With the iPhone 16 now available, rumors focus on the upcoming iPhone 17. This model is expected to be released in the second half of 2025. One of the highlights of this generation could be an iPhone Slim, as it seems Apple will no longer bet on a Plus model. Apple executives are calling upcoming new models their “most ambitious” iPhones ever. Here’s what we know about this future phone so far.
Release date
If Apple follows the trend, the new iPhone 17 lineup should be released in September next year. According to The Information, Apple has started the manufacturing process to make the regular iPhone 17 models in India. This is the first time Cupertino began a New Production Introduction of an iPhone outside China.
In this early manufacturing phase, Apple needs to tweak the iPhone design and experiment with new materials and equipment to ensure that “millions of iPhones can be produced a day across different locations with minimal defects.”
This phase will last until early next year.
iPhone 17 Slim/Air: Underpowered and overpriced?
Since Apple introduced the iPhone 12 mini, it has struggled to find a market for the unique variations of its regular iPhone models. The company has seen low sales of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus. While we need to know how the iPhone 16 Plus will sell, Cupertino might be planning a different approach for the iPhone 17.
Rumors so far have hinted at a premium version of the non-Pro iPhone 17. While all models are expected to maintain the same price point, this iPhone 17 Slim would cost around $1,299—the most expensive iPhone to date. Despite its ultra-thin form factor, it would have the A19 chip, 8 GB of RAM, and two main cameras. How Apple will maintain a good battery life with an ultra-thin form factor is still unknown. However, the company might learn from Huawei’s latest triple-fold phone. It’s important to say Samsung will likely make competition hard for this rumored Apple phone.
Interestingly, the iPhone 17 Pro models would have 12GB of RAM, the A19 Pro chip with TSMC’s new N3P manufacturing process, and three 48MP main cameras. If that’s the case, how could Apple charge more for an iPhone that’s actually worse than its Pro lineup? Apparently, it’s because the company is planning a new form factor with an ultrathin design.
- Here’s why we need the iPhone 17 Air, according to an iPhone 16 Plus owner
- Here’s what you’ll give up if you get Apple’s iPhone 17 Air next year
Display size and design
For the 2025 iPhone lineup, display analyst Ross Young believes Apple will offer a pill-shaped cutout on every model (regular and Pros). While he previously reported that under-panel Face ID technology would be available on Pro models, he now says it has been delayed to the iPhone 18.
However, the regular iPhone 17 models will finally have Always-On Display and ProMotion technology, as Young expects the company to add a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide display to all 2025 models. ETNews says Samsung and LG could be the main beneficiaries of Apple’s OLED panel orders with these technologies for next year.
Besides that, every iPhone 17 is expected to have the same display size as its predecessor: 6.3 inches for the smaller versions and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. While a Plus iteration isn’t expected to be released, there are rumors about an iPhone Slim.
According to a DigiTime report, this iPhone could use a new OLED display technology. The Touch and Display Driver Integration tech is expected to debut as early as the second quarter of 2025, and Apple is “expected” to be Novatek’s first customer. This technology could make the iPhone display even thinner.
For the iPhone 17 Pro versions, analyst Jeff Pu says Apple could add a narrow Dynamic Island.
Cameras
With the iPhone 17 Pro lineup, Apple will finally add a 48MP lens to all of the primary cameras. While the iPhone 16 Pro was rumored to add a 48MP ultra-wide lens, the 17 Pro will add the same resolution for the telephoto lens, in addition to an upgraded tetra prism zoom camera exclusive to the Pro Max.
Kuo details Apple’s tetraprism zoom upgrade plans for the coming years, with 2025 set to bring a big change. Apple wants to upgrade from the current 12-megapixel zoom sensor to a 48-megapixel tetraprism lens next year. But the analyst says it’s still unclear whether Apple will use the new zoom camera on every Pro model:
(1) The high-end iPhone 17 model is expected to feature an upgraded tetraprism camera, with key specification changes from a 1/3.1″ 12MP CIS in the iPhone 16 Pro series to a 1/2.6″ 48MP CIS. This upgrade will enhance photo quality and zoom functionality.
(2) It is currently uncertain whether only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the upgraded tetraprism camera. If so, the 2H26 iPhone 18 Pro will also feature the upgraded tetraprism camera.
Besides that, The Information reports that Apple is planning a mechanical aperture for the iPhone Pro. With it, users could manually add a shallow depth-of-field effect to their photos. Currently, Apple artificially generates a bokeh effect with Portrait Mode.
Regarding the front-facing camera, Jeff Pu believes Apple could add a 24MP sensor to improve selfies.
A19 processor will power the iPhone 17
If Apple follows its familiar trend, the A19 family of chips will power the iPhone 17 lineup. The Information says Apple is developing two new chips, the A19 and A19 Pro, with the latter using a new TSMC technology for improved efficiency. It seems these chips will continue to use a 3nm manufacturing process.
It’s unclear how much faster they will be, although Neural Engine cores will likely be a priority as Apple plans to improve Apple Intelligence features. However, these devices should get 12GB of RAM for the Pro models and 8GB for the regular ones. A rumor says 12GB of RAM will be exclusive to the Pro Max model.
Wi-Fi 7 support
The iPhone 16 features Wi-Fi 7 support, and Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 will likely use this technology. For the iPhone 15, Apple offered Wi-Fi 6E support, which improves wireless performance, lower latency, and lower power consumption. Wi-Fi 7, meanwhile, boasts faster speeds, even lower latency, and better connectivity experiences in areas with high device density.
Analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu believe Apple will use a proprietary Wi-Fi modem, as the company wants to rely less on Broadcom and, eventually, create a chip that will feature cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth technologies in a single silicon.
Battery
We don’t know if Apple will increase, maintain, or decrease the battery capacity of these upcoming iPhones. Still, a rumor believes that the entire iPhone 17 lineup will feature the same battery glue tech that Apple used for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
As shown by iFixit, all you need to do to remove the battery from the chassis is apply a low-voltage current. The battery will come off like magic. The procedure further improves the repairability of the iPhone 16, making battery replacements even easier. The process only works in one direction, allowing you to detach the battery from the frame. Each new battery will feature its own glue strip, and no current will be needed during installation.
iOS 19 and Apple Intelligence features will be key for iPhone 17
So far, we only know that Apple has started developing iOS 19, which has a codename of Luck. It’s unclear what features will be included in iOS 19. However, Apple Intelligence will continue to play a big part in iOS for the foreseeable future.
By 2025, we’ll get the all-new Siri with the ability to understand context. These are some of the features expected to be available on the iPhone 17 models regarding Apple Intelligence and that are coming in iOS 18:
- Writing Tools: Users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps;
- Image Playground: Users can create playful images in seconds, choosing from Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. This app is built right into apps like Messages and is also available in a dedicated app;
- Memories in Photos: Users can create stories they want to see just by typing a description. Apple Intelligence will pick out the best photos and videos based on the description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc;
- Clean Up tool: This Photos app feature can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo without accidentally altering the subject;
- Siri: Users type to Siri and switch between text and voice to communicate with Siri in whatever way feels right for the moment.
- ChatGPT integration: When you feel Apple Intelligence isn’t enough, you can allow ChatGPT to access Writing Tools and other features for a better response.
More recently, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said iOS 19 will make Siri AI more like ChatGPT. However, this might take longer to occur. He said that Siri will have new abilities to access user data for contextual information about the user and control third-party apps via the new App Intents software. However, Gurman points out that Siri isn’t getting a ChatGPT-like model for these tasks:
These upcoming upgrades will make Siri easier to use on a day-to-day basis, but it’s not the brain transplant that the service really needs. Siri is still based on an outdated infrastructure — AI models that have been overtaken by the technology used by ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Siri hasn’t yet been rebuilt for the generative AI age, even if Apple is trying to create the impression that it has.
Price and storage
Rumors say Apple might be planning to add a 2TB tier for the iPhone Pro models, starting with the iPhone 17. That said, these could be the possible storage options:
- iPhone 17: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB
- iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB
Here are the current storage options and prices for the iPhone 16 lineup:
iPhone 16
- 128GB: $799
- 256GB: $899
- 512GB: $1,099
iPhone 16 Plus
- 128GB: $899
- 256GB: $999
- 512GB: $1,199
iPhone 16 Pro
- 128GB: $999
- 256GB: $1,099
- 512GB: $1,299
- 1 TB: $1,499
iPhone 16 Pro Max
- 256GB: $1,199
- 512GB: $1,399
- 1 TB: $1,599
The iPhone 17 could follow a similar path, except for the iPhone 17 Slim, which is expected to start at $1,299.
This is the best iPhone 16 to get if you’re waiting for the 2025 models.
Wrap up
This is everything we know about the iPhone 17 so far. We’ll keep updating this article.
