Apple is diversifying its products and services more than ever, but there is no doubt that the iPhone is still king. No other Apple product, and perhaps no other product from any company, has a greater cultural and economic impact.
The iPhone updates in 2024 were mostly the same: a new processor, improved cameras, and better battery life. The camera control button is perhaps the biggest hardware innovation and it's really just a new way to access the camera that isn't always an improvement. We still think they're great phones, but it's been years since Apple changed the design of its flagship iPhones, and the cheaper iPhone SE is getting really old.
By 2025, we hope both of these issues will be resolved. An all-new ultra-thin iPhone (which many are calling the “iPhone Air” in the absence of a name announced) will be the biggest change to the iPhone's appearance in ages. And the new 4th generation iPhone SE should fill many of the missed opportunities of the 2022 model, bringing modern standards to Apple's most affordable phone.
Here's a look at what the latest rumors tell us to expect from Apple's new iPhones in 2025.
iPhone SE4
The first new iPhone of 2025 will likely be the 4th generation iPhone SE. (Most people call it the iPhone SE 4, and Apple may adopt that nomenclature as well, as it has moved away from historical “generation” identifiers for most products in 2024, including the iPad and AirPods.) Apple has traditionally launched the iPhone SE in the spring. and we are planning a similar launch next year.
The iPhone SE 3 was a bit of a disappointment when it was released in March 2022. It had a fast processor but stuck with the same tired iPhone 8 body, with an aging screen and cameras. Three years later, it's downright old and in need of a major overhaul.
In 2025, there will be one. The iPhone SE 4 will finally bring Apple's mid-range phone up to modern standards. It should look roughly like an iPhone 14, with an edge-to-edge display and a notch. The home button will disappear in favor of Face ID (sorry Touch ID diehards, but this button takes up A LOT of space that Apple would prefer to use for a larger screen).
The iPhone SE 4 will finally remove the home button.
IDG
It will likely have an A18 processor with 8GB of RAM and therefore support Apple Intelligence. There's no firm word on storage, but we hope the base model will offer 128GB, not 64GB like the iPhone SE 3. The iPhone SE 4 would also be the first product to use a modem 5G designed by Apple, which will only support frequencies below 6 and works about as well as a Qualcomm modem from two years ago.
There will be a rear camera, upgraded to a 48MP sensor, so it will likely benefit from a 12MP “optical” 2x zoom. The front camera is expected to be the same as the 12 MP iPhone 16. So expect the iPhone SE 4 to be very similar to the iPhone 16, but without the ultra-wide camera, no camera control button, and a mute switch. instead of an action button.
Will prices also increase? We think it's very possible that Apple will increase the starting price to $449, or even $499, a slight increase from the current $429. But it will still be cheaper than the iPhone 14, which starts at $599.
iPhone 17 and 17 Pro/Pro Max
Next fall (in September as usual), we expect Apple to launch four new iPhones again. However, the matrix will be different. There will be an iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max, but current rumors suggest that the iPhone 17 Plus will be replaced in the lineup by something entirely new: an ultra-thin phone that many call the iPhone 17. Air. More on this phone in a moment.
Most notably, the iPhone 17 lineup could include the first major change to Apple's rear camera layout. Never. Rumors indicate that at least some models, or perhaps all, will move to a large, centered camera bump that extends across the entire top back of the phone, similar in style to Google's Pixel line. There are rumors that the iPhone 17 Pro models could ditch titanium and switch to aluminum, but that would be a surprising move just two years after Apple introduced titanium and used the new material as its main selling point.
The iPhone 17 models are said to have a horizontal camera array for the first time.
Chris Martin / Foundry
For standard iPhones, we're expecting an A19 for the standard model and an A19 Pro for the Pro and Pro Max, offering better performance and perhaps a boost to 12GB of RAM. There are conflicting reports about whether or not the standard iPhone 17 will get ProMotion and an always-on display for the first time in 2025, a feature exclusive to Pro phones since 2021. Apple has always made these features Pro-only. , but most competing phones that cost $800 have had equivalent features for years.
The front camera on all models is said to get an upgrade to 24-megapixels. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to have 48 MP cameras for wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. At least one iPhone 17 model is rumored to feature a mechanical aperture on the main camera, although we don't know which model yet.
iPhone 17 Air
Next year's biggest iPhone surprise will likely be a new ultra-thin model that we've called iPhone 17 Air (or maybe just iPhone Air).
At around 6mm thick, it will be the thinnest iPhone ever, even thinner than the old iPhone 6 (6.9mm). It's expected to be a larger phone, with a screen just a bit smaller than what you'll find on a 'Plus' model, at around 6.5 inches. It will likely support ProMotion and always-on, but that could happen across the entire iPhone 17 lineup anyway.
Some compromises will have to be made to achieve the slim design of this device: the battery may not be as big as expected, there would only be one speaker (where the earpiece is) and there might not be room for a SIM card. plateau. This has been missing from US models for some time, but is still required in countries like China.
This model will likely have the same processor as the regular iPhone 17 (the A19 rather than the A19 Pro) and may also include Apple's own 5G modem, while other iPhone 17 models will retain Qualcomm modems. As with other iPhone 17 models, we're told to expect a camera aligned top center on the back of the phone rather than in the top left corner. It is rumored to only have a single 48 MP camera like the iPhone SE, which is a somewhat significant downgrade compared to other models.
