Apple's 2025 iPhone lineup might not be so confusing after all

Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 models this year. Although initial rumors anticipated five models, the latest rumors suggest that Apple could only launch four in 2025.

Only four iPhones in 2025

This update comes courtesy of a post on X by MajinBuOfficial. They claim that Apple will launch four iPhones in 2025 instead of five. This lineup is expected to consist of the base iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

If you have been following Apple for a while now, you know that for the past few generations, Apple has had four models in its main lineup: the base, the Plus, and the Pro and Pro Max models.

This post claims that Apple’s flagship lineup could omit the Plus model entirely. We had previously heard that the iPhone 17 Air is replacing the Plus model. But according to MajinBuOfficial, the Air could also potentially be the rumored iPhone SE 4, also known as the iPhone 16E.

It sort of makes sense

Apple’s iPhone SE series is a lower-cost alternative to the flagship lineup. Interestingly enough, the rumors surrounding the iPhone 17 Air hinted that it might be cheaper than the iPhone 16 Plus.

This means that the iPhone 17 Air could still be a lower-cost iPhone. However, it is still considerably more expensive than the iPhone SE series. It sits slightly above the base iPhone models, but its thinness is one of its selling points.

Apple is also rumored to cut back on certain hardware features of the phone. This includes one less speaker grill and apparently, only a single camera sits on the back of the phone, instead of the usual dual or triple camera setups we’ve seen in previous iPhones.

A cleaner, simpler lineup

We had previously opined that Apple’s 2025 iPhone lineup would be confusing. It was initially rumored that we could see as many as five iPhones launch in 2025, not four.

This would confuse customers, who now had one more model to consider when making their purchase decision. If this new report is accurate, Apple will reduce the number of flagship models it plans to launch in 2025, making it a much simpler choice for many consumers.

Not to mention, devices like the iPhone Plus kind of sit in a weird position in the lineup. It’s not quite as “Pro” as the Pro or Pro Max series, but doesn’t do quite as much as the base iPhone models.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently posted that Apple plans to introduce new iPads and potentially the iPhone SE in April, so we will have to wait and see how this plays out.