Apple prepares three-year major iPhone redesign cycle, starting with iPhone 17

Last August, many reports said that the strategy with the iPhone 16 series was just to 'keep the pace' and stabilize sales, while Apple reserved the most important improvements for 2025 with the iPhone 17. By October, John Ternus - Apple's CTO - even affirmed that the iPhone 17 would be the company's 'most ambitious product line in its history'.

The iPhone 17 is just a few weeks away, and the big question is: Is the hype surrounding the new flagship really worth it? According to Mark Gurman (Bloomberg), the iPhone 17 will usher in a three-year major redesign cycle , marking Apple's boldest move with the iPhone in years.

iPhone 17 Air – thin and light, but with trade-offs

Apple will begin this overhaul as early as September with the iPhone 17 Air – which will follow the same philosophy as the MacBook Air launched in 2008: thinner, lighter. However, this 'sleekness' will come with some limitations: smaller battery capacity, removal of the physical SIM slot, and a reduction in the number of rear cameras.

Other iPhone 17 versions will not change much compared to the iPhone 16, except for the upgraded camera system, redesigned back, and the Pro version has a new orange color.

Apple prepares three-year major iPhone redesign cycle, starting with iPhone 17 Picture 1

Foldable iPhone to launch in 2026

According to the roadmap, Apple is expected to launch the first foldable iPhone in 2026. Gurman said the device will resemble Samsung's 'book-style' folding model, opening up into a small tablet. The device is rumored to have up to 5 cameras, remove the physical SIM slot, and especially return to using Touch ID instead of Face ID.

The foldable iPhone is expected to have two color options, black and white, and integrate the C2 modem developed by Apple itself.

iPhone celebrates 20 years with all-glass design

By 2027 – the 20th anniversary of the iPhone – Apple is said to be launching an 'all-glass' iPhone, with a curved glass covering the entire body, perfectly blending with the Liquid Glass interface on iOS.

Alongside the iPhone, Apple has a slew of other products in the pipeline: from the iPhone 17e in 2026, to new iPads and MacBooks powered by the M5 chip. But it's clear that the iPhone will remain at the heart of its product strategy for years to come.