iPhone 17 May Slim Down As Price Climbs Dramatically
It seems like an "Ultra" tier iPhone is on the horizon, and it could come at the sacrificial altar of the existing Plus trim alongside an extra dose of financial chagrin. According to The Information, Apple is readying a slimmer new iPhone for a Fall 2025 release, and it seems to follow in the footsteps of the 2024 iPad Pro, which also served slimmer aesthetics for a steep price hike.
"It could be priced higher than the iPhone Pro Max, currently Apple's most expensive model starting at $1,200," says the report, citing three unnamed sources. The arrival of a thinner — and pricier — new iPhone version will be accompanied by the death of the Plus option, just the way Apple killed the "mini" iPhones merely after two generations to make space for the "Plus" size.
Analyst Jeff Pu from Haitong International Securities also mentioned in an investor note that the iPhone 17 series will miss out on a "Plus" mode and will introduce a "Slim" tier, according to reporting from 9to5Mac. The screen sizes across all four iPhone 17 variants are reportedly going to stand at 6.1-inch, 6.3-inch (Pro), 6.6-inch (Slim), and 6.9-inch (Pro Max).
What else is changing with the iPhone?
It seems that in addition to launching a pricier iPhone next year, Apple is finally going to refresh the design language as well. The company is reportedly aiming to reduce the size of the black pill at the top of the screen, which houses the front camera and the other Face ID sensors. It seems rumors of an under-display camera — the kind Samsung has fitted on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 — on an iPhone may not materialize in the near future.
Apple is also eyeing an overhaul of the rear shell design, especially the signature camera island look that first arrived on the scene with the iPhone 11 series. "The rear cameras could be relocated from the upper-left corner of the phone's back to the top center as part of the redesign, another person with direct knowledge said," says the report.
Another interesting change could be a shift to an aluminum frame on the iPhone 17, or at least a select few members of the 2025 portfolio. In the past couple of years, Apple has upgraded the Pro models from a stainless steel frame to a Titanium composite material, while the more affordable versions have remained loyal to aluminum.