Apple executives’ hype about future iPhones won’t surprise anyone

Even Tim Cook seems to have realized that he was overusing the phrase “This is the best iPhone we’ve ever made,” and walked back on it. But Apple executives still tend to rely on hyperbolic APIs, and now they seem to be doing so in internal memos as well.

as discovered by bloombergJohn Ternas, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, is stirring up the troops. He said the planned next iPhone is “the most ambitious product in history.”

It wasn’t just an internal message during a conversation about today’s menu at Cafe Macs in Apple Park. Instead, it was part of an announcement about the future of the iPhone.

Besides the iPhone, Ternus was probably also working on the expected launch of the M4 Mac soon. But in the memo, he also announced the promotion of three people to vice president.

One of them was Rich Dinh, senior director of product design, whose previous work included new camera control buttons.

iPhone Fold rendering

Ding is now vice president of product design, apparently focused on the iPhone. His new role is not yet listed on Apple’s leadership page, nor has there been an update indicating that Carol Surface is leaving.

It’s true that even though the iPhone has been around for 17 years, each year’s model is the best Apple has ever made. There may not be something substantially new each time, but there is always something we don’t have. And we will not give up now.

There’s an argument that the current iPhone is actually the same as the original iPhone from 2007, but only because they’re both rectangular and flat sheets of glass. For the first time, it is possible that this basic shape may change, at least a little, in the near future.

If that happens, it will probably be doing what Apple tends to do. That means being the person who brings all the wine, even if you show up late to the party.

So while it may have been five years since Samsung first launched a foldable phone, Apple is definitely working on one. At least internally.

iPhone Fold rendering

However, there is considerable doubt as to whether Apple will release it. No matter which company in the world we have, you can be sure that they will launch a flip phone because of the sheer amount of patent evidence we have.

Apple doesn’t enjoy canceling projects, and Ding will no doubt face harsh criticism from Tim Cook if he tries to stop folding the iPhone. But the truth is, Apple has this set in stone, and there’s a good chance they’ll pull the iPhone fold if they decide it’s not going to be a winner.

That may be why rumors have become a little vague in recent years. Instead of a folded iPhone, a slightly different flip iPhone is being talked about.

And a path to an iPhone flip could come from Apple practicing making thinner models. Apple won’t allow the folded iPhone to unfold any further than the current regular iPhone.

So maybe before we see a flip or foldable iPhone, we’ll see something else. Specifically, the iPhone 17 Slim may appear in 2025.

It’s so little known and only lightly rumored that even its name can be a bit of a guess. However, the Plus model may be discontinued in the iPhone 17 series and this Slim model may appear instead.

It’s not even clear if that means the Plus will be replaced by the Slim in the lineup. Most likely it will be at the top of the lineup and could be the long-rumored iPhone Ultra.

There is no doubt that the slim model will have to offer similar specifications to surpass the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The only rumor so far is that the screen size will be 6.6 inches, smaller than the iPhone 16 Plus’s 6.7 inches.

However, Mr. Ternas’ memo was leaked, but unfortunately there was no attachment. There is no evidence that he meant the words “most ambitious” or “exciting future”.

Also, you cannot review the entire text. Given Garman’s reputation, I don’t doubt its existence, but there’s a lot of missing context that can be gleaned.

In any case, there are so many rumors about a foldable, invertable, slimmer iPhone that even without various patents, it seems likely that one will appear. But that may still be wishful thinking.

And it could also be a case of imagination failing and Apple having something no one expected. Maybe Apple has a device in mind that no one asked for or expected, but when it comes out, everyone seems to want it.