Other What will an iPhone look like in 2025?

[filmbuff]

Inspired by the 2020 thread. I decided on 2025 instead of 2030 because I think that's too far to realistically predict something that changes so quickly. My quick predictions:

• The phone will still exist, it's not getting replaced by the watch or glasses by 2025
• All iPhones will be portless
• Cheaper models will still have OLED, the flagship model will just now be getting a folding design
• Battery life will be ~24 hours
• FaceID and TouchID replaced by an iris scan (solves face mask/glasses/facial hair issues)
• Cameras will finally be covered by real sapphire
• 5g will have been out for a long time and people will be complaining that Apple doesn't support 6g yet even though Samsung does even though it's only available in one building in Seoul

 

[chabig]

You nailed it!

 

[Tekguy0]

Sounds about right. Not sure about the folding design though. I could see a dual-sided iPhone with two screens, thus fewer mechanical parts to break, with cameras hidden underneath.

 

[TechLord]

6g, foldable 8 inch IPhone, microled display, 144hz, portless, 8 cameras with lidar, x1000 zoom, a mere 8gb ram compared to the Samsung Galaxy s25 ultra supermax 64gb of ram, improved Siri who now appears in hologram form. New IPhone SE 2024 based off the iPhone 12 5.4 inch but with apples a17 chip (for those customers who prefer the old school design).

 

[Shirasaki]

The main gripe I have is how to recharge a phone when there is no wireless charging pad (I call it “pad bound wired charging”). Unless battery has some major improvements allowing Apple to incorporate 24hr battery life under max loads in a paper thin profile magically, I cannot see this portless design appealing to me.

Oh, and those iPhone will not be able to connect to ANY computer in ANY way other than Apple’s own wireless iPhone diagnosing software. Say good bye to local music library management and local backup as “cloud is the future!”, until internet is cut.

 

[filmbuff]

The main gripe I have is how to recharge a phone when there is no wireless charging pad (I call it “pad bound wired charging”). Unless battery has some major improvements allowing Apple to incorporate 24hr battery life under max loads in a paper thin profile magically, I cannot see this portless design appealing to me.

Oh, and those iPhone will not be able to connect to ANY computer in ANY way other than Apple’s own wireless iPhone diagnosing software. Say good bye to local music library management and local backup as “cloud is the future!”, until internet is cut.

Yep, say goodbye to all those things. The charging issue would be solved by just shipping a small wireless charger like the Apple Watch.

 

[Shirasaki]

Yep, say goodbye to all those things. The charging issue would be solved by just shipping a small wireless charger like the Apple Watch.

Guess I will need to transition out of modern life by then. I consider local access critical for daily life. Time will tell.

 

[murad_fourth]

OK. I will return to this thread in 2025 and let everyone see if @filmbuff was right or wrong. Bye for now.

 

[lkalliance]

The main gripe I have is how to recharge a phone when there is no wireless charging pad (I call it “pad bound wired charging”). Unless battery has some major improvements allowing Apple to incorporate 24hr battery life under max loads in a paper thin profile magically, I cannot see this portless design appealing to me.

Oh, and those iPhone will not be able to connect to ANY computer in ANY way other than Apple’s own wireless iPhone diagnosing software. Say good bye to local music library management and local backup as “cloud is the future!”, until internet is cut.

iPhones can currently connect and sync via wifi, shouldn’t we expect that to still be possible in a portless future?

 

[Jimmy James]

6g, foldable 8 inch IPhone, microled display, 144hz, portless, 8 cameras with lidar, x1000 zoom, a mere 8gb ram compared to the Samsung Galaxy s25 ultra supermax 64gb of ram, improved Siri who now appears in hologram form. New IPhone SE 2024 based off the iPhone 12 5.4 inch but with apples a17 chip (for those customers who prefer the old school design).

 

[imp3rator]

iphone SE 2025 - with design of iphone 11 and internals of previous year model..

 

[d.best.5205622]

Inspired by the 2020 thread. I decided on 2025 instead of 2030 because I think that's too far to realistically predict something that changes so quickly. My quick predictions:

• The phone will still exist, it's not getting replaced by the watch or glasses by 2025
• All iPhones will be portless
• Cheaper models will still have OLED, the flagship model will just now be getting a folding design
• Battery life will be ~24 hours
• FaceID and TouchID replaced by an iris scan (solves face mask/glasses/facial hair issues)
• Cameras will finally be covered by real sapphire
• 5g will have been out for a long time and people will be complaining that Apple doesn't support 6g yet even though Samsung does even though it's only available in one building in Seoul

They’re going to surgically imbed it into your brain. You’ll just have to think about what you want to do. And you’ll watch streaming videos and take pictures through your eyes. Every time you smile in public, people will think you’re either watching porn or taking lewd pics of young women when all you had was gas. All you wanted to do was fart and instead you get arrested. Can’t wait for the future

 

[Shirasaki]

iPhones can currently connect and sync via wifi, shouldn’t we expect that to still be possible in a portless future?

Yes but you still need wired connection to start wireless syncing, plus it is unstable.
Portless sounds good, but we are far from reaching that point. There is no commercially available true wireless charging solution (no need for any accessories, just walk in and device is charged) and all wireless stuff is subject to interference. I can tell you, the interference and weak signal is already a big headache when using wifi.

 

[Applefan4]

2025 iPhone will be self aware it will cook, clean and order pizza for you.

 

[osta.doc]

How about solar panels on the back of it, to charge the device?

 

[goobot]

Yes but you still need wired connection to start wireless syncing, plus it is unstable.
Portless sounds good, but we are far from reaching that point. There is no commercially available true wireless charging solution (no need for any accessories, just walk in and device is charged) and all wireless stuff is subject to interference. I can tell you, the interference and weak signal is already a big headache when using wifi.

I agree with you but something tells me Apple doesn’t care. I wish they would stop being such hypocrites and put usb c on iPhone.

 

[44267547]

How about solar panels on the back of it, to charge the device?

Nah. Give me ‘long range’ wireless charging free from cables, now that is the future.

 

[blairh]

• Battery life will be ~24 hours

No chance.

Confident of these things....

* No ports.

* At least one folding model.

* 6G

* Extremely thin bezel. No notch.

* Combination of Face ID and Touch ID to unlock iPhone.

Less Confident Prediction But Might Still Happen....

No more power and volume buttons. Apple will figure out a way instead to create an area on the sides of the iPhone that enable the same functions without requiring an actual button itself.

 

[ericwn]

They’re going to surgically imbed it into your brain. You’ll just have to think about what you want to do. And you’ll watch streaming videos and take pictures through your eyes. Every time you smile in public, people will think you’re either watching porn or taking lewd pics of young women when all you had was gas. All you wanted to do was fart and instead you get arrested. Can’t wait for the future

The discussions then will be like: “should I get the 2026 brain implant when I have the 2025 already?”

 

[CrazyForCashews]

I want to see Apple have a go at making the iPhone the only computing device you'll ever need, like what Microsoft did with continuum and their Windows phones or what Samsung did with Dex.

Dock your iPhone, connect a mouse, keyboard, and any screen, and get a full computer experience. These phones are more than capable enough to handle tasks that the majority of people use computers for, so why not unlock their full potential?

 

[return2sendai]

6G??? Isn’t that Chinese-alien-hybrid, mind-altering, virus-spreading.... Oh, sorry. That’s 5G.

 

[tsmith857]

I think the iPhone will be a portable storage device, computing device, and charging station with a camera.

No screen.

Your Apple Watch, which will use its sensors to measure your health, will just be a wrist band, and Apple Glass will do everything else we are used to iPhone and Apple Watch accomplishing in our lives.

Apple Glass could project screens anywhere, so theoretically, if you REALLY wanted, it could give your iPhone an AR screen ... it would be useless ... but it could.

I don’t agree, however, that the iPhone will ever replace a Mac strictly due to processing power. If (and I know this isn’t probable) an iPhone in 2025 can do what a Mac Pro can do today, imagine what a Mac Pro will be capable of then. The only way this will be possible is when computing power is so capable, everything you need or want to do is possible with a device the size of an iPhone. Even then, it’s not practical.

 

[Tozovac]

I want to see Apple have a go at making the iPhone the only computing device you'll ever need, like what Microsoft did with continuum and their Windows phones or what Samsung did with Dex.

Dock your iPhone, connect a mouse, keyboard, and any screen, and get a full computer experience. These phones are more than capable enough to handle tasks that the majority of people use computers for, so why not unlock their full potential?

They better invent something(s) then between then and now to replace the revenue from computers and iPads, since Apple is handcuffed to revenue growth expectations. Or else expect $5000 iPhones.

 

[tsmith857]

They better invent something(s) then between then and now to replace the revenue from computers and iPads, since Apple is handcuffed to revenue growth expectations. Or else expect $5000 iPhones.

By then iPhone will be $5000 with inflation alone.

 

[tt061282]

I feel like after just watching “Upload” on Hulu that we are definitely almost to the “port less” device and by 2025 we will be headed towards the device is embedded in your body with a microchip. We won’t be there by 2025, but by 2030 we most certainly will considering Upload takes place in 2033 ... also by 2030 we will all be used to our souls being “Uploaded” if we want to live “forever”. Some will decide the “traditional” route and some will decide to live at Lakeview and be an Avatar.

By 2033 this will be perfectly normal. I’m not sure if we will be able to still visit this forum in 2033 but as long as Macrumors doesn’t become “Nitely” we should be ok ...

😂