Apple could raise iPhone 17 prices as soon as Monday, August 10, according to a new rumor, well before the wider round of increases expected with next month's iPhone 18 Pro launch.
Weibo leaker "Fixed Focus Digital" said in a post yesterday that rumors are circulating about an iPhone 17 price change taking effect on August 10. The leaker was noncommittal about whether prices will actually move, though the post claimed with more certainty that Apple has called off plans to raise production capacity on some lines from 15% to 30%. It's not clear from the post which components or products that capacity change refers to.
Apple raised prices on Macs, iPads, and most other devices in June, citing soaring memory and storage costs, but left the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, Studio Display, and accessories untouched. Apple's next round of pricing changes is widely rumored to center on the iPhone 18 Pro.
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone next month, with the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e not arriving until spring 2027. The iPhone 17 is set to remain Apple's mainstream option well into next year, which could give Apple sufficient reason to adjust its pricing independently of the new lineup.
If Apple does raise iPhone 17 prices this Monday, it remains to be seen whether the increase would apply across the whole lineup, including the iPhone 17e ($599), iPhone 17 ($799), iPhone Air ($999), iPhone 17 Pro ($1,099), and iPhone 17 Pro Max ($1,199), or whether only select models will be affected.
FaceTime Dual Capture is bringing simultaneous front-and-rear camera streaming to video calls in iOS 27, allowing compatible iPhones to show the caller and their surroundings without repeatedly switching between cameras.
The feature expands technology Apple introduced with the iPhone 17 family. Dual Capture already allows the Camera app to record through the Center Stage front camera and a rear camera at the same time. iOS 27 brings a similar capability directly into live FaceTime calls.
During a call, the front camera can continue showing the speaker while the rear camera displays whatever the iPhone is pointing toward. Someone attending a concert can share the performance and remain visible. A parent can show a child playing without disappearing from the conversation. A person asking for technical assistance can remain on screen while directing the rear camera toward the equipment causing the problem.
Dual Capture removes the awkward sequence of switching to the rear camera, showing something, and switching back to continue speaking face to face. Both perspectives remain available inside the same call.
Image Credit: Thomas Trutschel Photothek/Getty Images
FaceTime Dual Capture Changes Camera Switching
The normal FaceTime camera control changes from a simple front-or-rear choice on supported iPhones. When the caller activates the rear camera, iOS 27 keeps the front camera visible by default.
The main view displays the rear camera feed while a smaller window contains the front camera image. This picture-in-picture arrangement gives the other participant a continuous view of the caller’s reaction, commentary, or explanation.
To activate both cameras during a supported FaceTime call:
FaceTime > Start a video call > Tap the Flip button
Tapping the Flip button turns on the rear camera without immediately removing the front view. The other participant begins receiving both perspectives as part of the FaceTime stream.
The caller can disable the front view when it is no longer needed. This provides a conventional rear-camera presentation for situations where the surroundings should occupy the complete image.
To return to a single camera view:
FaceTime > Tap the camera view > Disable the front camera
The exact labels and placement may change before the public release of iOS 27 because the feature is still being tested in beta software. Its basic behavior is already established: the Flip control activates the rear camera while retaining the front camera feed.
Dual Capture does not create two independent FaceTime calls. Both images belong to one video stream, so the caller does not need a second account, device, or invitation.
The feature also differs from screen sharing. FaceTime screen sharing transmits applications and interface activity from the iPhone display. Dual Capture transmits live video from two physical cameras.
Image Source: Google
Which iPhones Support Dual Capture
Apple has limited FaceTime Dual Capture transmission to the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. Each model includes Apple’s 18MP Center Stage front camera and the Dual Capture capability introduced in the Camera app.
An older iPhone that supports iOS 27 cannot originate a Dual Capture stream. It continues to use the normal option of selecting either the front camera or a rear camera during a call.
Older models can still receive and display a Dual Capture feed when they are running iOS 27. This allows an iPhone 16 or another supported device to see both views transmitted from an iPhone 17, even though it cannot send the same presentation back.
Both participants need iOS 27 for the new FaceTime layout to work as intended. The transmitting device must also be one of the supported iPhone 17-generation models.
This limitation is based on Apple’s official feature support rather than the simple presence of front and rear cameras. Earlier iPhones have camera hardware capable of operating in several multi-camera applications, but Apple has not extended its native Dual Capture implementation to them.
Third-party applications have offered forms of simultaneous multi-camera recording for years through Apple’s developer frameworks. The difference is that iOS 27 integrates the experience into FaceTime, where users can activate it through the familiar camera-switching control.
iPhone 17 Owners Receive a Second Dual Capture Feature
Describing FaceTime Dual Capture as retro-compatible with the iPhone 17 does not fully explain its relationship with the hardware. The iPhone 17 family introduced Apple’s native Dual Capture recording in 2025, and iOS 27 now gives that existing camera system another purpose.
Inside the Camera app, Dual Capture produces a saved video containing front and rear views. Apple lists support for recording at up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 frames per second on the iPhone 17.
FaceTime uses the camera pairing for live communication instead. Network quality, bandwidth, device temperature, and FaceTime processing can affect the transmitted resolution, so users should not assume that a call will preserve the Camera app’s maximum 4K recording specification.
The Center Stage front camera also contributes more than resolution. Its square sensor gives the iPhone greater freedom to adjust framing without requiring the device to be physically rotated. Center Stage can help keep the caller positioned inside the smaller front-camera view while the rear camera follows the subject being shared.
That combination makes Dual Capture more useful than placing two untreated camera feeds beside each other. FaceTime can preserve the speaker’s presence while directing most of the screen toward the event, object, or location being discussed.
The feature may require more processing power and energy than an ordinary single-camera call. Running two camera sensors while encoding and transmitting live video can increase battery consumption and device temperature, especially during long calls over cellular data.
Apple has not published separate battery estimates for Dual Capture FaceTime calls. Users planning extended sessions may want access to power and a stable Wi-Fi connection.
iOS 27 Prepares FaceTime for iPhone 18
FaceTime Dual Capture arrives shortly before Apple’s expected iPhone 18 generation, making it likely to become part of how the company demonstrates the new phones’ camera and communication abilities.
Apple has not announced the iPhone 18 lineup or confirmed its final camera specifications. Compatibility with FaceTime Dual Capture is therefore expected from the software’s “iPhone 17 and newer” positioning, but individual iPhone 18 models should not be treated as confirmed until Apple presents them.
The software release gives existing iPhone 17 owners access without requiring another hardware purchase. That approach also provides Apple with a working FaceTime feature before the next iPhone launch rather than introducing the camera mode and communication interface at the same moment.
Future hardware could improve the experience through faster processors, stronger image stabilization, upgraded sensors, or more efficient video encoding. None of those additions is required for the supported iPhone 17 family, which already contains the camera system needed to transmit both views.
Dual Capture is only one part of the FaceTime update. Apple is also improving video-call quality when the network connection is weak, addressing a problem that becomes especially relevant when two live camera views require transmission. Traditional Chinese support is joining FaceTime Live Captions as well.
The weak-connection improvement may determine how dependable Dual Capture becomes away from Wi-Fi. A feature designed for travel, events, repairs, and outdoor calls needs to tolerate changes in cellular bandwidth without freezing both views or forcing the session to end.
FaceTime Dual Capture remains part of the iOS 27 beta as Apple prepares the public update for September. Apple can still adjust the interface, performance, device requirements, and picture-in-picture behavior before the completed software reaches iPhone 17 owners.
PrismML AI compression could give Apple a way to place far more capable artificial intelligence directly inside the iPhone. The Caltech spinout says it reduced a 27-billion-parameter model from approximately 54GB to less than 4GB, small enough to run locally on an iPhone 17 Pro.
That represents a reduction of about 93%, but the more useful number may be memory efficiency. PrismML says its technology can use up to 15 times less memory than conventional versions of the same model. Apple has reportedly held early discussions with the startup about possible uses for the technology.
Neither company has announced a partnership, acquisition or product plan. PrismML’s claims also need to be judged through independent testing, sustained performance and the compromises introduced by heavy compression. Even so, the demonstration points directly at one of Apple’s largest AI challenges: fitting stronger models inside devices without destroying battery life, consuming too much memory or sending every complex request to the cloud.
PrismML AI Compression Changes the Size Problem
Large AI models are difficult to run on phones because their parameters require substantial storage and working memory. A standard model may perform well in a data center equipped with powerful accelerators, large memory pools and constant electricity, then become impractical inside a device designed to last all day on one battery.
PrismML approaches that problem by representing model weights with far fewer bits. The startup has developed what it calls Bonsai models, including 1-bit versions designed to preserve much of the original model’s capability while sharply reducing size and energy use.
The reported iPhone demonstration used a compressed version of Alibaba’s Qwen model with 27 billion parameters. That is far larger than the compact language models normally associated with smartphones. Running it locally suggests that model size may no longer be controlled only by the number of parameters. How efficiently those parameters are represented becomes just as relevant.
Compression is not new. Developers already use quantization, pruning and other methods to make models smaller. PrismML’s claim is that its approach pushes that process much further while retaining useful reasoning and language performance.
That claim is exactly why Apple would be interested.
Why Siri AI Needs Smaller Models
Apple’s AI strategy depends on dividing work between the device and the cloud. Simpler Apple Intelligence requests can run locally, while more demanding tasks may move to Private Cloud Compute. That hybrid structure allows Apple to offer stronger capabilities without forcing the iPhone to carry every model it may ever need.
The cloud layer, however, introduces cost, latency and availability requirements. A request must leave the device, reach a server, be processed and return. Apple has designed Private Cloud Compute around strong privacy protections, but local processing remains faster and easier to explain.
A larger on-device model could improve Siri AI’s language understanding, reasoning and ability to complete multi-step tasks without a network connection. It could also reduce the number of requests sent to Apple’s servers.
That does not mean cloud processing would disappear. Server models can remain larger and support especially demanding requests. PrismML AI compression could instead move the dividing line. Tasks that currently need Private Cloud Compute might become possible directly on a future iPhone.
The benefits could include quicker responses, stronger offline operation and less server demand as Apple Intelligence reaches more users.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
Privacy Fits Apple’s Preferred Direction
On-device processing has always been central to Apple’s AI positioning. Personal information can remain on the iPhone rather than moving through a conventional cloud service. The device can interpret a request, use local context and produce an answer without exposing the underlying data beyond the hardware.
A model capable of handling more work locally would reinforce that approach. Siri AI could potentially understand messages, notes, schedules or onscreen content while reducing the need to transfer information elsewhere.
Apple already uses Private Cloud Compute when local processing is insufficient, and the company has built significant safeguards around that system. Yet every task completed on the iPhone removes one additional processing step.
Privacy is not the only advantage. Local models can continue operating when connectivity is poor or unavailable. That could help Siri AI during flights, rural travel, crowded events or other situations where cloud access becomes unreliable.
A capable offline assistant would also feel more like part of the operating system and less like a remote service accessed through an interface.
The iPhone Still Has Physical Limits
Shrinking a model to less than 4GB does not automatically make it ideal for everyday iPhone use. The model must also run quickly enough, avoid excessive heat and leave enough memory for iOS and active apps.
A technical demonstration may complete tasks successfully while consuming more energy or time than users would accept from Siri. Apple would need to optimize the model for its Neural Engine, memory architecture and software frameworks rather than simply loading PrismML’s existing build onto every supported device.
Storage is another consideration. A model occupying several gigabytes would compete with apps, photos, offline media and system files. Apple could reserve more storage for intelligence features, deliver models selectively or use several specialized models instead of one large general system.
Battery use may create the hardest constraint. An AI model can fit in memory and still require too much sustained computation for frequent mobile use. The ideal system needs to be small, fast and efficient enough to disappear into normal iPhone behavior.
Apple’s chip design gives it an advantage here. The company controls the processor, Neural Engine, operating system and AI software stack. PrismML could provide the compression technique while Apple handles the deeper hardware integration.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
Better AI Without Replacing the Cloud
The strongest use of PrismML’s technology may not be putting one enormous model on every iPhone. Apple could use compression across a family of models designed for different devices and tasks.
A smaller model could handle routine language requests. A more capable local model could be downloaded only to recent Pro devices with sufficient memory. Specialized models could support writing, image generation, app actions or Visual Intelligence. Private Cloud Compute could remain available when the request exceeds local capability.
That would give Apple more flexibility than an all-local or all-cloud design. Each device could carry the intelligence appropriate for its chip, memory and battery capacity.
The approach could also help Macs, iPads and future home products. A compressed model may run more comfortably on a MacBook Air, HomePod or smart home hub without requiring constant server access. Apple could scale the same intelligence foundation across products while adjusting model size to the hardware.
This is especially relevant as Siri AI moves beyond answering questions. App actions, personal context and ambient smart home control require intelligence that remains available throughout the day. Lower memory and energy requirements could make those experiences more practical.
Compression Always Includes Trade-Offs
A 93% reduction is a striking headline, but compression can affect output quality. A smaller representation may lose precision, weaken reasoning or struggle with uncommon information. The real test is not whether the model runs. It is whether it performs well enough across the tasks Apple expects Siri AI to handle.
PrismML says its technology preserves strong performance compared with full-precision models. Apple would still need extensive evaluation across languages, safety categories, tool use and personal-assistant scenarios.
Reliability is especially sensitive for an operating-system assistant. A model used for casual brainstorming can tolerate occasional weakness. A model handling messages, appointments, directions or app actions needs a higher level of consistency.
Apple may therefore use aggressive compression selectively. Some tasks can accept a smaller model, while others may remain on a higher-quality server model. The user would not need to know which model is active as long as the response remains fast and dependable.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
Apple Wants the Technology, Not Necessarily the Company
Reports indicate Apple has spoken with PrismML, but early conversations can lead in several directions. Apple could license the startup’s technology, work on a technical integration, hire members of the team or explore an acquisition.
The company has a long history of purchasing smaller firms for specialized technology and engineering talent. Model compression would fit that pattern because it supports Apple’s existing AI strategy rather than creating a separate consumer product.
PrismML could also remain independent and provide its tools to multiple hardware companies. Its technology has potential uses across phones, computers, robotics, vehicles and industrial equipment where cloud access is expensive or unreliable.
Apple’s interest alone gives the startup attention. The larger significance is that efficient models are becoming as valuable as larger ones. The AI industry spent years treating scale as the primary route to improvement. Mobile computing forces a different question: how much intelligence can fit inside the power and memory limits of one personal device?
A Smaller Model Could Make Siri Feel Larger
Apple does not need to place the biggest available model on an iPhone. It needs a model capable enough to improve the interactions users repeat every day.
PrismML AI compression could help Siri understand more context, complete more requests locally and respond without waiting for a server. It could strengthen Apple’s privacy argument while reducing the infrastructure load created by millions of AI-enabled devices.
The technology remains early, and a startup demonstration is not the same as a shipping Apple feature. The 93% figure will mean little if quality, battery life or speed suffer under daily use.
But the direction fits Apple unusually well. The company has spent years designing smaller, more efficient hardware systems that perform beyond their apparent limits. PrismML is proposing a similar strategy for AI models.
If the startup’s claims hold up, the next major Siri improvement may not come from sending a larger model into the cloud. It may come from fitting one into the iPhone without making the iPhone feel the weight.
As spotted by the Spanish blog iPhoneros, the iPhone 16, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max all received price increases on Apple's online store in Japan today. Prices increased by up to 11%.
Model
Previous Price
New Price
Increase
iPhone 17 Pro Max
¥194,800
¥214,800
10.3%
iPhone 17 Pro
¥179,800
¥194,800
8.3%
iPhone Air
¥159,800
¥177,800
11.3%
iPhone 17
¥129,800
¥142,800
10%
iPhone 17e
¥99,800
¥107,800
8%
iPhone 16
¥114,800
¥124,800
8.7%
Apple attributed the Mac and iPad price increases last month to the ongoing memory chip shortage, which has driven up chip prices. In this case, however, the increases are likely due to the Japanese yen's depreciation against the U.S. dollar over the past year.
Apple did not raise iPhone prices today in the U.S. or any other countries that we checked.
L’iPhone 17 Pro vous fait de l’œil ? Rakuten propose actuellement une offre permettant de réduire son prix et de le rendre plus abordable. Une opportunité intéressante pour découvrir ce smartphone haut de gamme d’Apple, doté d’un écran OLED 120 Hz, d’un triple capteur photo de 48 MP et de...
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