The iPhone 17 will be the most important product that Apple ships in 2025, and we already have some exciting rumors about the series. First, the iPhone 17 Air will be Apple’s thinnest iPhone in years. The base iPhone 17 variant will get a 120Hz display, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will get a smaller Dynamic Island Face ID. That’s if all the rumors are now true.
But Apple is also working on iPhone innovation for the next generation. A leak from Asia claims that Apple’s component suppliers have now developed components that could be used in future iPhone generations. The insider mentions a foldable display and a Face ID component that could help Apple reduce the footprint of its 3D facial recognition system.
Weibo users Digital Chat Stationknown for various accurate leaks in the past, sent an update that mentions some components for iPhone models that Apple can use.
A machine translation of the post reveals that Apple’s supply chain is developing a multi-folding periscope lens, a variable aperture main camera, a foldable screen, and miniature ToF (Time of Flight) technology for Face ID.
While the leaker didn’t mention a specific iPhone model that the innovation could be implemented on, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen such a claim.
The foldable screen may be related to the foldable iPhone Apple is expected to launch in 2026. A main camera with a variable aperture will be in the works for next year’s iPhone 18. A new report also says that the main camera will get lenses from Samsung instead of Sony.
The smaller ToF component for the Face ID system may be related to previous rumors that Apple wants to shrink the Dynamic Island and turn it into a round hole in the coming years. The Face ID component will move below the screen, while the selfie camera will still be visible through the OLED panel.
The transition to a smaller Dynamic Island could begin this year with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Premium phones must have metalens optics for the Face ID system on Dynmic Island. The pill-shaped cutout will be smaller than the version Apple has been using since the iPhone 14 Pros.
The only iPhone component considered on the list of more surprising leaks is the multi-fold periscope lens. Apple uses a tetraprism zoom lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and 16 Pro models. Apple will want to improve the digital zoom experience in future models by using more complex prisms to bend light.
It’s unclear which iPhone model will introduce the next-generation zoom camera. But if the parts supplier has sent Apple samples for prototype testing, it should happen in the not-too-distant future.
That assumes Apple likes the component and is moving forward with the feature. iPhone manufacturers tested all their ideas for headsets, but not all of them were promoted as commercial products. For some leaks, it can be delayed.
