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iPhone 18 Pro Could Be Noticeably Thicker Than iPhone 17 Pro

We all know that as we get older we get thicker, it's the natural law of aging. Then it will come to the point that Apple will realise thicker isn't good and release the iPhone keto.

In all seriousness, it feels like the push for a more advanced camera has overcome the weight/size balance. What is a bother is that those who don't want a thicker heavier phone will miss out on the full functionality of new iOS's because only the Pro series phones offer every possible function of the newest iOS. Apple may have to compromise and allow every function on the lower tier iPhones, or they'll end up alienating a section of their own market.
 
orbital~debris said:
That would be lovely – iPhone 3G/3GS seemed best designed of all iPhone models to sit in the gently curved palm of a human hand.
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The iPhone X had a similarly curved design. Felt very nice in the hand.

It was around the iPhone 12 that they went back to the boxy design with squared-off edges, that still persists today.
 
sully54 said:
The comments here are hilarious because I’m old enough to remember when people wanted iPhones to be thicker.
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I used to want phones to be thicker. That was before they got 6.8” displays. We’re at a point now where the only way the phone can be held in one hand is if it’s thin enough. Make my 15PM thicker and I won’t be able to hold it anymore. If the display was 4” I wouldn’t care.

At this rate, I’d probably have to get the non max 18 pro to get a phone that’s comfortable to hold, but I don’t want the downgrade in screen, so I’ll just keep rocking the 15 until Apple gets it together and prices come back down again.
 
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Kr0019 said:
We all know that as we get older we get thicker, it's the natural law of aging. Then it will come to the point that Apple will realise thicker isn't good and release the iPhone keto.

In all seriousness, it feels like the push for a more advanced camera has overcome the weight/size balance. What is a bother is that those who don't want a thicker heavier phone will miss out on the full functionality of new iOS's because only the Pro series phones offer every possible function of the newest iOS. Apple may have to compromise and allow every function on the lower tier iPhones, or they'll end up alienating a section of their own market.
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If iOS 27 is a leading indicator, Apple is perfectly fine gating functionality based on its expanding model lineup. The Air only supports USB 2 along with the single camera and single speaker, limiting its "Pro" feature set. I'm totally OK with that since I chose to sacrifice those features for the superior lightness and handling. The base(-ic) 17 and 18 have limited memory that shuts them out from more advanced Siri AI features. More than ever you get what you pay for, so if you want the full Pro feature set you will pay through the nose for it.
 
If these rumors are true I'm going to need to carry my phone in a separate bag! This is getting ridiculous. I want to REPLACE my heavy iPhone 14, not add to it! I guess I need to look into the Air now...
 
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Ultimately, "at the end of the day":



aw3jvi.jpg
 
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awshucks said:
My battery life is in fact fantastic. People do not know this until they actually own an Air. Has same battery life as 16 Plus, which people thought had a great battery life. Don’t compare it to the 17PM, 2 different types of phones.
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I’ve owned the iPhone air twice. Battery life was not fantastic either time for my use case. But your right, for my grandpa it does last him all day
 
An iPhone with no camera bulge could be aesthetically very pleasing as well as very practical and manageable as a non-bumpy device. And if Apple designers added battery capacity in the added space making the phone flat, it could be a big win for usability as well as aesthetics.
 
Billy_Bob said:
An iPhone with no camera bulge could be aesthetically very pleasing as well as very practical and manageable as a non-bumpy device. And if Apple designers added battery capacity in the added space making the phone flat, it could be a big win for usability as well as aesthetics.
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Agree aesthetically but it would increase weight and, obviously size. I suspect that the weight and size issues are why Apple use a camera bump in the first place. As I was reminded by another poster about Samsung phones, I have to wonder how Samsung manage to do it without a camera bump and not making it thicker than the major part of the iPhone. Samsung seem to have technology that is not available to Apple, maybe 😂
 
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ab2c4 said:
That's not true, look at the Samsung phones for example. Lots of cameras, big batteries, and low weight.
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You forgot crappy software, not the OS (Android), but every piece of Samsung software is either a) Redundant or b) garbage.
 
In my dream world they give the “pro” models the cameras and make them thick as necessary

Then replace the rear camera on the air with the same camera that’s in front and thin out that hump as much as possible

Give the people that don’t care about cameras an option
 
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Ferrandix said:
Horrible from a design standpoint, but it makes sense within Apple’s product segmentation strategy, because it widens the gap between the Pro and the Air, and probably the Ultra as well.


Keeping the Pro models as thin as possible is no longer a priority when customers already have other options like the Air or the standard model.


When you have so many products in the lineup, you need to create enough differentiation between them to justify their existence.


I don’t like it. I’d much rather see the “one iPhone, two sizes” approach, but it is what it is.
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That's exactly why they can make the Pros thicker this year.
johnsawyercjs said:
2mm is a lot
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It is. Especially with a case added to it.

Here are the thicknesses of the last 4 Pros:
  • iPhone 17 Pro Max: 8.75 mm (found on Macworld)
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8.26 mm (detailed by Facebook)
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max: 8.25 mm (verified via Wikipedia)
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max: 7.85 mm (cited by Wikipedia) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
There's got to be a reason— bigger battery; heat dissipation from latest 2nm chip; variable aperture; 6K or 8K video; or all of the above.

Again, for an increase in thickness and weight like that, the specs better match.
 
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p96 said:
Nobody is being forced to buy an Apple case, more people probably buy third-party cases.
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That is true but Apple still sells A LOT of them through collateral damage— meaning people who walk into the store for a phone and need a case.
 
Cameras are getting ridiculous on phones now. I'm not a professional photographer and most other iPhone users probably aren't either.
Every time you think that they wouldn't make that camera bump any bigger, they prove you wrong.
I've been thinking of switching to standard iPhone for awhile now, maybe it's time.
 
jasbur17 said:
I'm not a professional photographer and most other iPhone users probably aren't either.
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apple sells more than 200 million iPhones a year

are there even 1 million professional photographers in the world?

(yes I know 1 in 5 macrumors forum members are a "semi-pro" something or another by their own definition 😜......)
 
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Plain and simple………….Give me the bigger battery, a superior camera and I’ll accept the bigger body
Underscreen Face ID would be nice (wishful thinking)
 
bushman4 said:
Plain and simple………….Give me the bigger battery, a superior camera and I’ll accept the bigger body
Underscreen Face ID would be nice (wishful thinking)
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see I'm the opposite

I want less camera. battery has been all day for me since 12 mini (until it wasn't and replaced it, when the second battery needed replacing I relented and bought the 17.)

I just want slimmer and easier in my hand
(don't get me wrong, I like the current non-pro screen size now. my eyes aren't getting stronger with age!)


I think you are in the majority though which is why smart phones are evolving in the direction they are
 
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