The rumors were flying for months, but we finally have a clear picture of what's happening with the apple event 2025 iphone news today. Honestly, if you’ve been holding out for a "boring" year from Cupertino, you might want to rethink that.
Apple just flipped the script.
Between the sudden death of the "Plus" model and a budget phone that actually feels premium, 2025 has become the year Apple decided to get weird again. It's not just about more megapixels anymore. It's about a total shift in how the lineup looks—and how much it's going to cost you.
The iPhone 17 Air is Real (and it’s Skinny)
The biggest shocker? The iPhone 17 Plus is officially gone. In its place, we have the iPhone 17 Air.
Basically, Apple realized that people liked big screens but hated the bulk. The Air is the result. It’s thin. Like, "don't sit on it" thin. We’re talking roughly 5mm to 6mm. To give you some context, that’s significantly slimmer than the current Pro models.
But there is a catch. You’ve gotta be okay with compromises.
To get it that thin, Apple had to gut the camera system. You only get one 48MP lens on the back. No telephoto. No dedicated macro. Just one big eye. For $999, that’s a tough pill for some to swallow, especially since the base iPhone 17 now features a 6.3-inch display and a 120Hz ProMotion screen.
Wait, did I mention that? Yeah. The standard iPhone 17 finally has ProMotion. No more 60Hz stuttering on a thousand-dollar phone. About time.
Apple Event 2025 iPhone News Today: The Budget King is Here
If the "Air" feels like a luxury experiment, the iPhone SE 4 (or the iPhone 16e, depending on which retail box you see) is the practical hero. This is the update SE fans have been begging for since 2022.
The home button? Dead.
The tiny 4.7-inch screen? Gone.
The new SE essentially uses the iPhone 14’s body but stuffs it with the A18 chip from the iPhone 16. It’s got a 6.1-inch OLED panel and—this is the big one—Apple Intelligence support. Apple is clearly trying to get every single person on their AI platform, and they knew they couldn't do that if their cheapest phone didn't have the RAM to handle it.
- Price: It’s looking like $499.
- Design: Face ID is finally standard across the whole line.
- Charging: USB-C (obviously) has finally replaced Lightning on the budget tier.
Honestly, it makes the "standard" iPhone 17 a harder sell for some people. If you don't care about the second camera lens or the 120Hz refresh rate, the SE 4 is basically all the phone anyone actually needs.
The Google Gemini Twist
Here is something nobody saw coming a year ago: Apple and Google are officially partners.
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While the "on-device" AI is still Apple's own homegrown tech, the heavy lifting for the "New Siri" is being powered by Google Gemini. Apple confirmed this week that for the complex, creative stuff—like writing a long-form essay or generating hyper-realistic images—Siri will now reach out to Gemini’s cloud.
It’s a massive admission that Apple’s own Large Language Models (LLMs) weren’t quite ready to take on ChatGPT or Gemini solo. But for us? It means Siri might actually be useful for once. The "Liquid Glass" UI in iOS 26 also makes the whole thing feel much more fluid.
Why the iPhone 18 Pro Leaks Matter Now
You’d think with all this 2025 news, people would stop looking ahead. Nope.
Supply chain leaks from Jeff Pu have already started trickling out regarding the 2026 models. We're hearing about a "variable aperture" camera for the iPhone 18 Pro. This would be a game-changer for mobile photography, allowing the phone to physically change how much light hits the sensor, much like a real DSLR lens.
There's also more chatter about the "iPhone Fold." While it didn't show up at the 2025 event, the parts are moving. It looks like Apple is aiming for a 2026 or 2027 release, likely using a book-style hinge that avoids the "crease" issues that plagued early Samsung foldables.
What You Should Actually Do
If you’re sitting there with an iPhone 13 or 14 and wondering if you should jump on the apple event 2025 iphone news today, here’s the reality:
- Buy the SE 4 if you want value. It is the single biggest "leap" for a budget phone in Apple's history. Going from an LCD to an OLED screen is a night-and-day difference you’ll notice every second you use the phone.
- Skip the Air unless you’re a minimalist. It looks cool, sure. But losing the zoom lens is a massive downgrade if you take photos of your kids or at concerts.
- The iPhone 17 Pro is the "Safe" Bet. With the A19 Pro chip and the new 48MP Ultra Wide lens, it’s a powerhouse. Plus, the new "Mist Blue" and "Sage" colors look incredible in person.
The most important takeaway? Check your trade-in values. Apple and carriers like Verizon are being surprisingly aggressive with credits this year because they want people on AI-capable hardware. You might find that moving to an iPhone 17 is cheaper than you'd expect.
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To get started, back up your current device to iCloud and check the "Trade-In" section of the Apple Store app to see your specific credit value. It changes weekly, so catching it right after a news cycle is usually your best bet for a high valuation.