Ultra-thin iPhone 17 could replace Plus and cut back on cameras

With the iPhone 16 around six weeks away, it seems a little premature to be talking about the iPhone 17. However, this report is worthy of attention.

According to the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the 2025 iPhone might be the first in a while to prioritise form over function.

Kuo describes the standard iPhone 17 as “ultra thin” and, says Apple will only include a single wide camera lens on the rear of the device.

The report, published to Medium, claims the display size will be a large 6.6-inches with a 2,740 x 1,260 resolution, which would be a big change from the current 6.1-inch on the standard iPhone.

Interestingly, according to Kuo, this phone would replace the iPhone Plus in the line-up, which has a 6.7-inch display. Kuo points out the iPhone Plus accounts for just 5–10% of new iPhone shipments, so won’t exactly be missed.

“The new ultra-slim model is not positioned to replace the Plus. Instead, Apple is exploring new design trends beyond the existing iPhone lineup,” Kuo says.

“The ultra-slim iPhone 17 will emphasize innovative form factor design rather than competing on hardware specifications (processor, camera, etc.).”

Interestingly, the report says, Apple’s 5G chip will sit within this handset which may be the first and the culmination of Apple’s initial and prolonged efforts to create its own 5G chip.

The phone would be powered, Kuo says, by the A19 proceessor, with the A19 Pro chip reserved for Pro and Pro Max models.

Finally, there’d be a new titanium aluminium alloy frame “with a lower percentage of titanium than the current Pro and Pro Max metal frames.”

Considering this phone won’t be rocking up until September 2025, at the earliest, there’s still plenty of time for this to change. Kuo himself has revised his predictions many times as release dates draw closer.