Published Nov 8th, 2024 1:38PM EST
Image: Jonathan S. Geller
Apple is widely expected to make a big change to its iPhone lineup next year. The iPhone 17 series should still include four phones, but the Plus model is going away. Replacing the Plus is an ultra-slim iPhone that should have around the same size screen as the Plus. We’ve been calling it the iPhone 17 Air. While the name would fit the new form factor, it’s not official.
Apple is said to be considering making all its products thinner, not just the iPhone. We saw this happen with the M4 iPad Pro and Apple Watch Series 10 earlier this year. The iPhone 17 Air should follow next year. Thinner MacBooks are reportedly also in the works.
The newest iPhone 17 Air tidbit comes from well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He said the iPhone 17 Air will be one of the two drivers of iPhone sales growth next year. The other? A more mature Apple Intelligence software package that helps Apple’s AI catch up to rivals.
Most of Kuo’s details about unreleased Apple products come from his access to supply chain information. His new update on Medium is an analysis of Sunny Optical’s Apple growth drivers in 2025 and 2026.
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The camera lens supplier is expecting significant sales growth in 2025, thanks to Apple. Kuo says 2025 iPhone shipments should grow by 5% to 230 million units next year. The iPhone 17 Air and Apple Intelligence will be the main drivers of that growth:
Lens Supply Allocation to Rebound Significantly from ~5% in 2024 to 15–20% in 2025
Sunny Optical’s Apple lens orders are gradually recovering from 2H24, with an estimated market share of about 5% in 2024. This shift is reflected in significant stock price corrections among Sunny’s competitors, indicating the market is already pricing in this shift. Looking ahead to 2025, benefiting from the ultra-slim iPhone 17 and more mature Apple Intelligence, 2025 iPhone shipments are expected to grow by about 5% to 230 million units, further boosting the impact of Sunny Optical’s market share recovery.
While Kuo doesn’t offer new details about the iPhone 17 Air, he mentions an ultra-slim iPhone 17 model. This indicates Apple hasn’t abandoned the idea of launching a thinner phone as soon as next year. And remember that Apple surprisingly already teased next year’s iPhone lineup in a rare remark about unannounced products.
Apple usually refrains from discussing products in development. The teaser was found in an internal memo, but Apple memos leak all the time. The iPhone 17 Air would be the only reason to tease an exciting iPhone 17 lineup. Otherwise, the 2025 iPhones would be largely the same as this year’s lineup.
A brand-new design might be what Apple needs to improve sales. I’m already thrilled about the prospect of upgrading to a thinner iPhone, even if that means losing out on certain features.
A variety of reports from Korea have signaled that Samsung is also going to launch a Galaxy S25 Slim in the second quarter of 2025 to compete with the iPhone 17 Air. After recycling the same designs for the Galaxy S and Galaxy Z flagships released in recent years, Samsung also needs something fresh.
This adds further credence to rumors that Apple is making an ultra-slim iPhone. Apple doing something new is always a great incentive for Samsung to follow suit.
Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.
Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it’s available.
