Mark Gurman revealed that Apple might have started a major design shift after the announcement of the M4 iPad Pro, its thinnest device ever. The iPad Pro is just the first step, as Apple is setting its sights on making its entire product line much slimmer.
Gurman, in his Power On newsletter, claims the M4 iPad Pro marks “the beginning of a new class of Apple devices” designed to be the leaders in thinness and lightness across their categories.
“I’m told that Apple is now focused on developing a significantly skinnier phone in time for the iPhone 17 line in 2025. 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.”
The Apple Watch might also be getting a trim down. Gurman previously reported on the “Apple Watch X” revamp, which is rumored to be the biggest design overhaul yet for the wearable.
While details on the launch date for the thinner MacBook Pro and Apple Watch are scarce, the clear takeaway is that the M4 iPad Pro represents a turning point in Apple’s design philosophy.
When it comes to the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, here are the rumored dimensions of the Pro and Pro Max models. More extensive details are here.
This focus on thinness raises questions about potential downsides. Will slimmer devices come at the expense of battery life or durability? Knowing Apple, I won’t be surprised if the slimmer designs first appear on Pro Models and then, a year later, on the base models.
Slimmer devices are long overdue. With screens larger than 6+ inches becoming the new norm, they keep getting bulkier and heavier. While it seems that users seek big screens, they don’t like the byproduct of bulkier phones. So, it’s good news that slimmer devices are finally on the horizon. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing them sooner rather than later.