There will be no iPhone 17 Plus, with Apple doing away with the "Plus" lineup because it has not proven popular with customers. The slimmed down iPhone 17 won t be a direct replacement for the iPhone 17 Plus, instead making a debut as a new device option in the lineup. Rumors suggest that the upcoming device will have a display that s around 6.6 inches, and a chassis that s 6mm thick or less.
Planned for September 2025, the iPhone 17 models could feature larger display sizes, ProMotion across the lineup, Wi-Fi 7, and more.
iPhone 17 Air
If we compare the iPhone lineup to the Mac and iPad lineups, the iPhone 17 Air will be comparable to the MacBook Air or the iPad Air, while the iPhone 17 Pro is the equivalent of the MacBook Pro or the iPad Pro.
Because the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, the iPhone 17 Air will come in right in the middle of those two devices in terms of size. Apple may also increase the overall size of the standard iPhone 17, but if that happens, it will be 6.3 inches. It s not entirely clear if that size update is still on the horizon, or if Apple will stick with the 6.1-inch display size for the standard iPhone 17.
Some early rumors suggested the slimmer iPhone 17 Air could be a high-end device that s more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but now it s looking like it will be less expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, but more expensive than the iPhone 17. In that way, it will replace the "Plus" iPhone in the lineup as a middle ground in price between the 17 and the 17 Pro.
All four iPhones released in 2025 are expected to be updated with ProMotion display technology with a 120Hz maximum refresh rate for smoother scrolling and video content, which means that ProMotion will no longer be a feature limited to the Pro iPhone models. The change will be enabled by LTPO OLED displays that Apple is rumored to be using for all of the iPhone 17 models. Always-on display technology is also enabled by LTPO display technology, but it s not yet clear if always-on will come to all models or remain exclusive to the Pro iPhone models.
The Ceramic Shield front-facing display could be upgraded this year, with Apple instead opting for a new anti-reflective display material that is more scratch resistant and will better resist drops and dings. Rumors suggest that the material will be an improvement over the current Ceramic Shield. We get new iPhone colors every year, and while we don t know what colors to expect for the iPhone 17 models just yet, Apple undoubtedly has something fresh in the works.
