Since launching the first iPhone with a 3.5-inch screen in 2007, Apple has been on a slow but steady progression, from the 4-inch iPhone 5 in 2012 to the 6.7-inch 15 Pro Max last year. But a reliable analyst has predicted that next year an iPhone’s screen will become smaller.
Ross Young, a display supply chain analyst with an enviable track record, released a report this week (via 9to5Mac) in which he surprisingly claims that the iPhone 17 Plus will have a smaller screen than the 15 Plus (which is 6.7 inches) and 16 Plus (which should be the same). It doesn’t name a specific measurement, but says the 17 Plus will “sit between” the smaller handsets – the 17 and 17 Pro – and the 17 Pro Max.
Oddly enough, before we get to that point, Apple is expected to increase the screen sizes of two models later this year. While the 15 series handsets line up like this:
- 15: 6.1 inches
- 15 Plus: 6.7 inches
- 15 Pro: 6.1 inches
- 15 Pro Max: 6.7 inches
Series 16 handsets are expected to increase in size on both Pro models:
- 16: 6.1 inches
- 16 Plus: 6.7 inches
- 16 Pro: 6.3 inches
- 16 Pro Max: 6.9 inches
Assuming the rest of the lineup remains stable, that means the 17 Plus will have a screen between 6.3 and 6.7 inches. This seems like a strange regression, but it makes some sense. In recent years, Apple has been very keen to push customers towards the more expensive models, which would give the higher-end 17 Pro Max another advantage over the cheaper 17 Plus. But this would be the first time an iPhone’s screen would be smaller after an update, even if we’re only talking about a few tenths of an inch.
We only believe this rumor because Young is usually very reliable on posting rumors. But even so, all this is still far away. There are still about five months until Apple launches the iPhone 16, and plans can change. Watch this space for more developments.
