The iPhone 17 Slim is expected to be sleek, though it won't be Apple's thinnest model.
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There has been considerable discussion regarding a slimmer version of the iPhone 17 recently. This device has been circulating in rumors for months, referenced as both the iPhone 17 Slim and the iPhone 17 Air in various reports, although neither name has been officially confirmed.
The most recent report strengthens the likelihood of how thin the iPhone 17 Slim, or iPhone 17 Air, could potentially be if it is released. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had earlier indicated that the iPhone 17 Slim would be 5.5mm thick. This is indeed slim, even though it wouldn't be Apple's thinnest product, which is currently the iPad Pro (M4, 2024) at 5.3mm.
Could the iPhone 17 Slim become the thinnest smartphone globally?
If the 5.5mm spec is accurate, as suggested by leaker Ice Universe in a recent post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, it would make the iPhone thinner than both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, rumored to be 5.8mm thick, and the Techno Spark Slim concept presented at MWC 2025, which measures 5.75mm.
Ice Universe's report, noted by Apple Insider, indicates that the iPhone 17 Slim would have a 4mm camera bump, bringing its total thickness to 9.5mm. For reference, the iPhone 16 is listed at 7.8mm without including the camera bump, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25mm. Thus, without the 4mm camera bump, the iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim would have a thickness of 5.5mm, something Ice Universe has also mentioned previously.
Recently, a couple of comparison images were shared by mobile news leaker Majin Bu on X, appearing to show the iPhone 17 Slim next to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. While no measurements were provided with this leak, it visually highlights how slim the iPhone 17 Air could be in comparison to the current flagship iPhone.
There is no confirmation yet regarding the iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim, so it remains uncertain whether it will actually be released. However, if it does debut alongside the iPhone 17 series later this year, it may claim the title of the world’s thinnest smartphone.
Britta is a freelance technology journalist with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech.
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These images, shared by mobile news leaker Majin Bu on X, come without a cited source. They seem to be stills from a video, implying that more examples may be available soon, as hinted by Bu. If the iPhone 17 Air is indeed around 5mm thick, it would be thinner than Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, expected to be about 5.8mm thick.
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The iPhone 17 Slim is expected to be sleek, though it won't be Apple's thinnest model.
Recently, there has been considerable discussion about a sleeker version of the iPhone 17. This device has been a topic of speculation for several months, referred to in various reports as the iPhone 17 Slim and the iPhone 17 Air, though neither name has been officially verified. The most recent report adds further backing to how […]