'Ultra-thin iPhone 17' series slated for 2025—Apple analyst
How does an ultra-thin iPhone sound to you?
An Apple analyst said that the tech giant's iPhone 17 series, which reportedly features an ultra-slim design, is slated for a 2025 release.
Ming-Chi Kuo, in his Medium blog entry, wrote that the new version "will emphasize innovative form factor design rather than competing on hardware specifications."
He said Apple will discontinue the Plus model as it only accounts for 5 to 10% of total new iPhone shipments.
Other models (Standard, Pro, and Pro Max), he noted, "already adequately cover the high-end market segments, making the Plus model redundant."
"The new ultra-slim model is not positioned to replace the Plus. Instead, Apple is exploring new design trends beyond the existing iPhone lineup," Kuo said.
He also listed the "currently known specifications" of iPhone 17, which are as follows:
- 6.6 inches screen size
- 2,740 by 1,260 screen resolution
- A19 chip, with the higher-end iPhones using the A19 Pro
- Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped secondary display on the upper screen that current iPhone models have
- Titanium-aluminum alloy metal frame, except that it's a lower percentage of titanium than the current Pro and Pro Max metal frames; other iPhone 17 models will use aluminum metal frames
- 5G chip, which is an adoption of Apple’s in-house 5G chip and is meant to enhance connectivity and performance
- Single-rear wide camera, prioritizing design over versatility
Apple's latest iPhone line is the iPhone 15, which it announced during its "Wonderlust" event in September 2023. It came to the Philippine market in October of that year.
Specifications include a contoured edge, aerospace-grade aluminum enclosure, textured matte finish, 48-megapixel camera, and the more universal USB-C charger.
To date, the iPhone 15 is worth P56,990; iPhone 15 Plus, P63,990; iPhone 15 Pro, P70,990; and iPhone 15 Pro Max, P84,990.
Forbes reported that the iPhone 16 series will be released later this year. It will have four units: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
According to his Medium profile, Kuo is an analyst at TF International Securities. He shares "observations and predictions of tech industry trends."