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Next year could end up being a big moment for the iPhone, potentially marking a few significant firsts for Apple's 16-year-old device.
Apple may release its first "slim" iPhone model, put its own 5G modems inside the iPhone for the first time and we may see the first iPhone SE with Face ID. Plus, we'll likely get a much closer look at Apple's AI plans for the iPhone, since the current wave of Apple Intelligence features feels like just the beginning.
There's a lot riding on Apple's plans for the iPhone in 2025. At a time when consumers are holding onto their phones for longer periods of time, it's harder than ever to entice iPhone users to upgrade. According to a CNET survey in partnership with YouGov, 44% of smartphone owners only buy a new phone when their current one needs replacing.
But with rumored new models like the iPhone 17 Slim and a redesigned cheaper iPhone, Apple could have an easier time exciting potential shoppers.
If it gets it right, that is. If Apple does release a significantly thinner iPhone, there's a chance that the extra-svelte design will come at a higher cost. And given the lukewarm reception Apple Intelligence has gotten so far, the pressure will be on Apple to impress consumers with new features next year.
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While Samsung, Google and other Android phone makers offer screens that fold in half, Apple is sticking with the same traditional bar shape the iPhone has had since its inception. But the company is reportedly considering shaking up the iPhone's design in a different way: by making it significantly thinner.
Reports from The Information, Bloomberg and TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicate Apple may release a notably slimmer iPhone in 2025 instead of an iPhone 17 Plus.
The phone's sleek looks would be its main attraction; it would likely have similar specifications as the standard iPhone 17 otherwise but with a few compromises. For example, Kuo reports that this phone would have a single rear camera instead of the double camera found on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. It would also have the same processor as the base iPhone 17, according to the analyst.
The iPhone 17 Slim, if well received, could be just what Apple needs to get consumers excited about its non-Pro iPhones. That's to say, perhaps a snazzy redesign will coerce consumers to upgrade because they want to, not because they need to. Over the last two years, Apple's strategy has involved trickling features down from the Pro models, such as the Dynamic Island and the Action Button, to its standard iPhones to make them feel fresh and new compared to their predecessors.
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But with the iPhone 17 Slim, Apple would be introducing an entirely new style of iPhone for the first time since 2022, back when it launched the first Plus. Still, that phone didn't feel as novel and original as the iPhone 17 Slim likely will. Instead of just changing the size of the screen, it sounds like Apple is rethinking the iPhone's design in a way that would make it feel more portable and premium than a regular iPhone, a value proposition that's not too different from that of a flip phone-style foldable phone. Flip phones, for example, stand out for their unconventional looks and more compact designs. If Apple were to release a sleeker iPhone, it would presumably check both of those boxes, too.
That said, there's a chance the iPhone 17 Slim will come with some tradeoffs, particularly around pricing since it could be more expensive than the Pro Max model, according to The Information. The phone's extreme thinness could also raise durability concerns, although it's impossible to know until Apple releases the product -- if it does at all. The device is said to be 6-millimeters thin, according to analyst Jeff Pu as MacRumors reported, which would make it notably sleeker than the 7.8mm iPhone 16.
Otherwise, the iPhone 17 lineup will likely come with fresh processors from Apple and screens with higher refresh rates across all four models (only the Pros have this feature currently), according to ETNews. All new iPhone models will also reportedly have a higher resolution 24-megapixel selfie camera, says analyst Jeff Pu per MacRumors.
The iPhone SE is expected to get a glow up. The fourth-generation of Apple's entry-level phone, which the company is expected to release in 2025, is said to have an edge-to-edge display like Apple's other iPhones, Face ID, the Action button, a 48-megapixel camera and Apple Intelligence, according to reports from MacRumors, Bloomberg and Kuo. That would represent a huge overhaul from the current model, released back in 2022, which looks like an iPhone 8 with the same chip as the iPhone 13.
Those changes alone could make the iPhone SE a compelling option for those looking to replace their current iPhone but don't need high-end specs like a smoother screen and additional camera. Android phones like the Google Pixel 8A have been leaving the iPhone SE in the dust in terms of design, screen size and camera capabilities, but it sounds like that could change with the next model.
There's another reason why the iPhone SE 4 could be particularly special: It may provide a peek at Apple's first cellular modem. Apple is reportedly developing its own modem, which is the component that enables phones to connect to cellular networks, to reduce its reliance on long term partner and rival Qualcomm, according to Bloomberg. The iPhone SE 4 will be the first Apple product with the modem when it launches next spring, the report says, before making its way to more premium devices.
Apple's first modem is said to be less capable than Qualcomm's; it won't, for example, support millimeter wave 5G, says Bloomberg. But the initiative would give Apple more control over its product development cycle, which could eventually result in new capabilities and better performance the same way its M-series chips have for the Mac.
Apple Intelligence, the company's first major push into consumer-facing AI, officially arrived in October, providing a glimpse into Apple's vision for how AI can make our phones more useful. But the first wave of features doesn't bring radical changes to the iPhone and neither will the second phase, which is expected to arrive soon. Apple Intelligence, in its current form, primarily consists of assistive tools for tasks such as erasing objects from photos, rewriting text and getting tech help from Siri.
But next year, Apple will start laying the groundwork for what could be a larger shift in how we use our phones -- primarily thanks to Siri. Apple's virtual helper will be able to incorporate personal context into responses, take action within apps and understand what's on your phone's screen to assist with answering questions.
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Those changes could make Siri a far more capable virtual assistant and could perhaps set the stage for a broader shift towards the iPhone's software becoming more intelligent. Apple indeed has larger plans to revamp Siri with more sophisticated large language models (i.e. the same tech that fuels ChatGPT), according to Bloomberg. This new Siri would be capable of answering questions more quickly and in a more natural manner, more similar to Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT.
But that overhaul isn't expected to arrive until 2026 even if Apple announces it next year, the report says. If accurate, this would mean Apple's true answer to OpenAI and Google's chatbot would come to the market much later than its competitors, putting more pressure on Apple's technology to be successful. But Apple sees this as a long-term play and would rather wait until it's perfected its own unique approach rather than rushing to catch up, which is its modus operandi.
"We view it sort of like multitouch, which enabled the smartphone revolution and the modern tablet," Apple CEO Tim Cook said to Wired's Steven Levy in a recent interview when asked if he had considered charging for Apple Intelligence.
Rumblings of an iPhone that bends in half have circulated for years, but don't expect to see one anytime soon. Bloomberg reports that a foldable iPad will likely come before a foldable iPhone, and both devices are likely still years away.
Android phone makers have looked to foldable designs as a means to reinvigorate the smartphone market amid stalling sales and longer upgrade cycles. But even though the market for foldable phones is expected to grow by 10.5% in 2024 according to the International Data Corporation, growth is slowing as phonemakers -- particularly those in China, where foldables are particularly popular -- are shifting their focus to generative AI.
Foldable phones can be beneficial for the right type of consumer, but their high prices make them hard to justify for most. Traditional phones are so ingrained in our lives that it's going to take a convincing argument to coerce shoppers into trying something new. The fact that Apple hasn't released a foldable phone yet -- and doesn't seem to be in a rush to do so -- suggests it may have the same perspective.
Until Apple publicly announces its new products, nothing is certain. But if the reports turn out to be true, 2025 will have much more in store than your average iPhone launch. Given that Apple has a reputation for showing consumers why new technologies are useful rather than being first, the expectations for new products like Apple Intelligence (and perhaps eventually a foldable iPhone) are particularly high.