The iPhone 16 Plus may soon be a thing of the past as Apple reportedly plans to discontinue the larger model from its standard iPhone lineup next year. Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities and Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities, both renowned for their accurate predictions about Apple, suggest that the iPhone 17 Slim, a new ultra-thin premium model, will take its place.
The End of iPhone 16 Plus
It seems that Apple’s standard large-screen iPhone may be coming to an end with the iPhone 16 Plus. According to Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu, Apple is expected to discontinue the larger variant of its standard iPhone, introducing the iPhone 17 Slim instead. This shift in strategy could be attributed to lackluster sales, as only 5-10% of new iPhones shipped were the Plus model, according to Kuo.
Image: Cnet
The iPhone Plus is set to share the fate of the iPhone Mini, which Apple introduced in 2020 with the iPhone 12 and discontinued after the launch of the iPhone 13 Mini in 2021. Apple has a history of reshuffling its iPhone lineup every few years, and the form and size of iPhones have certainly evolved over the last decade.
While we may not know what’s in store for the iPhone 2025, possibly named iPhone 17, until next September, there are some plausible reasons why Apple might want to discontinue the iPhone Plus. For instance, the enlarged version of the standard iPhone may not be compelling enough for consumers when compared to the Pro model. Large-screen phones, once known as “phablets,” have been the norm for almost a decade, making oversized screens less of a novelty.
Image: Cnet
Lackluster Sales Seal the Fate of iPhone Plus
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, a reliable source for upcoming Apple products, the iPhone Plus accounts for just 5-10% of new iPhone shipments. In a report published on Medium in July, Kuo states, “This implies that the other three models (low-end, high-end, and Pro) have fully covered the high-end market segments, making the Plus model redundant.”
This is supported by data from Canalys, a research firm, which showed that the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max were among the top 10 best-selling phones globally in 2023. Other models in the top 10 included the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, and even the iPhone 13, which is nearly three years old. However, no Plus models made the cut.
Additionally, Omdia, another research company, found that the iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone 11 were the top-selling phones in the first half of 2023, with the iPhone 14 Plus notably absent from the list.
A mobile device research analyst from Canalys commented on the iPhone 14 Plus, “Everyone had high expectations… Consumers generally prefer larger screens.” This sentiment was echoed by Chiew and Josh Lowitz, analysts from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, who attributed the Plus model’s struggles to the $100 price difference with the $1,000 iPhone Pro, which they believe isn’t significant enough to deter consumers from opting for the Pro model with its superior camera and upcoming Apple Intelligence software features.
The iPhone Mini faced a similar situation in 2021, with the iPhone 12 Mini reportedly accounting for just 5% of iPhone sales in early 2021, according to Counterpoint Research data reported by Reuters. Apple eventually discontinued the Mini model after the release of the iPhone 13 series.
Will the iPhone 17 Slim Succeed?
With both the iPhone Plus and iPhone Mini struggling to attract consumers, the question arises: will the iPhone 17 Slim face similar challenges? A significantly thinner iPhone could be just what Apple needs to excite consumers and offer a truly novel and distinct device. In the absence of foldable phones, the iPhone 17 Slim might be Apple’s chance to reignite enthusiasm for iPhone design.
Image: MacRumors
The iPhone X serves as a precedent for this strategy. Despite its higher price tag compared to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X became the best-selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2018 following its launch in late 2017.
According to Kuo, the iPhone 17 Slim is not intended to replace the Plus model but to be an entirely new offering. This echoes the introduction of the iPhone X, which paved the way for future iPhone designs with its full-screen layout. However, Kuo also reports that the iPhone 17 Slim may compromise on certain key aspects, such as featuring only a single rear camera, unlike the triple-camera setup that has become a staple of Apple’s premium phones.
Chiew believes that Apple will need to do more to convince consumers, especially given the expected trade-offs with the iPhone 17 Slim. Only time will tell what the future holds for Apple’s iPhone lineup, but multiple reports suggest that a thinner iPhone could be on the horizon.
