After launching the slimmer OLED iPad Pro last month, Apple’s reportedly planning to slim down the iPhone as well.
At its Let Loose event in May, Apple launched the 2024 series of iPads. The thinnest of these is the 13” iPad that’s just 5.1mm thick. Apple says it is the thinnest product it has ever created.
According to reports, Apple is now working on a new iPhone model that will be “significantly thinner” than current iPhones. This new iPhone model will launch in 2025, which experts believe will be the iPhone 17.
The last time Apple made a significant improvement to the iPhone was over half a decade back in 2017. That’s when it launched iPhone X, which brought in the OLED display, and features like Face ID.
Just like the iPhone X, the 2025 iPhone will come with a higher price tag than the currently selling models.
One of the reasons for the slimmer 2024 iPads was their new OLED display. However, the iPhones already ship with OLED displays, which means the thickness chop will come from somewhere where.
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It’ll be disappointing if Apple resorts to axing the iPhone’s battery life or the processor, or both. But if its recent past is any indication, it’ll thin down the iPhone without any compromises. Just look at the 2024 iPads, which have the same battery life as their predecessors, and a more powerful processor, the M4.
It’ll be wonderful if Apple can do this with the upcoming thinner iPhone as well.
Broader ecosystem
While it’s good to have thinner phones, a section of users want Apple to focus on other things as well.
Marty Meany, founding editor, Goosed.ie, says Apple has been tentatively rolling out features which other phones have had for some time. This has helped them close the gap between devices and decision making for consumers.
“However, the big one I’m looking out for down the line is a relatively simple one: more democratization and abandoning the ecosystem lock-in,” says Meany. “[This] really just hampers multi-device experience.”
He specifically points to two big features. For one, he wants AirDrop to work for everyone regardless of what device they are using. And secondly he wants iPhone sync to work with Windows.
“I want to be able to leave my phone in my bag at work and mirror my phone on my work machine [that runs Windows],” says Meany.
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Meany says he has an iPhone, an iPad, and a MacBook, but he can’t avoid using Windows at work. But he can’t seamlessly switch between these devices and Windows because of the ecosystem lock-in.
“Apple is reluctant to step into this space, but not for technical reasons. These are business decisions,” says Meany.
Fair ecosystem
Esther Payne, privacy advocate and community manager at the Librecast Project, has issues with the iPhone’s hardware design philosophy.
Payne doesn’t like the fact that you can’t remove the iPhone’s batteries, or easily repair them. Instead, she says, you end up replacing your phone with a new one, every few years.
“Apple isn’t the only phone manufacturer doing this of course. Just the most prominent,” says Payne.
If she’s in the market for a new smartphone, she’d go for the highly repairable Fairphone.
“Of course, it’s a different ecosystem,” says Payne. “You aren’t just buying a phone, you buy the App Store.”
But what Payne really cares about is a phone where she can replace the battery, without having to go to a genius bar. The Fairphone has a modular design that allows users to easily replace individual components, such as batteries, screens, and cameras.
“Planned obsolescence may be good for Apple’s shareholders, but the e-waste isn’t good for the planet,” says Payne. “Nor is it good for the consumer’s pockets.”
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