5 major Apple innovations coming in 2025

iPhone 17 "Air"

In 2025, Apple is expected to release a new ultra-thin iPhone, which, although its official name is still unknown, is rumored to be called the iPhone 17 Air. This name seems fitting as the model will be less powerful and more affordable than the Pro versions, yet still priced higher than the standard iPhone 17.

According to rumors, the iPhone 17 Air will be about 6 mm thick, making it the thinnest iPhone in history. In comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25 mm thick, so the difference will be approximately 2 mm. The new model is expected to feature a 6.6-inch display, which will fall between the standard iPhone 17 and the Pro Max in size.

Due to the limited space, the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a single 48-megapixel camera. Additionally, it will be one of the first devices to feature Apple's new 5G modem.

The standard iPhone 17 will also remain in the lineup, but there will be no iPhone 17 Plus this year. Apple plans to sell the iPhone 17 Air alongside the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models.

These models are also rumored to receive design updates. Among the changes, a rear panel made of half aluminum and half glass is expected, which could improve durability, as well as an updated camera module.

All four iPhone models for 2025 will be powered by A19 processors, and ProMotion technology with a 120 Hz refresh rate will no longer be exclusive to the Pro versions.

iPhone 17 "Air" (Illustrative photo: MacRumors)

iPhone 17 "Air" (Illustrative photo: MacRumors)

AirPods Pro 3

After the update to AirPods 4 this year, Apple is expected to release a new version of AirPods Pro in 2025. Rumors suggest that the design of the earbuds will be changed, although specific details remain unknown. For AirPods 4, the company introduced a smaller case, and this innovation may also be carried over to AirPods Pro 3.

Improvements in sound quality and active noise cancellation are expected, thanks to the introduction of a new H-series chip from Apple. The company has not updated its audio chips in a while, so the arrival of a new generation is expected to be a significant leap forward.

There are also rumors that AirPods Pro may include features such as heart rate tracking and temperature monitoring.

AirPods Pro 3 (Illustrative photo: MacRumors)

Apple Command Center

Apple plans to introduce a new smart home management device called Command Center. This will be a compact, square-shaped gadget designed for controlling smart devices, making FaceTime video calls, watching videos, and much more. It will serve as an alternative to Amazon's Echo Show.

With a screen diagonal of about six inches, the Command Center will be small enough to move between rooms, place on a table, or mount on the wall. The device is expected to be affordable, allowing multiple units to be placed in different rooms for optimized smart home management.

Command Center will feature standard Apple apps like Home, Calendar, Apple Music, Apple News, and Apple Photos, but there will be no separate App Store for the device. It will also allow for video calls and will be integrated with Apple’s intelligent services.

Apple Command Center for smart home management (illustrative photo: MacRumors)

iPhone SE 4

Apple is finally set to update its budget iPhone, and the iPhone SE 4 promises numerous improvements that could make it an incredibly attractive purchase.

Gone are the days of compact screens and Touch ID - iPhone SE 4 will feature a 6.1-inch OLED display and Face ID. Rumors suggest that its design will resemble the iPhone 14, with a single 48-megapixel camera on the back, a notch for Face ID, and a USB-C port for charging.

For the SE series, these will be entirely new features: a larger screen, OLED technology, Face ID, and a high-resolution camera. Additionally, the device is expected to be the first iPhone with Apple’s in-house 5G modem. It will be powered by the A18 chip, the same as the current iPhone 16.

The A18 chip supports Apple Intelligence, meaning the iPhone SE 4 will offer features like Genmoji, Image Playground, Writing Tools, smarter Siri, and more. The minimum RAM required for Apple Intelligence is 8GB, which also represents a significant increase in memory compared to previous SE models.

With performance on par with the iPhone 16, the new SE is impressive for a budget smartphone. Rumors suggest the price will remain below $500, making it even more appealing.

iPhone SE 4 (illustrative photo: MacRumors)

Improvements to Siri

In the spring updates for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple plans to introduce new features for Siri, including screen content recognition, the use of personal context, and enhanced capabilities for Siri to perform actions within and between apps.

The screen recognition feature will allow Siri to see and understand what is displayed on your device, enabling you to refer to it in voice commands. For example, if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to a friend, you can simply say, "Send this..." and Siri will understand what you're referring to.

The personal context feature will expand Siri's capabilities by working with your personal data, such as emails and messages, allowing the assistant to learn more about you and provide more useful assistance.

Siri will gain the ability to understand your interactions, such as who you are communicating with, how you use your device, and will be able to locate relevant messages, files, and data from emails - like flight numbers - and even remind you when a particular photo was taken.

The expansion of Siri's capabilities across apps will significantly improve its functionality. You’ll be able to move files between apps, edit photos using voice commands, and perform complex multi-step tasks that Siri currently cannot handle.

With the release of iOS 19, scheduled for June, Apple will introduce LLM Siri, a version trained on a large language model (LLM). This version will make Siri more like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, enabling it to understand and generate natural human language, perform complex tasks, and solve problems.

While iOS 18 introduces many useful updates, the true evolution of Siri will begin with iOS 19 and future updates.