The iPhone 17 line is expected to use new ways to dissipate internal heat.
A questionable new leak says that the iPhone 17 line will introduce a vapor chamber cooling technique. If true, it would be the debut of the technology in the iPhone lineup.
Currently, iPhones use passive cooling by leveraging the metal and glass of the iPhone body. However, during intense usage, this can result in warnings that the iPhone must cool down, preventing further use of the device for a short time.
The new report from Majin Bu — who has a mixed track record for accuracy — confirms that the vapor chamber cooling technique will debut in the iPhone 17, expected to debut this fall. While the report claims to be from an “internal source,” it hedges its bet by saying that a design is “still evolving, with some challenges to address.”
Vapor chambers are used in many Android phones as a way to dissipate heat when the device is under intense usage, such as during gaming sessions. The technique involves allowing a chamber of liquid to absorb heat from the device, causing the liquid to evaporate.
The vapor then moves across the plate of the device, cooling back into a liquid. This redistributes the heat, allowing for better dissipation.
A thermal plate with a copper surface could be used to redistribute heat – Image credit: Majin Bu
The idea of iPhones moving to this more active cooling technique has been around for some time. Reports surfaced back in January that Apple was planning such a move for the next release of the iPhone.
TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first mooted the idea of the iPhone 17 using vapor chamber cooling in a report from August of 2024. He believed at the time that the technology would only be used in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, rather than across the entire iPhone 17 line.
Bu is also the source of an questionable claim that the iPhone 17 lineup will feature new pastel purple and green color options.
The need for a new system of cooling the iPhone evolves from its expanding abilities, including the growing computational requirements of Apple Intelligence. Bu says that Apple will also be incorporating a heat-spreading metal plate across the device to aid in heat management.
The report also supports other claims that Apple will move to lighter chassis materials like aluminum, which can absorb and dissipate heat from internal components. Previously, iPhones have relied on thermal paste and graphite sheets, along with aluminum shielding, to help dissipate the heat of the processor and components.
