Rumors have it that Apple will make major changes to its iPhone lineup in 2025.
The iPhone 16 is coming at a September event and leaks and images suggest that this year's iPhones will look pretty similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple will make major changes to the iPhone 17 series due in 2025. We've heard hints of a brand new device in the iPhone lineup, and it could be the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever offered.
New design
Rumors have suggested that a new version of the iPhone 17 will be called the “iPhone 17 Slim,” but Apple is almost certainly not going to use that name. Instead, the “slim” refers to a thinner, sleeker design for the device.
With the 12.9-inch iPad Pro M4, Apple has shaved more than a millimeter off the thickness, creating the thinnest device Apple has ever made. The plan to focus on thinner designs for the device is expected to take place by 2025, and the iPhone lineup that year is said to be “significantly thinner” than current iPhone models.
We don't know specifically how thin Apple will make the iPhone 17, but the iPad Pro is just 5.1mm thick and could serve as a blueprint for what we can expect.
In terms of size, the iPhone 17 “Slim” is expected to sit between the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro. Some rumors have suggested 6.55-inch, 6.6-inch, and 6.65-inch as the screen sizes Apple has settled on, which would make it smaller than the iPhone 15 Pro Max (and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, too).
While Apple has been using titanium for its higher-end iPhone models since last year, the iPhone 17 Slim is rumored to have an aluminum frame. The first rumors about the device actually indicated that it would replace the iPhone “Plus” in Apple’s lineup, but later reports have pointed to it being a new high-end iPhone that would be even more expensive than the Pro Max.
Based on the rumors we’ve heard so far, it looks like the iPhone 17 Slim will be similar to 2017’s iPhone X. The iPhone X marked a huge step forward in terms of technology and was sold alongside the standard iPhone 8 models.
It looks like we'll get the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and this new high-end iPhone 17 Slim, with Apple dropping the Plus model altogether. The iPhone 17 Slim could be more expensive than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which currently starts at $1,199.
Change camera position
Along with a thinner and lighter design, the iPhone 17 could feature its first major rear camera change. Rumors suggest the camera could be moved from the top left corner of the iPhone to the top center, creating a design similar to the Google Pixel.
The Pixel 8 Pro has a raised strip on the back of the device, which houses the triple camera, laser-detection autofocus sensor, and flash.
Apple is still testing designs for the iPhone 17, but changes to the rear camera arrangement are possible.
Screen upgrade
ProMotion display technology that allows for variable refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz is expected to be available on all iPhone models by 2025, including the high-end model. Other rumors suggest that Apple will use a new display coating.
The new coating is said to have improved anti-reflective properties and better scratch resistance than the current Ceramic Shield coating. It's described as a "super-hard anti-reflective layer" in the leaks.
Apple has been using Ceramic Shield since 2020, a ceramic-glass hybrid developed in partnership with Corning. The company has since improved its protective glass products, and the company’s Gorilla Armor material reduces reflectivity by up to 75% while also providing enhanced drop and scratch protection.
Corning has had a long-standing relationship with Apple, and while Gorilla Armor was developed for Samsung , Corning could also produce a similar product for Apple.
Better selfie camera and Dynamic Island changes
Dynamic Island is expected to shrink and take up less screen space on the new iPhone 17. Under-display FaceID technology has been rumored for years, and we could see the first hints of it in 2025.
There will be a smaller hole and pill-shaped cutout for the front camera, but it doesn't look like Apple will achieve its all-screen design goal at this point.
As part of the Dynamic Island redesign, Apple is rumored to be adopting a 24-megapixel front-facing camera, which would be an upgrade over the current 12-megapixel selfie camera. It will feature a six-element lens for improved image quality, and the increased resolution will capture more detail and allow for more cropping without losing quality.
More powerful chip
It seems unlikely that the iPhone 17 series will feature TSMC's next-generation 2-nanometer chips, but the A19 chip technology is still expected to be built on an upgraded 3-nanometer process. Apple typically upgrades its iPhones with faster and more efficient chip technology each year, and the best chips available in 2025 are expected to be included in the iPhone 17 Slim.
TSMC is working on 2nm chips, but mass production isn't expected until late 2025, which would be too late for the iPhone 17 models.
Compared to 3nm chip technology, the 2nm fabrication process can improve speed by 10 to 15 percent at the same power level or reduce power by 25 to 30 percent at the same speed level.
Chips built on the upgraded 3-nanometer process won't have the same boost as chips built on the 2-nanometer process, but we can still expect CPU and GPU speed increases. With Apple's heavy focus on AI, the Neural Engine dedicated to machine learning tasks is also likely to see improvements.
TSMC is researching the N3P process and expects mass production by the end of 2024. Compared to previous versions of 3nm chips, N3P chips have higher performance and increased transistor density.
Rumors suggest 12GB of RAM will be available on the higher-end iPhone 17 models, and the increase would make sense on the more expensive iPhone 17 Slim model. Currently, RAM maxes out at 8GB.