Apple May Release a Luxury ‘iPhone 17 Slim’ in 2025
Credit: Konstantin Milenin
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Although the iPhone 16 lineup has yet to debut, leakers are already claiming to have info on Apple’s plans for the 2025 iPhone 17 lineup — and the most significant rumor continues to be the debut of an all-new luxury “iPhone Slim” at the top of the pack.
We already have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the iPhone 16 this fall. By all reports, the new models will follow the pattern that’s become the norm over the past two years: an iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus joined by an iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The “Pro” models are expected to get slightly larger screens, and we’ll likely see a new capture button. Still, those will be the only significant design changes to a product family that’s become predictable over the past few years.
Even Apple’s decision to change things up with a larger iPhone 14 Plus wasn’t that big of a shakeup, as that model merely replaced the smaller iPhone mini models released over the prior two years with a larger version. Other than that, it was still the same arrangement of two standard and two pro models. Meanwhile, the duo of iPhone Pro models have remained staples of the lineup since the 2018 iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, the year before Apple adopted the “Pro” moniker.
However, that could all change next year. If recent reports are accurate, Apple is planning to retire the iPhone Plus in favor of a new “iPhone 17 Slim.” That new model could be the next big step in Apple’s return to “thinnovation” that began with the M4 iPad Pro earlier this year.
Last week, we heard that Apple is also working on ultra-thin M5 MacBooks for a possible late 2025 release, so an “iPhone 17 Slim” would fit right into a new generation of extremely thin high-end products.
Unfortunately, the one odd thing about the rumors making the rounds is that it might end up being a more awkward fit. The M4 iPad Pro is already the most powerful iPad Apple has ever made. Apple took the unprecedented step of debuting its best silicon on a tablet before it came anywhere near a MacBook. Along similar lines, the ultra-thin M5 MacBook will likely be a high-end MacBook Pro, but that may not be true with the “iPhone 17 Slim.”
When we first heard these reports earlier this year, there was speculation that the slimmer iPhone could be the “iPhone Ultra” we’ve heard whispers of for the past year or so. It’s possible Apple could still go with that name — these things are rarely decided this far in advance, and “Slim” is merely a placeholder being used by leakers and analysts right now — but by the sounds of it, the thinnest-ever iPhone won’t be the most powerful model in the lineup.
This isn’t necessarily a revelation, as earlier reports already hinted that it might have the same specs as the standard iPhone 17, but now another leaker is corroborating those reports with what they claim are detailed spec sheets for the entire lineup.
The latest information comes from the leaker Ice Universe on Weibo, who also claimed in June that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will get a near-borderless “sci-fi form factor” but also has a track record of sharing accurate details about upcoming iPhone features. The leaker posted a chart with the full specs of the entire iPhone 17 lineup, seemingly confirming what we’ve heard previously that the “iPhone 17 Slim” will feature an A19 chip with 8GB of RAM rather than the A19 Pro with 12GB supposedly destined for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
The “iPhone 17 Slim” will also reportedly retain a smaller 6.65-inch display compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is expected to continue with a 6.86-inch LTPO display — likely the same one that will debut with this year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max.
None of this sounds unreasonable until you get to the punch line: according to the leaker, the “iPhone 17 Slim” is slated to be priced at approximately $1,299 — $100 more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
This would make it the most expensive model in Apple’s iPhone lineup and the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold, yet it would be less powerful than even the smaller iPhone 17 Pro (which, if the report is accurate, would be priced at $1,099).
Ice Universe isn’t the first to make this claim, but it’s the first time we’ve seen rumors of tangible pricing. The thinking here seems to be that Apple believes some folks want a compact iPhone more than they want a powerful one and are willing to pay a premium to get it.
The strategy wouldn’t be unprecedented, but it would be very odd in light of the M4 iPad Pro and the rumored M5 MacBook Pro — both products intended to prove that Apple can deliver both power and compact and thin designs without compromising on either. A more expensive yet under-specced “iPhone 17 Slim” would be more akin to Apple’s original MacBook Air, an “executive laptop” that was a textbook lesson in tradeoffs between style and substance.
Of course, the iPhone 17 lineup is still well over a year away, so these rumors should be taken with a massive dose of whatever sodium-based seasoning you prefer. While Apple is almost certainly tossing ideas around for next year’s iPhones, we’re nowhere near final prototypes, so anything is possible. Even if Apple is actively considering an “iPhone 17 Slim” as described in these leaks, it could end up abandoning those plans, or it could find a way to pull another rabbit out of its hat and create an “iPhone 17 Ultra” in the mold of the M4 iPad Pro — the top end of power and performance in an “impossibly thin” design.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
