Apple has always avoided a vapor chamber cooler on its iPhones for some reason, preventing its A-series chipsets from operating at their full potential. Later this year, during the company’s ‘Awe Inspiring’ keynote that is scheduled to be held on September 9, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max could be the first devices from the technology giant to ship with a vapor chamber, allowing the internals to function at their highest performance levels. However, not every cooler behaves the same, and many times, the solution’s thickness and size determine its effectiveness. Now, we get our first look at the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s vapor chamber, which covers a massive area designed to transfer heat away from a bevy of components.
The A19 Pro arriving to the iPhone 17 Pro Max could deliver better sustained performance when running taxing applications, thanks to the vapor chamber
The image of the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s vapor chamber was shared by @LusiRoy8, and even though the dimensions have not been shared on X, it appears to cover a large surface area of the flagship. Apart from providing adequate cooling to the A19 Pro, the post also shows that the device’s NAND flash will be covered under the vapor chamber to prevent thermal throttling. Previously, Apple would employ a graphite thermal solution to transfer heat away, but as you can guess, it is less proficient than a vapor chamber.
As for why Apple took so long to bring this cooling solution to its mobile devices, the Cupertino firm likely assumed that it served no purpose because iPhones were not primarily used to carry out intensive tasks. Now, with the introduction of the A17 Pro in 2023, which not only supported hardware-accelerated ray tracing but also ran AAA games like Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4 Remake and a multitude of titles, Apple thought that this addition would allow the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s thermals to be better controlled, giving the flagship’s components sufficient breathing room and letting them operate at their full potential.
In addition to gaming, on-device AI applications are also intensive on various components, which will pretty much make the vapor chamber mandatory. Also, given that the iPhone 17 Pro Max boasts a bigger footprint than the iPhone 17 Pro, it is possible that the larger flagship’s vapor chamber will cover an increased surface area, but that remains to be seen. Assuming this leak is accurate, we would not be surprised to hear positive reviews on how Apple’s revamped cooling solution has tamed the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s thermals.
News Source: @LusiRoy8
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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