Just when we thought Apple devices couldn't get any thinner after the newest iPad Pro debuted in May, the Cupertino company has had other ideas, with the iPhone 17 slated to be the skinniest device ever, according to a new report.
As per Bloomberg's newsletter by Mark Gurman, the company is reportedly "now focused on developing a significantly skinnier phone in time for the iPhone 17 line in 2025", as the latest iPad Pro has "set the stage" for thinner iPhones and devices.
"Over the past several years, Apple appeared to be shifting away from making devices as thin and light as possible," Gurman notes, as devices such as MacBook Pros and the Apple Watch Ultra were made "heftier" to accommodate longer battery life, faster processors and features.
The new iPad Pro sparked a return to longer battery life for the product, advertising 10 hours of screen time on a single charge, much like the original model. The latest model also became home to a slew of new features, including a new M4 chip, an OLED display and speedy performance and was marketed rather interestingly as the "thinnest Apple product ever" in a now-defunct commercial.
"When Apple unveiled the new iPad Pro in May, it marked a return to form," Gurman says. "In other words, Apple has figured out how make its devices thinner again while still adding major new features."
Gurman expects these changes to be rolled out in coming years, seemingly skipping the anticipated iPhone 16 models for release later this year. Gurman also states that the company is working on thinner Macbook Pro and Apple Watch models for future releases.
Thinner bezels expected for iPhone 16 models
As previously reported on Tom's Guide, we don't expect too many noticeable design changes for the upcoming iPhone 16 models coming out in September. One possible upgrade, however, is that the new models are expected to have thinner bezels around their display.
A new Border Reduction Structure (BRS) process will supposedly pack the circuitry tightly together and will reroute the wiring to allow a display's bottom bezel — normally the thickest part of the border on any phone — to be thinned out. However, it is supposedly harder to manufacture these screens. At the time of writing, the thinner displays have only been tipped for iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models.
