Apple first tried a smaller 5.4-inch iPhone mini, which debuted with the iPhone 12 in 2020 and continued the following year with the iPhone 13 mini. But the mini models didn’t sell very well, even though we’ll always hear from iPhone users who want a smaller screen. So, since last year, Apple has brought back the “Plus” brand, last used with the iPhone 8 Plus, and created the iPhone 14 Plus.
The Plus phones (including the iPhone 15 Plus) have the same size display as the Pro Max models and have huge batteries. They just don’t have the Pro camera, the latest app processor, and some of the other features you’ll only find in the iPhone Pro models. Despite the lower price for a large screen and battery life that challenges what iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max users are experiencing, the iPhone Plus models had the same problem that the iPhone mini models had to deal with; namely lack of sales.
The iPhone Slim, due out soon in 2025, could be priced higher than the iPhone 17 Pro Max
So now it looks like Apple will be ditching the iPhone Plus model (the iPhone 16 Plus will be the last) and replacing it with a phone that’s going by the “iPhone Slim” moniker for now. A previous rumor called for the device to have a 6.5-inch screen, though the size is believed to be somewhere between the 6.1-inch glass found on the original iPhone and the 6.7-inch screen used on iPhone 15 Pro Max (The iPhone 16 Pro gets a bump to 6.3 inches this year, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature a 6.9-inch display). iPhone Slim bezels will be smaller.
The iPhone 8, part of the last series before Apple’s latest major iPhone redesign
While the iPhone Slim will have a slimmer profile than any of the iPhone 16 phones, The Information’s latest report had a huge surprise. The iPhone Slim will be a premium model priced above the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and this has led some to believe that the “Slim” will actually be the long-rumored iPhone Ultra that many have been waiting for since the Apple Watch Ultra debuted in 2022. For now, let’s keep it we call iPhone Slim.
The phone will sport a new look according to the latest report, with the rear camera moving from the top left corner to the top center of the rear panel. The phone will feature an aluminum build with a smaller tablet and a circular notch, resulting in a smaller dynamic island.
Will the reduced battery life keep you from paying more than the Pro Max for the iPhone Slim?
For those who expect the iPhone Slim to be a new top-of-the-line iPhone, there is something that iPhone fans are forgetting while already dreaming about buying the iPhone Slim. If this new iPhone is as thin as many believe it will be, you probably won’t see an increase in battery life. Most likely, the battery used to power the iPhone Slim won’t last as long as the one inside iPhone 16 plus.
Remember that the Plus models are known for having long battery life. But the thin body used on the iPhone Slim, which may attract some buyers, could also be a double-edged sword and force Apple to use a smaller battery on the phone, dissuading many buyers from opting for one. While there probably aren’t too many consumers willing to buy a higher-priced iPhone than the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a shorter battery life than the last model, that could change if the iPhone Slim turns out to be incredibly thin or the phone looks like nothing we’ve ever seen.
The report in The Information, which cited three people with “direct knowledge of the matter,” compared the scale of the iPhone Slim’s redesign to the difference between the iPhone 8 series and the iPhone X. If that’s the case, consumers might be so stunned by the iPhone Slim , that the drop in battery life won’t matter.
