According to The Information, Apple's ambition to create an "ultra-thin" iPhone 17 (measuring 5-6 mm) has posed challenges for the company's engineers.
Issues arise particularly with the integration of the battery and thermal materials. Apple previously hoped to address these challenges with a new type of battery featuring a thinner internal lining, but this was hampered by component costs, manufacturing consistency, and the need to make certain technical compromises.
The iPhone 6 currently holds the title of the thinnest iPhone from Apple (with a thickness of 6.9 mm, while the iPhone 6 Plus measures 7.1 mm). For comparison, the 11-inch iPad Pro M4 has a thickness of only 5.4 mm, and the 13-inch iPad Pro model is 5.1 mm thick.
The report also notes that the iPhone 17 prototype currently lacks a physical SIM card slot — indicating that the device will likely rely entirely on eSIM (the iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 models sold in the US have already made this shift, while the same models in other countries still support physical SIM cards). Additionally, the device is expected to feature just one speaker, as there is clearly not enough space for a second one on the bottom edge, considering the aluminum edges and the rectangular protrusion of the rear camera.
It is also rumored that the iPhone 17 Air will come with a single 48-megapixel rear camera, a 24-megapixel front camera, Apple's first in-house 5G modem, a 6.6-inch display, an A19 chip, Face ID, Dynamic Island, and 8 GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence.
The Information adds that the device is currently undergoing "early production testing" at Foxconn and is expected to launch in September 2025 (likely starting at a price of $1300) alongside the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models (iPhone 17 Plus is not anticipated).
Meanwhile, the long-awaited iPhone SE 4 is set to debut in March 2025.
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