iPhone 17: Will Apple force you to throw away your SIM card?
The iPhone 17 will reveal all its secrets by Tuesday, September 9th at 7 p.m. (Paris time). Rarely has a new iPhone generated so much interest due to the numerous information leaks about it and Apple 's delay compared to the competition. The company is therefore expected to make a big impact with this iPhone 17, which is expected to come in four versions and prepare the company for the future. However, several rumors mention a historic feature that will be removed for the iPhone 17 and which will certainly require a little time to adapt for users.
According to information from the MacRumors website (corroborated by several Apple sellers in France), the Cupertino company is preparing to remove the SIM card tray from certain iPhone models. The iPhone 17 range would therefore only be compatible with virtual SIMs (generally called eSIM). However, this information could only concern the new model exclusive to this generation, namely the iPhone 17 Air.
Meet the new iPhone 17 AirThe iPhone 17 Air , a slimmer version of the iPhone 17, is expected to slot in between the standard iPhone 17 and the Pro variants in terms of price. Apple is banking on sales of this new format and intends to compete with Samsung and its Galaxy S25 Edge released this year.
Apple is likely looking to relaunch variants of its popular smartphone after the poor sales success of the Mini and Plus models. "The idea is to sort of create a thinner version of the iPhone, something that sits between the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro. The most relevant comparison is probably the MacBook Air from over a decade ago, which sat somewhere between the base MacBook and the MacBook Pro ," explains Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.
From a design perspective, the iPhone 17 Air (sometimes called "Slim") will be thinner than a standard iPhone. It will have a 6.6" display, larger than the 6.3" iPhone 17 but smaller than the 6.9" iPhone 17 Pro Max. It will share some specs and may have the cameras positioned in the center rather than on one side of the phone .
This new iPhone 17 Air could boost sales for the American company, something the Plus or mini models failed to do. According to the latest information, the iPhone 17 Air would be "the thinnest iPhone ever" created by Apple.
The classic iPhone 17 wouldn't be left out in terms of design either. According to early production units spotted on social media, the base version of the iPhone 17 would have a new camera module placed entirely on the edge of the device and extending from one edge of the smartphone to the other. This is reminiscent of Google's Pixel phones.
Changes are also expected for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Apple is reportedly making the camera unit even larger, moving it from one edge of the device to the other. The result would be a fairly massive camera unit, but the sensors would still be housed in the top left corner of the iPhone.
According to Bloomberg's very well-informed Mark Gurman, who revealed this in-depth transformation of the iPhone over three years at the end of August, the biggest upheaval would come in 2026, with the launch of the very first folding iPhone. Codenamed V68, this "iPhone Fold" will usher in a new era for Apple's flagship smartphone. Mark Gurman mentions two screens (external and internal), four photo sensors, no Face ID but the return of Touch ID. Mass production would begin in spring 2026 with only two colors planned (black and white). The iPhone Fold would also include the new Apple C2 modem, finally on par with those of Qualcomm.
Finally, 2027 should be the year of consecration for the next-generation iPhone. To mark the product's 20th anniversary, Apple is expected to unveil an iPhone 20 with an all-glass design, without rectangular metal borders. Transparency would be the focus, as a nod to the Liquid Glass that appeared in iOS 26. A way to celebrate the iPhone's two decades of innovation.
This iPhone revolution is still hard to imagine. The presentation of the highly anticipated iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air is a prerequisite, and these are already the first to be dissected from every angle.
Several new colors for the iPhone 17Every year, Apple surprises its community with new colors for its popular smartphone. For the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air, the company is expected to return to pastel tones, while the iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly opt for a brand new orange color.
Barring a major turnaround and unannounced new features, we don't think the iPhone 17 will see a price increase compared to previous generations. The prices in France would therefore be as follows:
- iPhone 17 : from €969
- iPhone 17 Pro : from €1,229
- iPhone 17 Pro Max : from €1,479
Then comes the question of the iPhone 17 Air. While several sources have already suggested that its price could fall somewhere between the standard iPhone 17 and the Pro version, it's important to keep in mind that miniaturizing components is an expensive process. Reducing the size of such a device would likely cost Apple more than increasing it, since it would require a complete rethink of the placement and layout of the components. It's therefore not impossible that the iPhone 17 Air could end up costing around €1,119 in France.
The iPhone 17 will be officially unveiled at the back-to-school keynote , scheduled for September 9, 2025. Traditionally, the iPhone is then available for purchase in the following days. Pre-orders should be available as early as mid-September. The first iPhone 17s should be delivered or available in Apple Stores around September 20.
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