The iPhone 17 may be thinner or at least more refined in thickness. First, Apple has been promoting thinner designs in recent years, such as the flat border design starting with the iPhone 12, and continuously optimizes thickness in subsequent models; second, despite hardware upgrades, such as the iPhone 16 Pro still maintains a thinner body compared to the previous generation when the battery and internal structure is upgraded, indicating that it is technically feasible; further, Apple may achieve thinning by further reducing the volume of the camera module or motherboard; in addition, thinner may bring about trade-offs on battery capacity, heat dissipation and structural strength, chip efficiency improvement and the application of new materials are expected to alleviate these problems; finally, at the user perception level, Apple may reduce the camera bulge to improve the feel, even if the core body does not change much, the overall experience will be lighter and more modern.

The iPhone 17 is still a bit away, but based on the trends we've seen from Apple and what's technically possible, there's a good chance it will be slightly thinner — or at least more refined in terms of thickness. Apple has been pushing for slimmer profiles over the years while managing internal components better, so this direction makes sense.

Design Evolution Has Been Toward Slimmer Profiles

Apple has been gradually slimming down iPhones, even as they pack in more hardware. The iPhone 12 started the trend with a flatter-edged design that was thinner than many of its predecessors. Since then, each generation has either maintained or slightly reduced the overall thickness. For example, the iPhone 16 Pro is actually a bit thinner than the iPhone 15 Pro despite having a larger battery and upgraded internals.

• The iPhone 12 lineup was around 7.4mm thick.
• The iPhone 14 Pro dropped to about 7.1mm.
• The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to stay around that same range or go even lower.

So if history is any indicator, the iPhone 17 could follow suit — especially if Apple finds ways to further miniaturize components like the camera module or logic board.

Trade-offs Still Exist

While thinness is a goal, Apple also has to balance performance, battery life, and thermal management. A thinner phone can mean:

• Smaller batteries (unless energy density improves)
• More heat concentration
• Less room for structural reformation

That said, improvements in chip efficiency (like with the rumored next-gen A19 chip) and better thermal dissipation materials might let Apple shake off a tenth of a million or two without sacrificing usability.

User Experience Might Favor Slight Slimming Over Bulk

From a usability standpoint, a thinner phone feels nicer in hand and pocket. That's why some rumors suggest Apple might reduce the protrusion of the main camera bump on the iPhone 17, which would make the back profile feel less bulky even if the core body thickness doesn't change dramatically.

Also, don't forget that screen size might increase again — meaning the phone could get slightly taller or wider, but not necessarily thicker. It's all about perception: making it feel lighter and sleeper while hiding more tech inside.

So yes, the iPhone 17 might be a bit thinner, but more importantly, it'll probably feel more balanced and modern in your hand.

The above is the detailed content of Will the iPhone 17 be thinner or thicker?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!