While the current MacBook Pro and iPhone models had suggested Apple was done making its products thinner and thinner, this month's reveal of the iPad Pro M4, the company's "thinnest product ever", suggests there may have been a change.
And, now that it's conquered the iPad 'bendgate' and repairability concerns, it appears the iPhone may be the next device to get itself in shape with a form factor redesign.
That comes from a report from The Information that suggests "Apple is still testing different designs for the slimmer phone, which could include an aluminium chassis and a smaller hole and pill-shaped cutout for its front-facing camera and sensors, one person with direct knowledge of the matter said."
It's not expected to happen in time for the iPhone 16, however (production has likely begun in some capacity there), but it could arrive in time for the 17th generation.
iPhone 17 to receive potentially drastic redesign
It's not just the phone getting slimmer, either.
"The phone will include Apple’s latest-generation processor, likely called the A19, and could have an improved front camera for video calls and selfies. The screen will measure somewhere between the 6.12-inch diagonal display of the standard iPhone and the 6.69-inch display of the iPhone Pro Max, the person added," The Information's report says.
"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."
That could mean a central camera cluster on the back of an iPhone for the first time ever, as well as a potential shift in screen size.
This could mean a refresh to the whole lineup is planned for 2025, or the introduction of the iPhone Ultra we've heard in hushed tones over a number of years. Either way, The Information compares the change to 2017's iPhone X redesign, which leaves big boots to fill.
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