A thinner, more expensive iPhone may be joining Apple's lineup

[emorphy]

Forward-looking: Apple is reportedly working on a thinner iPhone that could replace the Plus model in the iPhone 17 lineup. It's also said to come with a price tag exceeding the iPhone Pro Max. This will be no souped-up iPhone 16 either, but instead will represent an iPhone X-level leap in design. Meanwhile, the world waits for the iPhone 16, which is said to be all about AI-oriented functionality.

Apple is working on a slimmed down version of the iPhone, according to a report in The Information, which cited three people that have direct knowledge of the project. The new phone is expected to launch in September 2025 and could cost more than the iPhone Pro Max, which starts at $1,200 and is Apple's most expensive model to date.

The thinner device may replace the Plus model as part of the iPhone 17 lineup, a format that hasn't lived up to Apple's expectations. However, a line of iPhone 16 phones, including an iPhone 16 Plus, will still be available.

The design has been compared to an iPhone X-level jump forward with a completely new aesthetic. Apple is considering several options for the new device, including an aluminum chassis. There may be a front-facing camera along with Face ID sensors in a smaller pill-shaped cutout, while the rear camera array may be moved to the center of the handset. Finally, the screen size is said to be between 6.12 and 6.669 inches – in between the current base iPhone and iPhone Pro Max.

Exactly how thin it will be is unclear, but the device would follow the recent release of the new iPad Pro, which is Apple's thinnest product ever. The 11-inch model is 5.3mm thin and the 13-inch model is even thinner at 5.1mm.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 is slated to be released in about five months. It is expected to focus on AI advancements with little change to the physical design. One departure, though, may be the replacement of the physical buttons on both sides of the iPhone with solid capacitive versions that simulate button presses. Sources familiar with the matter told the Economic Daily News that a supplier named Advanced Semiconductor Engineering recently secured a contract to provide Apple with a system-in-a-package (SIP) module to be used in conjunction with a pair of Taptic Engine motors and touch-enabled "buttons."

However, it seems unlikely that the iPhone 16 will go fully touch, and the design is widely expected to follow the iPhone 15.

Another possible change is that an all-new flagship called the iPhone Ultra will be introduced this year to sit above the Pro Max, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

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A thinner, more expensive iPhone may be joining Apple's lineup

 

[Atmajaya2020]

More than $1200..?
that's a huge expense just for a phone..

 

[yRaz]

I want to meet the person who can feel the difference of tenths of a millimeter

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I want to meet the person who can feel the difference of tenths of a millimeter

I can feel the difference of tenths of a millimeter, when it gives me a bigger battery and better runtime : )

 

[RudyBob]

Gee Are they allowed to use the word "Thin"?

 

[PurpleYoda]

Yeah.. make it paper thin and then battery will last 5 min.. who needs thin phones when the camera module sticks out like a sore thumb.. remember the days when the camera was flush with the rest of the body? Give me back this feature!

 

[daffy duck]

I always thought Apple needed more expensive phones .... said no one ever.

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

Heat and battery problems? Better use a case so you don't burn your hands () just kidding. But if the phone case helps in cooling then a case may just hinder that.

 

[BabaYaga]

Y'all realize this rumor is not for the upcoming Iphone but the one after it? Name one thing that won't have a higher price two years from now. It's pretty good that the price of Iphones didn't go up during the last few years even through the recent record inflation where everyone raised their prices. Apple could have easily increased prices like AMD and Nvidia.

 

[d5aqoep]

Apple will try to push pricing boundaries. After $999 price point, it actually becomes pointless to buy phones for extremely minor feature upgrades over $800 Androids. Apple is already on a decline and they have lost all their Mojo or “Wow” factor they once had.

 

[p51d007]

I want to meet the person who can feel the difference of tenths of a millimeter

Probably the same ones that think they can tell the difference in about 1/2 ounce LOL.

 

[Vanderlinde]

More than $1200..?
that's a huge expense just for a phone..

It's nothing. There's a huge market even able to buy 2000$ phones.

 

[Rudyduu]

I didn't bother reading the article because anyone could say the same thing about any Apple product:

"A thinner, more expensive iMac may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive MacBook Pro may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive Mac Pro may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive iPhone may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive iPad may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive cleaning cloth may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive wheels may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive monitor may be joining Apple's lineup"

There isn't a story here. It's what Apple does. Ignores what people are asking for and does what they think will make the most money.

 

[Rudyduu]

I can feel the difference of tenths of a millimeter, when it gives me a bigger battery and better runtime : )

Exactly. I would rather have a larger iPhone with better battery life, than a thinner one with the same life. For me it doesn't matter if it's thin or not since the case I'm going to use will be much larger than the thin phone anyway.

 

[Shaitan]

I didn't bother reading the article because anyone could say the same thing about any Apple product:

"A thinner, more expensive iMac may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive MacBook Pro may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive Mac Pro may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive iPhone may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive iPad may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive cleaning cloth may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive wheels may be joining Apple's lineup"
"A thinner, more expensive monitor may be joining Apple's lineup"

There isn't a story here. It's what Apple does. Ignores what people are asking for and does what they think will make the most money.

Absolutely agree on all that w/ you.
Just ONE more point to make:

even HARDER TO REPAIR - for all the above mentioned.

 

[toooooot]

Cool. We haven't had a competition to make the thinnest phone for a while.
I am kinda curious, not for usability, but rather to see how far technology can go
today. Batteries got better, chips got smaller and less power angry.
Perhaps, cameras is the only thing that could not go thinner without
noticeable degradation in quality.

 

[netman]

A new thinner aluminum iPhone 17 can contour to your arse curvature when sitting down with the phone in your back pocket... Great design...!

 

[Atmajaya2020]

It's nothing. There's a huge market even able to buy 2000$ phones.

still, its huge expense.. for me anyway..
but, you're right, its apple products..
no matter how expensive it is, many people still buy it anyway..

 

[Vanderlinde]

still, its huge expense.. for me anyway..
but, you're right, its apple products..
no matter how expensive it is, many people still buy it anyway..

Just as high end nvidia gpu's - there's still people who buy it.