With the iPhone 16 finally upon us, it’s only logical that you might wonder what’s next for Apple’s do-everything smartphone. While only Apple knows for sure, let’s look at the rumors and ponder whether it’s better to wait for next year’s models.

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Rumors

It’s worth considering that, a year out from release, rumors surrounding the iPhone 17 are to be taken with a very big grain of salt. Even though Apple will already have a very good idea of what these models will look like, leaks don’t usually pick up pace until well into the production process.

A New Slim iPhone

Perhaps the most interesting iPhone 17 rumor at present is talk of a new “Slim” iPhone model. MacRumors cites analyst Jeff Pu’s comments in a research note with an investment firm, while The Information speaks of a new slimmer model that’s potentially priced higher than the iPhone Pro Max. Here’s a concept image from Apple Hub on X (Twitter):

Longstanding source of Apple rumors Ming-Chi Kuo has refuted some of these claims, instead suggesting that the new slim model would lack a Pro chip, focus on design over hardware, and may even only have a single wide-angle camera.

At present, everyone seems to be referring to this as the iPhone 17 Air, which would tie in nicely with Apple’s MacBook and iPad branding.

120Hz ProMotion and Always-On Displays Everywhere

If you were disappointed to see that the iPhone 16 still lacks a ProMotion 120Hz Always-On Display (AOD), you might be a lot happier with next year’s refresh. CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants Ross Young posted on X (Twitter) that Apple is expected to go LTPO-everywhere in 2025.

LTPO technology makes these AOD displays possible by allowing Apple to drop the refresh rate right down to greatly reduce power consumption. Rumors suggest Apple will use the same panels in all models, suggesting that all models would get 120Hz support at long last.

This doesn’t feel farfetched considering many of the iPhone 16’s rivals have already moved to higher refresh rate displays.

Under-Panel Face ID (iPhone 17 Pro)

According to the same rumor sourced to Ross Young is the tantalizing prospect of under-panel Face ID. This suggests that Apple will move most of the sensors required to verify your likeness under the display while leaving a hole for the front-facing camera. This would likely resemble rival devices like the Pixel 9 Pro from Google.

If you’re not a fan of the Dynamic Island (or are waiting for Apple to shrink the notch as much as possible), 2025’s Pro Model might be worth the wait. Interestingly, the same roadmap suggests that it won’t be until 2027’s iPhone 19 Pro that we see a completely under-panel solution for both sensors and front-facing camera.

A 48MP Telephoto Lens (iPhone 17 Pro Max)

The largest of Apple’s flagship iPhone models has previously been blessed with the best camera (though both models are fairly evenly matched in 2024), which lends credibility to rumors from analyst Jeff Pu that the iPhone 17 Pro Max telephoto lens will finally get a bump to 48-megapixels.

This rumor dates back to 2023 as reported by MacRumors.

A Better (24MP) Selfie Camera

Also sourced to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is a report of a new 24-megapixel front-facing camera coming to all iPhone models in 2025. If you’re a big fan of selfies and you can afford to wait, there’s a chance that you’ll look significantly better next year.

Tougher Display Glass

One rumor linked to a Weibo leaker called Instant Digital that has been reported by sources like Digital Trends suggests that “the outer glass of the iPhone 17 series will be made into a super-hard anti-reflective layer,” which would certainly be nice if true.

This is interesting considering Apple’s claims that both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro have seen upgrades to the Ceramic Shield on the front of the device. Who knows if Apple plans to improve durability yet again, or whether this feature was moved forward. Until then, you could always just use a screen protector.

Goodbye iPhone 17 Plus

A July 2024 iPhone 17 report from Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple will sunset the Plus model, with the base, Pro, and Pro Max models remaining. The report says that the Plus model accounts for only 5-10% of sales (though only Apple will really know what these numbers are).

If you love those base Plus models, waiting for next year’s refresh might not be the smartest plan.

The Usual Spec Bumps

It should come as absolutely no surprise that Apple will likely debut a new chip in all models of iPhone 17, including the Pro models. It’s logical that this would be the A19 family. Now-deleted reports on Weibo via MacRumors suggest that these chips wouldn’t yet use TSMC’s 2-nanometer process.

On top of this, a new Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip is also expected according to a January 2023 report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. 2024’s iPhone models already support Wi-Fi 7, but the chip isn’t an Apple design.

Pro Features Normally Trickle Down

One reliable indicator of features to come, at least as far as the base iPhone models are concerned, is this year’s Pro model. The iPhone 16 Pro is Apple’s current flagship device, which means it features the latest and greatest features and sells at a premium.

There’s a proven track record of features trickling down from the Pro models to the base models. Past examples include the Action Button, the Dynamic Island, and improvements to the camera system.

Based on the 16 and 16 Pro releases in 2024, we can infer that next year’s iPhone 17 could feature:

• The aforementioned 120Hz ProMotion display (first introduced in the iPhone 13 Pro)
• A better (possibly 48MP) ultrawide camera
• The ability to shoot Dolby Vision videos at 120 fps
• USB 3.0 transfer speeds (first introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro)
• Better microphones for video recording

iPhone Upgrades Are Better When You Wait

Rumors and trickle-down features are all well and good but, for most of us, a smartphone upgrade only makes sense at the right time. It can be easy to feel underwhelmed by the year-on-year improvements, but this doesn’t tell the whole story.

A slightly faster chip or a marginally better camera is nice, but by waiting a few years and getting the most out of your iPhone you can experience a more significant improvement in performance, features, and usability. If your iPhone is four years old when you upgrade it, you’re far more likely to notice the benefit compared with someone who upgrades every year.

Apple supports the iPhone for at least six years per model, with many improvements in iOS upgrades coming to older models. Apple Intelligence is perhaps the biggest exception to this rule (owing to its steep hardware requirements).

Apple iPhone 16

Apple’s newest iPhone featuring a camera button, programmable action button, and artificial intelligence features.

See at Apple

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

A version of Apple’s newest iPhone with a larger screen featuring a camera button, a programmable action button, and artificial intelligence features.

See at Apple