Forget iPhone 16 rumors. Let’s talk about the 2025 iPhone 17!
Apple will release at least one iPhone 17 model in 2025 with mechanical aperture, according to The Information.
The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17’s aperture. MacRumors notes that all existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android smartphones have offered variable aperture over the years, such as Samsung’s Galaxy S9 series.
Other details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as “Ice Universe.”
He/she says the screen sizes and pricing will be:
- iPhone 17: 6.27-inch LTPO display ($799)
- iPhone 17 Pro: 6.27-inch LTPO display ($1,099)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.86-inch LTPO display ($1,199)
- iPhone 17 “Slim”: 6.65-inch LTPO display ($1,299)
Ice Universe says that all four iPhone 17 models will apparently feature LTPO displays for the first time, enabling ProMotion for a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. The iPhone 17 “Slim” is rumored to become the new iPhone flagship with a price tag of approximately $1,299, making it the most expensive iPhone model to date. Ice Universe claims it will allegedly feature a 6.65-inch display, placing it between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in size.
The iPhone 17 Pro models will purportedly feature 12GB of memory, a triple 48-megapixel rear camera system, and an A19 Pro chip fabricated with TSMC’s N3P process, and the standard model will feature a separate A19 chip. Ice Universe says the Phone 17 “Slim” will feature an A19 chip, a dual dear camera system, an aluminum chassis, and 8GB of memory.
Speaking of the 2025 iPhones, in a July 17 Medium post, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo offered his predictions for the iPhone 17, iPhone 18, and iPhone 19 that will likely arrive in 2025, 2026, and 2027.
He says the high-end iPhone 17 model is expected to feature an upgraded tetraprism camera, with key specification changes from a 1/3.1-inch 12MP CIS in the iPhone 16 Pro series to a 1/2.6″ 48MP CIS. This upgrade “will enhance photo quality and zoom functionality.”
Kuo says it’s uncertain whether only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the upgraded tetraprism camera. If so, the 2026 iPhone 18 Pro will also feature the upgraded tetraprism camera.
“The upgraded tetraprism camera requires all-new designed prisms,” Kuo says. “The prism must have a shorter form factor to reduce the camera’s height.”
As for the iPhone 19, he says its tetraprism camera will undergo another significant specification upgrade with a more substantial improvement than those in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18. The 2027 smartphone is expected to support a better optical zoom.
“There are several ways to increase the optical zoom,” Kuo says. “ One of the most feasible solutions is to increase the number of prisms to lengthen the light path (in which case, it would no longer be called a tetraprism). As the number of prisms increases, the prism size may need to be reduced, increasing the complexity of the prism design.”
