What to anticipate from the iPhone 17 Slim

Apple’s 2025 iPhone lineup might add one other dimension with the iPhone 17 Slim. Here is what we’re rumored to be doing on the journey.

The iPhone 17 technology is anticipated this September, as common for Apple’s flagship gadgets. Nevertheless, the 2025 assortment might make an enormous change to the lineup with a alternative single mannequin.

In keeping with a number of rumors, the iPhone 17 Plus might be faraway from the lineup on account of an absence of recognition in comparison with different fashions. As an alternative, Apple might introduce one thing new.

Present expectations are that it might be the iPhone 17 Slim or the iPhone 17 Air, a model of the iPhone that goals to be thinner than others within the vary.

The next is a set of rumors and hypothesis concerning the upcoming slim smartphone and what you may count on from it if it ships later in 2025.

iPhone 17 Slim is basically skinny

Because the title suggests, the iPhone 17 Slim is way thinner than a daily iPhone. The iPhone SE is the thinnest in Apple’s vary at 0.29 inches, the iPhone 16 at 0.31 inches.

As skinny because it might go, the plain information is the iPad Professional M4. The thinnest cellular system in Apple’s catalog, it is a tiny 0.20 inches thick.

Again in Might 2024, the report claimed that the slim iPhone will ship in 2025 as a part of the iPhone vary. The system, codenamed D23, represented a significant redesign of the iPhone. The adjustments are apparently as groundbreaking because the introduction of the iPhone X.

Nevertheless, that report did not say how thick it might be, other than sporting a thinner physique.

Two smartphones shown from the side, one gold and one silver, highlighting the camera bumps and USB-C ports.
The iPhone 17 Slim could also be very skinny in comparison with current iPhones

Two months later, Ming-Chi Kuo chimed in. Moreover claiming to have a titanium-aluminum alloy body for power, Kuo additionally did not provide how skinny it might get.

An October rumor added that the battery restricted the skinny thickness of the iPhone. New substrates apparently had for use to make the battery thinner, which seemingly restricted the iPhone 17 Slim to a minimal thickness of 6mm.

Again in November, Jeff Pu claimed that the iPhone 17 Slim would measure simply 6 mm (0.23 inches) thick, echoing the battery rumor.

Kuo steered in one other report in January that the thickness might be even decrease, at simply 5.5mm. Nevertheless, it might solely be the thinnest a part of the system, and never the common thickness or on the thickest factors.

The iPhone 17 Slim app could also be smaller than the plus

Whereas the iPhone 17 Slim will virtually actually be thinner than a possible plus mannequin, it will not be bigger.

KUO’s earlier listing of rumored specs mentioned it will have a 6.6-inch show. This could be smaller than the 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus show.

An April 2024 report by DSCC’s Ross Younger additionally raised that the Plus mannequin in 2025 might see a small quantity of display screen shrinkage. Younger’s report concerning the limits of actuality is just not solely concerning the limits of actuality for Slim’s display screen alternative plus.

PU’s October report additionally talked about the usage of a 6.6-inch display screen, which correlates with Kuo’s declaration.

A smartphone screen showing a weather widget with the current temperature and a battery widget showing different device charge levels.
The iPhone 17 Slim could also be barely smaller than the iPhone 16 Plus

By way of different show specs, Kuo claimed it will have a decision of 2740 x 1260, which might be near the iPhone 16 Plus’s 2790 x 1290 decision.

There have been additionally claims that the slim might inherit the 120Hz promotional show system from the PRO fashions. This was raised as a rumor as lately as December thirtieth.

Whereas a gorgeous addition to the iPhone 17 SLIM, particularly if it is a featured mannequin launch, it is truly taking place. For Apple so as to add promoting to the mannequin, it will imply that the PRO fashions would lose one line of main promoting factors.

The iPhone 17 Slim is probably going ESIM solely

Creating an ultra-thin smartphone can create important engineering challenges that should be addressed by meeting companions and provide chain members.

This was apparently evident when the mannequin entered the brand new product introduction part in December. The stage the place meeting companions overview Apple’s design and decide the way it can truly be produced.

It is clear that skinny fashions have trade-offs, and stories in November apparently imply some connectivity points.

It was claimed that the physique was too skinny to squeeze the SIM card slot to the facet.

A white smartphone with a dual-lens camera in a sleek, minimalist design on a dark gradient background.
The iPhone 17 Slim can have just one digicam and no SIM slot in any respect.

This will not sound like a query within the US, which has already switched to ESIM. In international locations like China, which rely extra on bodily SIM playing cards and have regulatory considerations about ESIM use, this might turn out to be an issue.

The mixed connectivity compromise could also be 5G connectivity. Studies declare that Apple will change to utilizing its personal inner modem as an alternative of the Qualcomm mannequin.

This could be a win for Apple, however with claims that peak speeds weren’t as excessive for the brand new modem, and fewer cell reliability, Apple needed to reduce its objectives. This allegedly concerned pulling MMWave from the modem.

It nonetheless helps 5G, however bands beneath 6GHz, not quick high-bandwidth.

Wi-fi communication adjustments will not be restricted to 5G. In October, Kuo predicted that Apple would scale back its reliance on Broadcom for Wi-Fi chips in favor of its personal designs.

This alteration is about to start within the second half of 2025, coinciding with the iPhone 17 technology, together with the slim.

iPhone 17 Slim digicam rise controversy

Being ultra-thin will not be the one seen change within the iPhone 17 Slim. It may even have an enormous change on the surface, which might have an effect on how thick the system might be.

There is a little bit of a digicam bump on the again that sticks with the iPhone, primarily as a result of sheer bulk required of the digicam module itself. Although Apple controls the primary piece, the modules nonetheless take up quite a lot of house.

In a single doable resolution, an early declare in KUO’s specs is that Apple might cut back bumpiness by eradicating some cameras. It is believable that Apple can get round the necessity to unlock house by merely utilizing a single large digicam as an alternative of a number of sensors.

This does not seem to be such an outlandish plan. Apple already fakes the cellphone digicam sensor within the iPhone 16 by merely cropping the high-resolution most important digicam, giving customers “three” cameras as an alternative of two.

It is onerous to consider that Apple might go even additional skinny, shifting to 1 bodily sensor, however two cameras.

A restricted variety of cameras have been additionally raised Theelec Again in November, it was claimed that the impressively specced slim will not have a pro-style triple digicam setup and would extra possible have twin setups for non-PRO fashions.

A smartphone with triple cameras and flashes on a light background; Side and rear views.
Instance of assumed bar placement iPhone 17 Slim – Picture Credit score: Digital Chat Station / Weibo

Again in December, rumors concerning the rear cameras bought just a little bizarre, claiming that Apple was going to modify from a sq. or small digicam riser to a digicam bar. Stretched to the width of the iPhone 17 Slim, the bump would place the cameras in a row on the high.

Together with one Weibo declare on the time, one other leaker supplied a picture presupposed to depict an iPhone physique body, supporting the rumor. Nevertheless, it was inconceivable to inform whether or not it was an actual image or a intentionally created faux.

Lower than per week later, one other Weibo leak claimed that the redesign was not as large. There would nonetheless be a triangular structure for the three cameras, not a horizontal bar.

This could have been put to mattress, however one other leak in January revived bar rumors.

The picture, obtained from the “public web” and shared by the leak and Billibilli video, confirmed the iPhone backwards and a bit on the high that resembled a digicam bar with holes for cameras.

Once more, there was no solution to inform if it was actual or faux. However since it is a part that additionally covers the house the place the front-facing digicam for Face ID would go, it turned a moderately doubtful rumor to consider.

On a barely extra credible entrance, PU’s August memo on the iPhone 17 known as for the TrueDepth digicam to be upgraded to a 24-megapixel model. This appears rather more believable, and in addition more likely to incorporate skinny.

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