Although it takes around nine months to the premiere, there are already some plausible rumors about the upcoming iPhones that reveal a lot about the devices. Apparently, Apple will make major design changes again in the coming year, and there could even be a radically slimmed -down variant.
In 2025, Apple will most likely present its new iPhones again in September, i.e. only in around nine months. However, their development is already in full swing, because in summer mass production has to begin to satisfy the demand for the market launch. This is often the case in June.
At the latest when manufacturers and suppliers have to be inaugurated, it is difficult for Apple to avoid leaks. Someone always chats, secretly takes photos or pass on blueprints. Apparently the hot phase of preparation has already started, because there are already quite credible rumors that reveal a lot about the iPhone-17 models.
Extremely thin iPhone 17 “Air”
Reports have been increasing since last summer that Apple is planning a super -slim variant, which could be called “Air” based on other very thin devices from the company. Another traded name is “Slim”. According to different sources, it should have a display with a 6.6-inch diagonal, which is a new size. The current devices have screens with 6.1, 6.3, 6.7 and 6.9 inches.
The best-known and accurate Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote on “Medium” in July, the ultra-thin iPhone did not depend on outstanding technology. Among other things, the device should only have one camera on the back.
“The Information” recently reported that according to prototypes, the “Air” could only be between five and six millimeters thin. For comparison: The current iPhone 16 is 7.8 millimeters thick. Unsurprisingly, this should cause the engineers, among other things, to accommodate a battery with sufficient capacity.
Expensive slimming craze
In addition to the second camera on the back (ultraWeitwinkel), the slimming craze is also to be sacrificed in the hearing shell. So far, the engineers have not yet found a way to accommodate a SIM card insert. This is particularly important for the Chinese market, where Esims are not yet as common as in the USA and other countries.
Apple is supposed to be particularly expensive to use the first 5G modem. According to “Bloomberg” author Mark Gurman, this should be slimmer and less energy than the current Qualcomm modems. However, the Apple change should cost several billion US dollars. According to Gurman, this should be reflected on the price of the iPhone 17 “Air”, which could be around $ 1300.
Integrated Face ID?
The high price could also have another cause. “9to5mac” speculates that Apple could integrate the facial recognition (Face ID) into the display for the first time instead of accommodating them in a recess. There are corresponding patents as well as rumors that one of the new iPhones could have a much smaller “Dynamic Island”.
Is such a device actually worth $ 1300? Regardless of the industry magazine “Digitimes”, the “Air” has reached the phase of product launch (NPI), in which engineers from Apple and manufacturers (Foxconn) are planning the manufacturing processes. Usually, a first test production follows without major design changes.
Pros could receive “pixel camera”
A little less radical, but quite clear, the possible changes in the other iPhone-17 models are canceled. Rumors are particularly interesting, according to which the back cameras of the Pro devices should be arranged horizontally. Leaker Digital Chat Station has released a rendering on Weibo, on which the camera module has great resemblance to Google's Pixel 9 smartphones. According to “9to5mac”, Digital Chat Station was often correct in the past, including the telephoto lens of the iPhone 16 Pro.
However, this rumor should be enjoyed with caution until it may continue to be condensed. So “9to5mac” quotes another leaker, whose sources report other things. Accordingly, the design of the camera unit should change, but the lenses should still be arranged.
Plus model probably history
According to “The Information”, the Pro could have frame from Titan instead of aluminum. The metal is also supposed to grab the cameras, which the authors also expect horizontally. You write that the module is rectangular. The back should only consist of glass below the cameras.
There is not much to write about the standard model, except that the larger plus variant should be painted. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, this is due to its failure. Only five to ten percent of the newly sold iPhones are plus devices, he writes. The variant is therefore superfluous.
