A ‘Slim’ iPhone 17 model is the latest mystery to surface, with rumors also pointing to Dynamic Island refinements and more for Apple’s 2025 iPhone release.
The iPhone 17 lineup is about to shake up its design and model range. Apple supposedly found a way to shrink the Dynamic Island. Also, the iPhone 17 Plus might disappear in favor of the slim Air.
It’s expected that the iPhone 17 lineup will see a lot of design changes. Earlier reports talked about the quirky new camera block appearance, and now there’s info about the front of the phone.
Dynamic Island will be downsized on the iPhone 17 Pro with Meta Lens technology.
Apple introduced Dynamic Island with the iPhone 14 Pro—a new feature that cleverly masked the camera notch and Face ID sensor, quickly becoming a hot iPhone feature.
Next year, the entire iPhone 15 lineup got the Dynamic Island, which continued into the current generation. According to MyDrivers, Apple plans to reduce the Dynamic Island in the iPhone 17 Pro.
Meta lens technology will allow making a smaller Face ID module. The source also claims that the screen bezels will be reduced as the company moves towards a design of an iPhone with a seamless screen without unnecessary elements.
The changes should be quite significant and noticeable to the user. However, completely eliminating elements on the screen requires improvements to the existing under-screen camera technology.
The message also confirms earlier data on the rear panel of the iPhone 17 Pro made of glass and aluminum, retaining the possibility of wireless charging.
Regarding rumors about the unusual camera module of the new iPhone Pro, it is reported that Apple has decided to stick to its usual version.
Additionally, the iPhone 17 series is supposedly eliminating the Plus model, adding the slim iPhone 17 Air, which has given Apple engineers a tough time.
The model range will consist of the standard iPhone 17, the Air version, the Pro, and the Pro Max.
It’s all change
The iPhone 17 Slim, Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu said in a research note reported by 9to5Mac, will take the place of the iPhone 16 Plus in the lineup come September 2025. If Pu is correct, the new lineup will include a rethink in terms of display sizes as well, with the iPhone 17 Slim sporting a whole new 6.6-inch display.
If he’s correct, we’re told to expect a lineup that looks like this:
- iPhone 6.1-inch display
- iPhone 17 Slim—6.6-inch display
- iPhone 17 Pro—6.3-inch display
- iPhone 17 Pro Max—6.9-inch display
The new display sizes won’t be the only complication here, either.
9to5Mac reports that Pu expects the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Slim, and iPhone 17 Pro to all sport a new aluminum design, while the range-topping iPhone 17 Pro Max will maintain the titanium construction we’re accustomed to.
That phone will also feature a “narrowed Dynamic Island,” but the other models will continue to use the current design.
Apple reportedly intends to use a new “metalens” technology for the proximity sensor that will help make the Face ID components smaller, reducing the overall size of the Dynamic Island.
Other tidbits to come out of Pu’s note include the suggestion that the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Slim will both have 8GB of RAM and use an A18 or A19 chip.
Choosing an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max will apparently bump the RAM to 12GB, and buyers can expect a new A19 Pro chip as well.
It’s worth noting that if this report is accurate, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will both ship with more RAM than a base model MacBook Pro, although that could change when the M4 version of Apple’s best laptop arrives.
Finally, Pu believes that the 2025 iPhones will all feature upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing cameras, something that had previously been suggested by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Such a move would be a big upgrade and a welcome one at that.
It’s important to remember that Apple is still around 18 months away from announcing the iPhone 17 lineup, and that means that there is plenty of time for its plans to change.
However, with Pu’s claims matching up with some that came from other sources previously, it’s clear there is definitely some fire to go with the smoke on this one.
