iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.

iPhone 17 Air Pastel FeatureiPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design

The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to follow before the devices enter mass production.

This is a routine but key milestone for Apple to have achieved ahead of the iPhone 17 series launching in the usual month of September.

Following the EVT stage, there is still a window for Apple to make some smaller iPhone spec changes, if necessary. For example, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently claimed that Apple would make a final decision on whether to include 8GB or 12GB of RAM in the iPhone 17 base model by May. At a minimum, Kuo expects the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max to be equipped with 12GB of RAM.

Read our iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro roundups to learn more about the upcoming devices and their rumored feature sets.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

When Is iPhone 17 Coming Out?

Thursday July 24, 2025 9:11 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Saturday July 26, 2025 5:50 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should launch in late September, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

Tipster: iPhone 17 Pro to Feature 8x Zoom, Pro Camera App, and More

Sunday July 27, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will have several new camera-related features, according to an anonymous tipster who contacted MacRumors today. The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by a film company that has publicly listed Apple as one of its clients. MacRumors has not independently confirmed any of the information shared ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Thursday July 24, 2025 7:08 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
Apple Partridge Creek

Apple Store in Michigan Permanently Closing Next Month

Saturday July 26, 2025 1:51 pm PDT by
Earlier this month, MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to permanently close its Partridge Creek store, just outside of Detroit, Michigan, and now the company has announced a closure date for the location. Apple Partridge Creek Apple Partridge Creek's final day of business will be Saturday, August 16, with the store set to close for good at 8 p.m. local time that day. All of ...
iOS 18

Apple Shares iOS 18.6 Release Notes

Thursday July 24, 2025 6:33 am PDT by
While the focus is now on iOS 26, there is still an iOS 18.6 update incoming. As noted by Aaron Zollo, Apple on Wednesday re-labeled iOS 18.6 Beta 4 as simply iOS 18.6, meaning that it is the Release Candidate version. This change effectively confirms that the update will be released to the public next week. Alongside the new label, Apple shared release notes for iOS 18.6, which is a...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Leaked

Friday July 25, 2025 6:20 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a Macworld report this month, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Tuesday July 22, 2025 5:00 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...

Top Rated Comments

izyreal Avatar
13 weeks ago
That render looks a lot like a Pixel 9 Pro



Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HighwaySnowman Avatar
13 weeks ago

Can’t wait to see iPhone Air. From “Unbox Therapy” with like 800k views the Reviewer was mind boggled over the thinness and said Apple will sell a boatload of these.
I doubt the stupid thin one will sell that well.

For one thing, it's still going to have the horrible camera wart.
For another, it's going to bend far more easily than a thicker phone.
And of course there's no chance the battery life will be anywhere near as good as a thicker phone.
Then there's the thermal throttling.

Might sell well the first few weeks, then the bad reviews will start coming in and sales will plummet. Wouldn't be surprised if Apple sees a lot of returns on it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N0ughtsAndCr0sses Avatar
13 weeks ago
17 air will be a tribute to the basic phone. ☎️

So it’ll have a phone app and YouTube.

That’s it.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jimmy Bubbles Avatar
13 weeks ago
Another year, sticking with my 15 pro.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DelayedGratificationGene Avatar
13 weeks ago

I doubt the stupid thin one will sell that well.

For one thing, it's still going to have the horrible camera wart.
For another, it's going to bend far more easily than a thicker phone.
And of course there's no chance the battery life will be anywhere near as good as a thicker phone.
Then there's the thermal throttling.

Might sell well the first few weeks, then the bad reviews will start coming in and sales will plummet. Wouldn't be surprised if Apple sees a lot of returns on it.
Battery life would seem to be a concern but I can’t imagine Apple not solving that dilemma right off the bat before they proceeded. Anyhow I’m just passing along the Reviewer amazement and excitement.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iamgalt Avatar
13 weeks ago

Another year, sticking with my 15 pro.
I'm hoping for at least another three years with my 15 pro max. I'll be good with 5 years of use out of it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)