Apple tipped to follow Samsung’s lead with iPhone 17 Ultra

It ditched SE for the 16e, but could Apple be about to kill off Pro Max in favour of an iPhone 17 Ultra?

Rumours of an iPhone Ultra have been doing the rounds for years now, with the mythical iPhone expected to either replace or sit above the Pro Max model. 2025 could be the year where those rumours finally become a reality, as Apple is again rumoured to announce an Ultra model with the iPhone 17 series.

A recent report from the Naver blog (via GSMArena) claims Apple will ditch the Pro Max model and replace it with the iPhone 17 Ultra. The speculation stems from supply chain analysis, which suggests Apple is preparing to introduce new hardware features that might make the Ultra stand out.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because Samsung also has an Ultra model in its flagship S series. The Galaxy Ultra models sit above the standard S-series flagships, and it’s these Ultra models that have the best cameras, highest-capacity batteries, and exclusive features.

If Apple launches an iPhone 17 Ultra, the iPhone line will more closely follow Samsung’s Galaxy S series than ever before.

A key change in this iPhone 17 Ultra model could be a smaller Dynamic Island, but Apple hasn’t ordered enough hardware to deliver this upgrade in both Ultra and Pro Max models. So has it finally decided to abandon the Pro Max?

iPhone 17 Ultra is also tipped to exclusively feature a vapour chamber cooling system, which would improve heat management and enable greater performance. Plus it’s expected to pack a higher-capacity battery than the iPhone 16 Pro Max – GSMArena speculates that it could be rated at 4,685mAh.

While it’s too early to say for certain if Apple will indeed ditch the Pro Max in favour of an Ultra model, we certainly wouldn’t be surprised. After all, 2025 is the year it decided to end its SE series in favour of the iPhone 16e, and another rebrand within the iPhone line doesn’t require too much of a stretch for the imagination.