Apple is preparing for a major revolution in the iPhone line in 2025 with the very notable name of iPhone 17 Air.
Sources say the iPhone 17 lineup will include four models, but the iPhone Plus will be dropped in favor of an ultra-thin iPhone with a screen size similar to the Plus model, tentatively called the iPhone 17 Air. This name has yet to be officially confirmed by Apple.
iPhone 17 Air will help Apple attract more customers.
In addition to the iPhone 17 Air, Apple is also considering making all of its products thinner, which has been demonstrated by the previously launched iPad Pro M4 and Apple Watch Series 10 models. Not stopping there, a thinner MacBook model is also said to be in the works.
The role of iPhone 17 Air
According to a new report on Medium from leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 Air will be one of two key factors driving iPhone sales next year. The other factor will come from a more complete Apple Intelligence software suite, which will help Apple's artificial intelligence (AI) technology compete better with rivals. As a result, Mr. Kuo predicts that iPhone shipments in 2025 will increase by 5%, reaching around 230 million units.
iPhone 17 series sales improved by about 5% thanks to some key changes.
Notably, Apple has unexpectedly revealed some information about next year's iPhone lineup in a rare comment via an internal memo. This is contrary to the company's habit of not discussing products in development, although Apple documents are often leaked.
If the iPhone 17 Air is introduced, this will be the main reason to create the appeal of the iPhone 17 series, because otherwise, the 2025 iPhone series may not be much different from the current models. A completely new design may be necessary for Apple to improve sales, especially when many consumers are eagerly waiting for a thinner version of the iPhone, even if it means Apple has to sacrifice some features.
Samsung is also eyeing the Galaxy S25 Slim.
In addition, reports from South Korea say that Samsung is preparing to launch the Galaxy S25 Slim in Q2 2025 to compete with the iPhone 17 Air. After years of using similar designs for the Galaxy S and Z series, the South Korean company is finally bringing something new to the market to attract consumers. As a result, Apple cannot sit still as it needs to make efforts to produce a new ultra-thin iPhone to compete with the device from Samsung.