Apple plans slimmest iPhone 17 & MacBook Pro designs following iPad Pro success

AppleInsider

The new thinner iPad Pro models will be followed up by more shrinking across Apple's product line, with the iPhone 17 and MacBook Pro expected to get thinner next.

A render of what could be the iPhone 16

Apple's update of the iPad Pro lineup included a refresh to the designs, making the premium tablets thinner than ever before. This is thought to be the start of a continuing design trend for Apple, which will make other items in its catalog even thinner.

According to sources of Bloomberg, Apple is working to make a "significantly skinnier" iPhone 17. The change will be part of a wider effort, with the source adding that the MacBook Pro and Apple Watch will also undergo design diets.

The intention is that the iPad Pro will be the start of a new class of Apple hardware that aim to be the "thinnest and lightest" in their categories.

This is not the first time we have heard about Apple working to make its iPhone 17 slimmer. In October, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted that Apple would use a new thinner and lighter motherboard technology.

While these changes could help grant more space for other components inside the iPhone 17's body, it could easily be used to help shrink down the overall size. Sunday's report also says that the same processes will be used across the product line to make even thinner MacBook Pro models as well.

Other iPhone 17 rumors include a slight size change for the iPhone 17 Plus display and a new 24MP front camera.

Rumor Score: Possible

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DAalseth

I have to get the new model iPhone because it’s a fraction of a millimetre thinner.
-Nobody-

kamilton

Thinner is a “process” goal.  Where is the content?  Apple has stalled.  I don’t care what they introduce but the industry needs something tangible 

chasm

kamilton said:

Thinner is a “process” goal.  Where is the content?  Apple has stalled.  I don’t care what they introduce but the industry needs something tangible 

How on earth did you manage to miss the iOS 18 announcement?? Plenty of "content" there ... maybe watch the WWDC keynote video ...

PS. Who cares what "the industry" needs? Isn't what "consumers" need more important? Your post is really odd.

Kierkegaarden

kamilton said:

Thinner is a “process” goal.  Where is the content?  Apple has stalled.  I don’t care what they introduce but the industry needs something tangible 

Making the iPhone thinner would decrease the depth and weight — you don’t think this is tangible?  And Apple improves on their OS throughout every year — you don’t think this is tangible?  What exactly do you think the word “tangible” means?

harry wild

Make the iPhone 1/8” thicker, increase the battery size!

pulseimages

Has Jony Ive entered the building again? How will battery life not suffer? 

michelb76

I'm all for thinner, lighter devices, as long as nothing else suffers from it.

Xed

pulseimages said:

Has Jony Ive entered the building again? How will battery life not suffer? 

Your comment assumes no other advances will be made in shrinking components, making more power efficient components, denser battery tech, better internal design of components, and/or more efficient SW.

king editor the grate

Kierkegaarden said:

What exactly do you think the word “tangible” means?

I’ll hold onto 15 Pro Maxxx until they release models that Make Their Own Gravy™. 

cpsro

It's not the slimness that sold me on upgrading. It's the weight loss.

AniMill

The ghost of Ive hovers relentlessly.

M68000

Hopefully thermal issues won’t happen.  Did they switch to some graphene in there?   One of the rumors I think.

blastdoor

I’ll definitely take thinner and lighter over foldable. 

blastdoor

chasm said:

kamilton said:

Thinner is a “process” goal.  Where is the content?  Apple has stalled.  I don’t care what they introduce but the industry needs something tangible 

How on earth did you manage to miss the iOS 18 announcement?? Plenty of "content" there ... maybe watch the WWDC keynote video ...

PS. Who cares what "the industry" needs? Isn't what "consumers" need more important? Your post is really odd.

Also, I think the private cloud compute with custom Apple silicon and OS is huge. It’s not flashy but it lays the groundwork for the next couple of decades. 

omasou

All for thinner but more importantly lighter.

My new M4 iPad Pro on paper is not much different from the M1 iPad Pro it replaced but in really world use it is very, very significant.

I'd love a thinner M4 Macbook Pro w/4 Thunderbolt/USB4 ports that drop the dumb a** legacy slots and weighs less. My current M1 Macbook Pro is a boat anchor and not sometime I look forward to putting into my backpack.

I'd also love a thinner and again lighter iPhone who's weight isn't trying to pull down my pants or makes me wear a belt to stop it.

Thinner == lighter battery b/c Apple will not let it reduce current hours of use, which BTW, my new M4 iPad Pro seems to last much longer doing the same tasks.

pulseimages

Xed said:

pulseimages said:

Has Jony Ive entered the building again? How will battery life not suffer? 

Your comment assumes no other advances will be made in shrinking components, making more power efficient components, denser battery tech, better internal design of components, and/or more efficient SW.

Battery technology has been lagging for years and suddenly in two years time it’s dramatically going to improve? There’s only so much they can do via software manipulation. It truly would be a miracle if Apple provided real all day battery life in phones that aren’t the size of the Pro Max but then they would be losing out on the $$ they make from battery replacements. 

Xed

pulseimages said:

Xed said:

pulseimages said:

Has Jony Ive entered the building again? How will battery life not suffer? 

Your comment assumes no other advances will be made in shrinking components, making more power efficient components, denser battery tech, better internal design of components, and/or more efficient SW.

Battery technology has been lagging for years and suddenly in two years time it’s dramatically going to improve? There’s only so much they can do via software manipulation. It truly would be a miracle if Apple provided real all day battery life in phones that aren’t the size of the Pro Max but then they would be losing out on the $$ they make from battery replacements. 

1) Things do advance, even if slowly. Sometimes, it's just the efficiency of the packaging, even if the density of the cells isn't changing.

2) You only addressed 2 things of many that can affect battery life.

3) You say "there's only so much they can do" and yet I can point to any number of iPhones, iPads, or Mac laptops to show how their battery life is considerably better while being much lighter and faster than they used to be.

scampercom

I only carry my phone when I’m traveling, and it’s been a harrowing experience. The battery seems to drain so quickly (see: range anxiety) and I’m constantly having to manage it. What I’d love more than anything: keep the damn phones the same thickness—or make them slightly thicker—and give me solid 18-hours of life. These gizmos are thin enough. I’m not looking for cardboard-thickness. I want them to have power, all day, when I’m constantly checking the screen for maps and travel notes, with decent brightness, so I don’t have to worry about turning off key features just to have some assurance that I won’t have a brick in my pocket by the time I’m taking the train back to my village. And I don’t want to add battery bumps or cases. We can achieve this, today, without third party kit.

But no, everything must be thinner. Got it.

chasm

scampercom said:

I only carry my phone when I’m traveling, and it’s been a harrowing experience. The battery seems to drain so quickly (see: range anxiety) and I’m constantly having to manage it. What I’d love more than anything: keep the damn phones the same thickness—or make them slightly thicker—and give me solid 18-hours of life.

They'd need to be LOT thicker and a LOT heavier to give you 18 hours of non-stop usage.

Take a look at the battery pack you probably (or should) have to keep your iPhone charged when you're away from power outlets. It's most likely to be considerably thicker and heavier than your iPhone, especially if you really need 18 hours (when do you sleep?) of "solid" (ie in-use) battery life. Now imagine slapping a screen on that battery and then the computer components on top of that, and that's the weight and thickness of your new iPhone.

It sounds to me like what really needs constant managing here is your phone addiction ...

eriamjh

Thinner is great until it bends.  I’m talking to you, iPhone 6.  

Lighter is great until it starts to feel cheap look cheap, and still not be… inexpensive.  I’m talking to you, iPhone 5C.  

Battery life is the number one thing people who can’t convenience charge want more of.