Report: Slim iPhone 17 model is just a “step toward something better”

In the latest Power On Newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman clarifies some details about next year’s slim iPhone 17 model, which he refers to as an iPhone 17 “Air.” The analyst also goes on to provide details about Apple’s future iPhone plans, including a “Pro” model with a slimmer chassis, as well as the possibility of a folding iPhone.

iPhone 17 “Air”

Apple started experimenting with a fourth flagship iPhone model back in 2020 with the iPhone 12 mini. That model mostly flopped (unfortunately), and the company discontinued the mini iPhone and replaced it with an iPhone 14 Plus starting in 2022. However, that model also wasn’t a great success, so the company is trying to mix it up a bit with something more unique.

We started hearing rumors about this thinner iPhone 17 model earlier this year, although it was never quite clear what purpose the model would serve. We knew that the model would have a smaller Dynamic Island, an aluminum chassis, a smaller 6.6-inch display (compared to the existing iPhone Plus models), and some sort of lesser camera setup. It was a weird frankenstein of premium and entry-level.

Gurman corroborates the ultra-thin iPhone 17 reports, and writes that the idea is to create some form of “Air” iPhone, one that sits between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. He gives a rough idea on how Apple will attempt to sell the model to consumers:

If you want something snazzier than a standard iPhone — but don’t really need the performance, screen size or cameras of a Pro model — you can get something that looks much cooler while still having the specifications of a regular iPhone.

He also adds that he expects this new slim model to be a “bigger hit” than the iPhone 12/13 mini and iPhone 14/15/16 Plus, returning the iPhone lineup to “meaningful growth” in 2025. In addition, he goes on to describe some details about other future iPhone models.

iPhone Ultra? Folding iPhone?

Further down the road, Gurman states that Apple will “want to squeeze the power of a Pro model into this smaller design”, although the company likely won’t achieve this until at least 2027. With the Pro feature set in a slimmer form factor, Apple could likely make a successful “Ultra” iPhone model, which would be a lot more appealing than the current iPhone 17 Slim rumors, at least to me.

Gurman also adds that he expects Apple to produce a foldable iPhone, although the foldable iPad is “just as big of a priority” internally. He suggests that we might see the foldable iPad model release first.

Are you excited about the upcoming ultra-slim iPhone 17 model, or are you more interested in the possibility of an iPhone Ultra or a foldable iPhone? Share your thoughts in the comments.