Many rumors suggest that Apple will make major changes to the iPhone product line in 2025.
iPhone 16 is about to launch at the upcoming September event and information and images show that this year's iPhone will be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but there are rumors that Apple will make big changes on the iPhone 17 series. launching in 2025. We've heard many hints about a completely new device in the iPhone lineup, and this could be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date.
New design
Many rumors have suggested that a new version of the iPhone 17 will be called "iPhone 17 Slim", but Apple almost certainly will not use that name. Instead, the word "slim" refers to the device's thinner, sleeker design.
With the 12.9-inch iPad Pro M4, Apple has reduced the thickness by more than a millimeter, creating the thinnest device Apple has produced to date. The planned focus on thinner designs for devices is expected to take place in 2025, and the iPhone line launching this 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 only 5.1mm thick and could serve as a design baseline for what we 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 suggest some sizes like 6.55 inches, 6.6 inches, and 6.65 inches as the screen sizes Apple has decided on, which would make it smaller than the iPhone 15 Pro Max (and also iPhone 16 Pro Max).
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 that emerged about this device actually indicated that it would replace the iPhone "Plus" in Apple's lineup, but later information pointed to this as a new high-end iPhone with even more expensive than 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 8 standards.
It looks like we'll get the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and this new premium iPhone 17 Slim, with Apple ditching the Plus model entirely. 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 may feature its first major change to the rear camera. Rumors suggest that the camera could be relocated 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, housing a trio of cameras, a laser-detection autofocus sensor, and a flash.
Apple is still testing the design for the iPhone 17, but the ability to change the arrangement of the rear camera cluster is possible.
Screen upgrade
ProMotion display technology that allows changing refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz is expected to be available on all iPhone models by 2025, including the high-end model. Some other rumors suggest that Apple will use a new screen coating.
The new coating is said to have improved anti-reflective properties and better scratch resistance than the current Ceramic Shield coating. It is described as a "super hard anti-reflection layer" in the leaks.
Apple has been using Ceramic Shield since 2020. This is a ceramic-glass hybrid material developed in partnership with Corning. It has improved its protective glass products since then, and the company's Gorilla Armor material reduces reflections by up to 75% while enhancing drop and scratch resistance.
Corning has had a long 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
It is expected that Dynamic Island will be reduced and take up less screen space on the new iPhone 17. There have been rumors for years about under-display FaceID technology, and we could see the first hints of it as early as 2025.
There will be a smaller hole and pill-shaped cutout for the front camera, but it seems unlikely that Apple will achieve its goal of an all-screen design at this time.
As part of the Dynamic Island redesign, Apple is rumored to adopt a 24-megapixel front camera, which would be an upgrade over the current 12-megapixel selfie camera. It will have 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 chips
It appears that the iPhone 17 line will not feature TSMC's next-generation 2-nanometer chip, but the A19 chip technology is still expected to be built on an upgraded 3-nanometer process. Apple typically upgrades iPhones with faster and more efficient chip technology each year, and the best chips available in 2025 are expected to go into the iPhone 17 Slim.
TSMC is working on 2nm chips, but mass production is not expected until late 2025, which is too late for the iPhone 17 models.
Compared with 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 an upgraded 3-nanometer process won't have the same boost as chips built on a 2-nanometer process, but we can still expect an increase in CPU and GPU speeds. With Apple's strong focus on AI, the dedicated Neural Engine for machine learning tasks is also likely to improve.
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 operating efficiency and increased transistor density.
There are rumors that 12GB RAM will be available on the high-end iPhone 17 models and this increase will be reasonable on the more expensive iPhone 17 Slim model. Currently, the maximum RAM is 8GB.