The launch of a new slimline Apple iPad Pro M4 will mark a broader effort to make signature Apple devices thinner, according to a new report.
In his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple had rediscovered its mojo when it comes to trimming millimetres from its line up, thanks to a super-slim battery within the new iPad Pro that enabled the 13-inch model to get down to just 5.1mm.
Our reviewer pointed out that it’s “so thin that when plugged in, the USB-C cable juts out every so slightly.”
Now the company plans to bring that ethos to marque products like the iPhone 17 and forthcoming Apple Watch and MacBook Pro models.
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“I’m told that Apple is now focused on developing a significantly skinnier phone in time for the iPhone 17 line in 2025,” Gurman wrote.
“It’s also working to make the MacBook Pro and Apple Watch thinner. The plan is for the latest iPad Pro to be the beginning of a new class of Apple devices that should be the thinnest and lightest products in their categories across the whole tech industry.”
iPhone fans yearning for a design overhaul for the now-dated design might have hoped for this update for this year’s iPhone 16.
However, it appears this year’s iPhone model might be headlined by the Apple Intelligence upgrades coming in iOS 18, rather than revolutionising the hardware. Indeed, a recent leak suggested the iPhone 16 might be larger and heavier.
With Apple reportedly placing emphasis on making devices as thin as possible it would mark a return to some Jony Ive-era policies where the company put incredible efforts into creating slimline devices, often at the expense of ports and other functionality.
In the main, in recent years, Apple had prioritised long battery life and more assuredly heavier devices.
