yet, there are still technical challenges to address e.g. how the heat has to be effectively dissipated and it does not create new hot spots or affect the comfort level.

As usual, the iPhone 17 lineup is anticipated in September 2025. Until on or before then, additional leaks and reports will probably explain whether this anticipated cooling upgrade is going to be present in the final product. This alone may be a game changer to the iPhone users who take their devices to the extreme.

Disclaimer: The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.