In a nutshell: Apple's iPhone 16 has been on the market for less than 60 days at this point, but in the fast-paced world of mobile technology, the page has already turned to what's in the pipeline for next year.
Most in the know agree that Apple is working on a thinner variant of the iPhone 17 that will debut alongside the usual suspects in the fall of 2025. Dubbed the iPhone 17 Air or the iPhone 17 Slim by some, this new model is rumored to measure roughly 6 mm thick.
If true, it would be significantly thinner than any iPhone released in the last several years. The newest iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max measure 8.25 mm thick while the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are a little thinner at 7.8 mm. You have to go all the way back to the iPhone 6 to find an Apple smartphone in the 6.x mm range.
The first couple of iPhones were much thicker (in the 11-12 mm range), but Apple started trending towards slimmer devices beginning with the iPhone 4. That focus faded after the iPhone 6, however, and hasn't been much of a priority since.
Analysts expect the iPhone 17 Air to ship with a 6.6-inch display and feature a single 48-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 24-megapixel front shooter, an Apple-designed 5G modem, and support for Face ID. Apple's standard A19 chip is expected to power the handset, which will also ship with support for Apple Intelligence.
While a 6 mm iPhone would be a breath of fresh air, it wouldn't be Apple's thinnest device ever. That honor goes to the recently released 13-inch iPad Pro which measures just 5.1 mm thick. Still, a change of pace for the predictable product line could boost sales, especially among buyers more concerned with aesthetics than owning a device with every possible bell and whistle.
Do size and weight play much of a factor for you when shopping for a new smartphone?
Image credit: Onur Binay, MacRumors