We’re nonetheless greater than a month from the revealing of the iPhone 16, and already iPhone 17 rumors are stirring up. Probably the most fascinating of those might be the telephone some are taking to calling “iPhone 17 Slim,” a brand new ultra-slim mannequin that appears to interrupt from a whole lot of the iPhone custom of current years. It’s a departure from the traditional lineup and it’s one thing of a chance for the world’s greatest telephone maker.
We don’t even know that it’s going to really be referred to as “iPhone 17” in any respect–it may take a web page out of the iPhone SE playbook and carry a numberless identify like “iPhone Air” that will get a brand new “generation” yearly or two. However no matter Apple calls it, the product priorities and positioning make it a giant change from the standard.
What we all know (and don’t know) to date
In keeping with the newest and most dependable rumors, the iPhone 17 lineup will not have an iPhone 17 Plus. There can be an iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Professional, iPhone 17 Professional Max, and this new ultra-slim iPhone 17. That’s not terribly stunning, since all stories point out that the Plus mannequin hasn’t been promoting in addition to the Professional fashions.
We’ve heard conflicting stories about this new telephone’s worth, with some saying it’ll value about what you’d count on an iPhone 17 Plus to value (round $899) and others saying it’ll value greater than an iPhone 17 Professional Max (as a lot as $1,299). Both manner, Apple is taking its least in style mannequin out of the iPhone lineup and changing it with this one.
The iPhone 17 Slim might be priced larger than the iPhone 15 Professional Max.
Jason Cross / Foundry
No matter the place it matches within the lineup price-wise, nonetheless, the ultra-slim iPhone is shaping as much as be an actual departure in design. We don’t know how a lot slimmer it will likely be, but it surely’s imagined to be considerably skinnier, not only a few p.c. The display screen can be massive at 6.6 inches, falling between the usual and “Pro Max” sizes. The Dynamic Island is alleged to be smaller, however roughly identical to what you’ll discover on the iPhones coming this fall, so no nice leap there.
Actually with a super-thin physique and a smaller dimension than the iPhone 17 Professional Max, it’s going to be light-weight. However that additionally means much less room for battery, and possibly different inner elements as nicely. One wonders if there can be compromises to the audio system for haptics, for instance. And get this: It’s reportedly going to have the identical A19 processor as the bottom iPhone 17, not the higher-end A19 Professional. And possibly solely one rear digital camera, the principle Extensive digital camera!
In fact, there’s lots we don’t know, too. Apple may make use of some distinctive new {hardware} that not one of the different iPhones have, like some kind of new show or battery expertise. And naturally, there’s at all times the chance for software program enhancements which might be unique to this mannequin.
On the floor, although, the pitch is odd: Would you pay extra for a telephone that’s much less succesful however skinnier?
Why it’s a chance, however not an enormous one
Apple appears to be banking on the truth that sure, there are sufficient prospects who can pay extra for a considerably slimmer iPhone even when it has noticeably worse capabilities than even the bottom iPhone 17. That is at odds with the suggestions we often see on-line, during which Apple followers appear to want the corporate would simply add a contact extra thickness with a purpose to stuff extra battery into its units.
It is probably not a silly gamble on Apple’s half, although. Usually, the iPhone 17 Plus has been the least in style of the 4 fashions, with new iPhone consumers tending to go for the most cost effective mannequin (the bottom iPhone 17, for instance) or spring for the higher-priced Professional options. The Plus fashions are caught within the awkward center, satisfying neither the budget-conscious nor feature-chasing customers. Apple doesn’t launch gross sales numbers, however most analysts peg the Plus mannequin at round 10 p.c of the iPhone market or much less.
The iPhone Plus fashions haven’t been big sellers—so swapping it out for a dear prototype isn’t an excessive amount of of a chance.
Foundry
If Apple is pricing the brand new Slim mannequin larger, with seemingly a hefty margin on condition that it has the lower-end chip and a single rear digital camera, it doesn’t have to promote very lots of them to carry out no less than in addition to an iPhone 17 Plus would. The truth is, if the margin is a little bit higher than the Plus and the worth is larger, the iPhone 17 Slim may account for simply 1 in 20 iPhone gross sales (5 p.c) and carry out simply in addition to the present iPhone Plus.
And no less than, not like the Plus, the Slim/Air/No matter would have one thing going for it. It wouldn’t be a middle-priced iPhone that’s not probably the most something—not the most cost effective, not the most important, not the quickest, not probably the most full-featured—however this rumored telephone would no less than have the ability to say “This is a new unique stylish design you can’t get in any other iPhone.” And whereas that is probably not price a premium to you or me, there are many individuals who wouldn’t need another mannequin.
We’re nonetheless greater than a yr away from Apple really saying the existence of an ultra-slim new iPhone 17 mannequin, so there’s plenty of time for rumors to swirl and plans to vary. It might by no means even come to market. Nevertheless it’s thrilling to see Apple do new issues, take some dangers, and take a look at issues out. Taking the problematic middle-child Plus mannequin out of the road to make room for one thing totally different is a brilliant transfer, and I’d like to see Apple apply the identical ethos to different less-popular merchandise.