Hidden details of the press conference and the imagined future of the iPhone

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The Apple Fall Product Launch, nicknamed the "Tech Spring Festival Gala," ended yesterday. I believe you've been bombarded with information in the past two days.

This is also the last article related to the launch before ifanr's in - depth review next week. This time, we'll share some subjective observations, opinions, and thoughts, and talk about those "hidden details" that didn't appear at the launch.

The Standard Edition with High - Refresh Rate Stole the Show

From January to August this year, the rumored ultra - thin iPhone Air was always at the top of Apple - related topics. But when the actual launch came, in just 30 minutes, a large number of viewers were attracted by three new figures:

120Hz, 256GB, and $799 (5,999 RMB), from the standard edition of the iPhone 17, a model that neither sold well nor received good reviews in the past iPhone series.

In both domestic and international leaks and media predictions, the standard edition of the iPhone 17 was never the protagonist. There were predictions about the high - refresh screen, but most thought it was "not full - fledged ProMotion" - to be honest, ifanr also "stumbled" on this point.

However, this year's iPhone 17 not only uses the complete 1 - 120Hz ProMotion, breaking the long - standing rule that "ProMotion must be on Pro models," but also features a new front - facing camera, ultra - wide - angle lens, Always On Display (AOD), and a feature that most leaks didn't predict: anti - reflective coating.

Image | Apple's official website

Yes, this parameter, which according to previous leaks was only available on Pro models, not even on the 14,999 - yuan Samsung Z Fold7, and most domestic flagship phones could only solve with AR film, is also available on the standard edition of the iPhone 17 - at least in this regard, it truly "beats the Ultra and kicks the foldable phones."

The actual effect of the anti - reflective coating on the screen needs no further explanation. It allows manufacturers to break free from the vicious cycle of "sacrificing lifespan and image quality when increasing screen brightness for better readability" when competing for screen readability. Ifanr expressed its view in a previous article about anti - reflective screens:

Anti - reflective screens should become a standard feature on flagship phones of any manufacturer that pursues high - quality screen display in the next one or two years.

In addition to the significant leap in screen parameters, there are two other upgrade points on the iPhone 17 that deserve our attention: the front - facing camera with a new sensor and higher charging power.

Image | Apple's official website

This is our first point: Apple didn't do a good job in presenting camera information at this year's launch. The new product naming (Fused Main Camera/Ultra - wide - angle) and multiple parameters presented together can easily confuse people.

Ultimately, the standard edition of the iPhone 17 received two camera upgrades this year:

The ultra - wide - angle lens of the rear camera has been upgraded from 12 million pixels on the iPhone 16 to 48 million pixels, finally achieving dual - back - illuminated 48 - megapixel cameras.

The front - facing selfie camera now uses a new square CMOS, with a full resolution of 24 million pixels and a default output of 18 million - pixel photos.

The upgrade of the ultra - wide - angle lens is nothing special. Judging from the parameters and supply - chain management, it's most likely a minor modification of the 48 - megapixel ultra - wide - angle lens on last year's iPhone 16 Pro/Max:

iPhone 17 (Left), iPhone 16 Pro (Right) | Apple's official website

Compared to the ultra - wide - angle lens, the new front - facing camera module shared across the entire series this year is obviously more interesting. At the launch, Apple introduced it as the "18 - megapixel Center Stage front - facing camera," which uses the latest square sensor.

If you've used an iPad or a Mac, the name Center Stage is not unfamiliar. It automatically tracks people through a wider - angle camera (or calls the ultra - wide - angle lens when the Mac is connected to an iPhone camera), keeping the face always in the center of the video frame.

But on the iPhone 17, Apple chose a different way to implement it. Instead of using a large cut - out on the Z Fold7 like Samsung to fit a 100° field - of - view ultra - wide - angle front - facing camera, Apple chose a 24 - megapixel square CMOS and outputs 18 - megapixel photos through a 4:3 crop:

Image | Youtube @Apple

Using this square sensor, Apple also added several additional functions: vertical shooting with a horizontal composition, front - facing video stabilization, automatically switching the frame according to the number of people in the front - facing camera frame, and an Android function that's almost been forgotten: simultaneous front - and rear - camera recording (officially called Synchronized Dual Shooting).

Image | Youtube @Apple

According to the official website, the highest recording specification for the Synchronized Dual Shooting on the iPhone 17 is 4K 30fps Dolby Vision (the same as the Air and Pro models). Although the function itself is not leading, and many netizens have commented that it's "picking up scraps from Android" since the launch, don't forget -

Apple launched this function based on the video recording specifications, post - production workflow, and editing software ecosystem of the iPhone and iOS, which far surpass those of its competitors. Without a doubt, we'll soon see an explosion of this kind of front - and rear - view short - video content on various social media platforms.

In addition to video recording, Apple also briefly mentioned the increase in the wired charging power of the iPhone 17 at the launch. But the description of "10 minutes of charging for 8 hours of video watching" is too abstract. After our more detailed research, we found that the main reason Apple was able to increase the charging power this year is a new charging protocol: SPR AVS.

This is a new charger that Apple launched on its official website after last night's launch. Its name is very cumbersome: 40W Dynamic Power Adapter (up to 60W). Different from previous years, we found a new protocol name on the label of this charger:

Image | Apple's official website

After being educated by our colleagues at the neighboring "Sugar Factory," we learned the basis for Apple to use higher - power fast charging on the iPhone this time:

Relying on the new rules in the USB PD 3.2 standard at the end of last year, Apple updated the AVS (Adjustable Voltage Supply) protocol used on the MacBook to a low - voltage version called SPR (Standard Power Range) AVS and applied it to the iPhone.

Simply put, compared with various fast - charging protocols used in current domestic Android phones, the SPR AVS of the iPhone has two differentiating features:

It relaxes the original 20mV step rule, which was too precise and easily affected by the environment and cables, and changes it to a 100mV gradient, more efficiently matching the charger voltage with the battery voltage, reducing heat generation and increasing stability.

It changes the "total power control" with only a few fixed voltage - current levels in the PPS protocol back to the most traditional "separate adjustment of voltage and current," allowing the charger to provide a fixed current within a certain voltage range to achieve low - voltage high - current direct charging (a problem that the PPS protocol has always struggled with).

Analyzing from the working principle of the new protocol, this SPR AVS fast - charging technology may improve the previous situation where the phone can only maintain the peak power for a few seconds and then drops back to a much lower total power level due to the lack of a suitable current level. It's very similar to an improved version of the previous "charge pump" technology.

In other words, the era when wired charging on the iPhone 17 series is more comfortable than MagSafe may return this year. After all, the biggest problem with MagSafe at present is heat accumulation, and the SPR AVS is aimed at reducing the heat generation of the phone body.

Image | YouTube @TechRax

The Air Without a SIM Card Slot Became a Showy Vase

Although the iPhone (17) Air was the top - trending topic in the months before the launch, its popularity decreased after the launch. Judging from the parameters alone, this launch seemed more like debunking the Air's hype rather than promoting it.

Ifanr has already introduced the parameters of the iPhone Air in detail in previous news and hands - on experiences, so we won't repeat them here. Instead, we'll focus on discussing two things: why the most innovative Air isn't well - received, and what the future of eSIM is in China.

Image | Youtube @Apple

If we only look at the hardware design of the iPhone Air, it's undoubtedly another milestone in the industrial design history of the iPhone since the iPhone X in 2017.

Why do we say so? Because Apple stuffed an A19 Pro processor, along with the motherboard, hard drive, front and rear cameras, Face ID module, antenna, and other core components, into a 5.6mm - thick body - more specifically, into the 5mm - high camera deco that protrudes from the 5.6mm body.

Image | Youtube @Apple

This level of hardware integration and stacking ability is truly amazing. From an industrial design perspective, the internal layout of the iPhone Air is undoubtedly more advanced than the conventional three - section layout of the S25 Edge (below):

Image | Youtube @iFixit

The reason for this difference is obvious - it's not that Samsung's technology is backward, but that the two manufacturers have completely different ideas for making ultra - thin phones:

The S25 Edge is still a regular Samsung phone, just extremely thin and light in every aspect, aiming to create the thinnest regular phone.

However, as can be seen from its name, which doesn't belong to the 17 series, the iPhone Air is actually a completely different product from traditional iPhones, a literal "new hardware species."

And it's not just the Air. Apple didn't elaborate on this at the launch, but if you put the launch clips and official website promotional images together, you'll find that this year's iPhone 17 Pro/Max, like the Air, all use a layout where the motherboard is hidden under the camera deco.

This is our second point: Besides functional considerations, Apple's move is more about conducting a feasibility test for foldable phones and even the upcoming "all - glass iPhone."