With the iPhone 17 Slim, Apple will once again refresh its flagship product line.
Whenever Apple experiments with new products, it always draws attention for its carefulness. Although it rarely experiments, when it does break out of its shell, Apple often makes a noticeable splash.
iPhone 17 Slim concept photo.
Now, iFan is focusing on the new iPhone, the iPhone 17 Slim. Even though the iPhone 16 series has not been launched yet, the next-generation iPhone has created a lot of excitement.
The iPhone 17 Slim will be a new member of the 2025 iPhone "family" that will replace the iPhone Plus model. But what makes this flagship controversial is its inexplicably high price and the feature set built inside.
History of the fourth iPhone models
Before we get into the details of the iPhone 17 Slim, let's take a look back at the history of Apple's fourth iPhone model.
iPhone Mini
In 2020, as the world was entering a period of chaos due to the COVID pandemic, Apple decided to make a major change to its iPhone lineup by introducing a fourth member — the iPhone mini. The iPhone 12 mini is the company's first attempt to diversify its phone portfolio to reach a wider audience.
Unfortunately for Apple and small phone lovers, the iPhone 12 mini flopped. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), which tracks consumer purchases, reported that sales of the product accounted for just 5% of total iPhone sales in the US. Apple tried again with the iPhone 13 mini the following year, but that product flopped even more, accounting for just 3% of US iPhone sales.
Illustration photo.
iPhone Plus
So what about the big phones? Apple has gone in that direction and introduced the next iPhone 14 Plus, which gives users a bigger battery and screen at a more accessible price than the iPhone Pro Max.
The iPhone 14 Plus has outperformed the iPhone mini models, accounting for about 11% of total iPhone 14 series sales. In May, the iPhone 15 Plus, Apple's latest Plus model, accounted for 9% of all iPhones sold.
This year, the new iPhone 16 Plus will be launched. However, this may be the last iPhone Plus model.
iPhone Slim has more chance of success
Apple's "plus" iPhone has always been a bit of a different beast. The iPhone 17 Slim is shaping up to be an experimental phone with a super-thin design and a premium price tag.
However, they will have a better chance of success than the iPhone mini or iPhone Plus.
For the average user, they won’t care about dual or triple camera systems or super powerful chips. Instead, many people want to feel premium when holding a phone and want to own a product that is stylish and beautiful.
iPhone 17 Slim concept photo.
With a higher price tag than the $1,200 iPhone Pro Max and much lower manufacturing costs, the iPhone Slim could be a better moneymaker for Apple than the iPhone mini and iPhone Plus.
Of course, the price of the iPhone 17 Slim is just a prediction. If it is priced the same as the iPhone Plus, the iPhone Slim still has a good chance of attracting the attention of many mid-range consumers.
Low risk, high return
Reports from The Information and reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo both claim that Apple plans to equip the iPhone 17 Slim with a rear camera. This camera will be similar to the main camera on the current iPhone with a 48MP sensor. Thanks to that, "Apple" can save a lot of money by skipping the ultra-wide-angle camera and telephoto camera.
Rumors also suggest that the iPhone 17 Slim will ditch the A19 Pro processor (reserved for the iPhone Pro models) and instead use the A19 chip found in the standard iPhone 17. This is another cost-cutting measure. Of course, the chip will be very powerful, manufactured on an optimized version of TSMC's 3nm process, possibly N3P or N3X.
iPhone 17 Slim concept photo.
In addition to saving costs, the iPhone Slim will feature the first Apple-made 5G modem, which will cost less than the Qualcomm modem currently used.
Kuo's report says Apple could use titanium for the frame of the new ultra-thin iPhone. On the other hand, The Information says the iPhone Slim will have an aluminum frame.
With all that in mind, this could be one of the company's most profitable decisions to date. If it fails, the losses won't be too large thanks to lower production costs.
In this way, "Apple" will come out of its shell and try a product that is a bit more interesting and different. If successful, the iPhone 17 Slim could even become the first stepping stone for many thinner iPhones in the future.
Whatever the end result, this will be the first Apple product since the Vision Pro glasses that really creates excitement.