The Most Groundbreaking iPhone in Years Is Also the Most Confusing. Here's What We Know So Far About the iPhone 17 Slim

All eyes are on the upcoming launch of the iPhone 16 in a few months. Experts anticipate that Apple will remain conservative for this generation, with four reported models in the lineup: the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Although these models will be the protagonists of 2024, rumors about a new iPhone are everywhere. It will purportedly be a slimmer phone, somewhere between the compact and plus sizes. Here’s what we know, or we think we know, so far.

A slimmer design. The name “Slim” supposedly refers to the thickness of the phone. According to leaks, this would be the thinnest iPhone 17 in the lineup. Meanwhile, the aluminum case seems to indicate that it won’t have “Pro” specs.

The Dynamic Island is also said to be slightly narrower, with some analysts speculating that a possible design change like what we saw with the iPhone X could be underway.

A smaller display. The iPhone 17 Slim will supposedly replace the iPhone 16 Plus since this model is rumored to have a panel with the exact dimensions as the iPhone 15 Plus, or 6.7 inches.

The iPhone 17 Slim would be 6.55 inches, halfway between the 6.1 inches of the basic models and the current 6.7 inches. There are more doubts here since Apple is likely still experimenting with the size of the devices.

The camera’s design is strange. According to The Information, some rumors about the iPhone 17 Slim state that it will have cameras in a horizontal strip, Google Pixel style. This configuration makes little sense since it would sacrifice spatial video recording features.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will reportedly change the position of the cameras to record in the Vision Pro format, so this rumor has less weight at the moment.

An anti-reflective layer. One of the most exciting rumors about this phone comes from one of the most accurate leakers in China. He said the iPhone 17 Slim will purportedly have an anti-reflective layer on its screen, like what we saw on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

If this model includes it, then the rest of the models will, too. As such, this feature would mark a before and after on for the iPhone's screen.

Finally, ProMotion. The iPhone will supposedly include ProMotion in 2026, which is an adaptive refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz. Apple is the only company that keeps 60 Hz in the high-end, and nothing indicates that the new generation will change this aspect.

We still don't know what will happen with the price. While rumors point to a model that will replace the iPhone 16 Plus, others have suggested a more expensive model than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

In that case, it would be the most expensive iPhone in the lineup, something related to the best specifications within the iPhone 17. For now, the iPhone 17 Slim is just a rumor, but there’s so much information about it that there's a good chance that this project is underway.

Image | Xataka On

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