Rumors of a major iPhone 17 upgrade may not materialize as Apple has had trouble obtaining sufficient quality components.

The rumor, by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, claims that the iPhone 17 will not use resin-coated copper (RCC) printed circuit boards, as he initially suggested in October. The reason, presumably, is that the components were not made to a high enough standard by Ajinomoto, the company Kuo mentioned in his initial tip.

The RCC printed circuit board was intended to allow the circuitry inside the iPhone 17 to shrink as the resin coating makes the printed circuit board stronger and more heat resistant. This would allow for more space for additional components or a slimmer phone body, as heard in earlier rumors.

The plan for a thinner iPhone in 2025 seems to have been scrapped, but perhaps RCC manufacturing will be used in the iPhone 18 in 2026. Also, depending on whether and when Apple is able to manufacture this part to its own specifications, we may have to wait even longer or may never see an iPhone using this technology.

Even without the slimmed-down frame, rumors are already painting a much higher picture of the iPhone 17 series' performance. iPhone 17 series will have Apple batteries, 120Hz LTPO displays on all models, a 48MP triple camera with upgraded telephoto lenses on the Pros, and a 2nm chipset that could further improve power and efficiency.

But back to the present, less than two months before the iPhone 16 series launches, this year's iPhones, including the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, are not said to be slimmer, but have updated camera sensors, improved OLED screens, faster charging speeds, and a new Capture button that makes taking photos and videos easier, among other upgrades.