Report: Foldable iPhone will borrow from “Air” and 17 Pro models will have major camera improvements

First up, the foldable iPhone. Gurman believes Apple can’t ignore the growing popularity of foldable devices, particularly admiring Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold design, which opens up from a standard smartphone size into a small tablet. He anticipates Apple will launch its own foldable phone next year, featuring a design similar to Samsung’s offering. This device, in Gurman’s view, will likely incorporate many of the same technologies expected in the upcoming iPhone 17 “Air.” While he predicts a premium price point around $2,000, Gurman sees this foldable iPhone as a potential hit for Apple, even if initial sales volumes aren’t massive. He also notes that consumers have been eagerly awaiting Apple’s entry into this category, contributing to its potential FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) effect.Shifting gears to the traditional iPhone lineup, Gurman also provided his expectations for the standard iPhone 17. In line with Apple’s recent strategy, he doesn’t anticipate any major new groundbreaking features for the base model. According to Gurman, Apple tends to reserve its most significant innovations for the higher-end Pro models, and he doesn’t foresee this changing with the iPhone 17. However, he does expect the standard iPhone 17 to receive some modest enhancements. As others have reported, Gurman believes the device will likely feature minor improvements to its rear camera system and will finally adopt a ProMotion display, enabling smoother scrolling and animations. Internally, the standard iPhone 17 is also expected to sport Apple’s next-generation A19 chip, providing a performance boost.  

Gurman contrasts these incremental updates with the more substantial upgrades expected for the iPhone 17 Pro models, which he anticipates will feature major advancements in their camera systems, including 48-megapixel sensors across all three rear cameras. Despite its more modest upgrades, Gurman believes the standard iPhone 17 will remain a solid offering within Apple’s lineup, given its price point. However, he offers an interesting perspective for consumers considering a phone in the $800 range. Gurman suggests that it might be worth stretching the budget slightly to opt for the rumored “skinny” new iPhone 17 Air. In his opinion, the specification differences wouldn’t be significant, and users would gain a remarkably thin and light phone with considerably more screen real estate.

Between the hardware changes to the lineup and the rumored iOS 19 UI overhaul, color me very interested. I just wish the state of Apple Intelligence wasn’t in such disarray at the moment, taking away from a potentially excellent hardware cycle at Apple.