iPhone 17 Slim: Everything we know so far

Rumors on the horizon appear to suggest that we might see an iPhone 17 Slim in the future. We try to find out everything that you need to know about the rumored iPhone.

With the iPhone 16 not even out yet, numerous reports point towards a new entry to next year’s lineup – the iPhone 17 Slim.

It’s quite an interesting prospect. Apple’s next phone will reportedly copy a trend that Android phone makers ditched in the years past. If the iPhone 17 Slim sees the light of day, it may trigger a new wave of slim phones.

That said, there is a possibility that the phone might get a new name when launched. As of now, we’ve scoured every piece of news to put everything about the iPhone 17 Slim together for you.

Release window rumors

The iPhone 17 Slim will likely arrive in the third or fourth quarter of 2025. This is the easiest part to predict with iPhones since Apple follows a once-in-a-year update cycle. Apple usually launches its iPhone lineup at the fall event around September or October every year.

What will it be called: the iPhone 17 Slim or iPhone 17 Air?

Various reports and industry insiders have been calling the upcoming device the iPhone 17 Slim. However, Jon Prosser claimed on his YouTube channel, FrontPageTech (FPT), that it will instead be named the iPhone 17 Air.

Prosser has argued that the device will follow the same branding as Apple’s iPad and Mac lines, which are divided into Pro and Air.

Expected price

As per known leaker IceUniverse’s post on Weibo, corroborating the previous leaks, the iPhone 17 Slim will be priced higher than the regular iPhone variants, including the base, Pro, and Pro Max versions. He claims that the iPhone 17 series will be priced like the following:

• iPhone 17: $799
• iPhone 17 Pro: $1,099
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1,199
• iPhone 17 Slim: $1,299

The Information reports that the iPhone 17 Slim model will potentially be more expensive than the iPhone Pro Max, making it the most expensive device in the iPhone 17 lineup. This is said to be due to its slimmer design.

To put this in perspective, the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1199, and if Apple decides to price this upcoming phone higher than the Pro Max lineup, we might have this iPhone starting at around $1400 or $1500 apiece.

Since this device could be placed on a higher pedestal than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, there is a possibility that it may be the first “iPhone Ultra”.

Design and specs

Since the phone is in the early stage of its pre-production lifecycle, most of these leaks and rumors originate from the supply chain cycle. Take these with a pinch of salt, as all or some of these features are subject to change closer to launch.

According to IceUniverse, all four devices in the iPhone 17 lineup will sport a LTPO display for the first time. This also means that ProMotion will be available on all devices with a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

Though contradicting the previous reports, IceUniverse claims that the iPhone 17 Slim will have a 6.65-inch display, while the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro will sport a 6.20-inch panel. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, being the biggest of them all, will have a 6.87-inch display, according to the tipster.

He further asserts that the slimmer iPhone will have an A19 Chip under the hood and 8GB of RAM, which we have already heard earlier. IceUniverse also says the device will use Titanium and sport triple rear cameras.

Apple reportedly wants to trim down other devices after the new thinner iPad Pro. According to Bloomberg’s Apple analyst, Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17 lineup will have a refreshed design. He also said the phone will be significantly thinner than the previous generation devices. 

Gurman added, “I’m told that Apple is now focused on developing a significantly skinnier phone in time for the iPhone 17 line in 2025. It’s also working to make the MacBook Pro and Apple Watch thinner.”

At this point, we’re not sure how thin the iPhone 17 Slim would be or how Apple plans to cram the hardware into a tighter space. 

DSCC’s analyst Ross Young states the iPhone 17 Slim will sport a 6.55-inch display. This new iPhone display size sits between the 6.1-inch display of base variants and the 6.7-inch for the larger ones.

Investment firm Haitong’s analyst Jeff Pu (via 9to5Mac) said this new iPhone will have a 6.6-inch display. Pu also said a new iPhone 17 Slim will replace the Plus model in the lineup. 

He further added that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Slim will have an Aluminum design that is “more complex”.

Apple

South Korean publication The Elec cites sources from the display supply chain industry. The outlet says that all the phones in the iPhone 17 lineup will have an LTPO panel and ProMotion technology. Even the non-pro iPhones will sport an OLED panel with a 120 Hz screen refresh rate.

iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, will continue to use a titanium finish and will have a smaller Dynamic Island, said Pu.

He also notes that the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Slim will have 8GB RAM and an A18 or A19 chip under the hood. 

Pu also adds that the phone will also see an upgrade in the front camera. Instead of a 12MP front-facing camera used by Apple, the iPhone 17 Slim will use a 24MP camera.

The camera upgrade will mean that the selfies clicked using the front camera will have more details and a higher resolution. 

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo agrees with the increased megapixel count. They said that Apple will use a six-element lens compared to a five-element lens on the iPhone 14 and 15.

However, Pu also said the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max would have 12GB of RAM and a “Pro” chipset under the hood. This contradicts the iPhone 17 Ultra theory as an “Ultra” phone ideally should be the most powerful phone in any lineup.

The report by The Information also talks about the changed camera island location. It says that the iPhone 17 Slim will have rear cameras placed in locations we generally do not relate to an iPhone.

It also claims that the camera position is being moved to a top-center position on the back from the top-left position. 

Historically, the camera island on the iPhone has been on the top left side meaning if this report is true then the location could be changed for the first time since 2007.

What we want to see

A slimmer iPhone could be a great idea. This makes the phone easily slip into the pockets and makes it less of a burden to carry around. However, Apple must rework the internals to keep the thermals in check.

Unlike the iPad Pro, which has more real estate than the iPhone, cramming in a large enough battery with fast-charging tech could be challenging.

Achieving all these would be no less than a technological marvel, which unfortunately comes at a price. Getting all the upgrades mentioned above in a thinner design but at an affordable price point could be a dream for any Apple enthusiast.