Apple is expected to launch a slim iPhone 17 model next year, purportedly called the iPhone 17 Slim/Air. The phone emphasized the slimmer form factor over function. A lot of rumors regarding the iPhone 17 Slim/Air have popped up in the recent past. However, the latest one may cast doubt on its "slim form factor" claim.
According to account yeux1122 on Naver, the rumored iPhone 17 Slim/Air may not reach the level of thinness Apple initially planned. Citing industry sources, Apple has run into some issues that may not let the company bring down the thinness of the iPhone 17 Slim/Air as they would've expected. The device was expected to make use of a new type of battery that uses a thinner internal substrate.
However, Apple is facing multiple challenges with the new type of battery including, component cost, manufacturing consistency, and other technical compromises. Notably, the iPhone 17 Slim/Air is speculated to be 6mm thick.
For comparison, Apple's thinnest ever iPhone, the iPhone 6 measured 6.9mm, meaning that the iPhone 17 Slim/Air (which emphasizes the slim form factor), may only be 0.9mm thinner than the 2014 flagship. However, if the rumors are true, the iPhone 17 Slim/Air may not be able to beat the thinness of the 13-inch iPad Pro and M4 iPad Pro, as they will continue to be Apple's thinnest devices measuring 5.1mm and 5.4mm, respectively.
Apple is expected to power the iPhone 17 Slim/Air with a 3nm chipset and has fixed Taiwanese firm Novatek as the display supplier for the device. The device is also expected to be launched in the fall of 2025 and may feature a single rear camera, A19 chip, and pro-motion display with refresh rates up to 120Hz.
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