This $200 phone holds the secret to the impossibly thin “iPhone Slim” – Apple’s best/worst idea ever
11/27/2024
5 min read
Hold on to your seat, because the latest rumors circulating around the nerdy area of the internet are telling us Apple’s rumored “iPhone 17 Slim” (or whatever they call it), might be as thin as 5mm.
And while I don’t really buy that, I do believe Apple can pull off a 6mm iPhone, which is still incredibly thin – thin enough to grab the title for thinnest iPhone ever, and thin enough to become the thinnest phone of 2025 – if we don’t see something even thinner from Android.
But while the iPhone 17 series is still 8-9 months away, you might be surprised to find out that there is a super-slim Android phone you can get right now, which costs only $200 and gets very close to the rumored form-factor of the slimmest iPhone ever.
And while we’re at it… I’ll also tell you why I find the slim iPhone 17 so polarizing. Like… I want one, and I… don’t.
This globally-available $200 Honor phone holds the secret to Apple’s impossibly thin “iPhone Slim”
The $200 Honor X8b in green and the iPhone 16 in teal. At 6.8mm vs 7.8mm, the Honor is exactly 1mm thinner than the latest iPhone.
Honor X8b… The name might sound like math equations, but don’t let that fool you – this budget Android phone launched a year ago (December 2023) might just be the design Apple’s alleged “iPhone 17 Slim” might be striving to achieve. Contrary to the iPhone Slim (rumored to cost at least $1,000), the Honor X8b costs less than €200 in Europe, packing a 6.7-inch, screen and a 4,500 mAh battery in a 166g, 6.8mm thin body.
The reason I’m even bringing this phone into this story is because the Honor X8b looks and sounds like the closest thing to Apple’s rumored iPhone “Slim” (rumored 6.6-inch screen and 5-6mm thin body) available today – it even has a Dynamic Island and symmetrical display borders.
In other words, if a super-slim phone that packs a large screen and relatively big battery is what you’re after, there’s no need to wait around – you can grab the budget Honor X8b right now.
“As thin as 5mm” – iPhone Slim is starting to sound like Apple’s best, worst, and most polarizing idea in a long time – which one is it?
Now… I’m not delusional. I know iPhone users won’t rush to grab a $200 budget Android phone just because it’s “super-slim”. But the real question is… Would they rush to get the super-slim iPhone?
Frankly, this is the same question I’ve been asking myself after the latest (sort of wild) rumors about the slimmest iPhone ever.
The “5-6mm thin iPhone 17 Slim” is starting to sound like Apple’s best and worst idea ever.
For one, I’m not too excited about the fact that Apple will most likely get rid of a ton of pro-grade features to make the thinnest iPhone ever possible. The latest rumors say the iPhone Slim could:
Drop the sim card tray (globally)
Pack a single rear camera?!
Come with a small battery
Have a mono speaker on the top (combined with the earpiece)?!
This is already starting to sound like a huge downgrade compared to something like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, or the iPhone 17 Pro Max launching alongside the iPhone 17 Slim.
At the same time, I’m a big sucker for lighter phones that are easier to hold and carry in my pocket. Especially since my current phone combo is made of the iPhone 13 mini and Pixel 9 Pro Fold – the two polar opposites when it comes to weight and overall size.
I recently played around with all iPhones 16 models at the store, and there’s not doubt that I find the vanilla iPhone 16 models so much more comfortable to hold and use due to their weight and thinner profile. Hence, iPhones Slim is starting to look more and more appealing to me.
It’s still too early to say, but the “iPhone Slim” could be Apple’s slimmest flop – let’s not sacrifice everything for a few millimetres
In the end, unfortunately, the early rumors are painting a picture of a very basic iPhone without dual speakers and even a single rear camera, which is borderline unacceptable for a premium phone expected to cost at least $900, or possibly as much as $1,300.
Then again, Apple’s locked in tunnel vision on the way to making the product they want to make can go a long way, and disregard any opinions. In other words, Apple will probably do what Apple wants to do despite what anyone else says/thinks.
The thinnest iPad right now is only 5.1mm thin, so it’s not totally impossible that Apple’s goal is to beat that record even if the “iPhone Slim” has to come with half of the premium features of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
As I mentioned in the intro, at least for now, I don’t buy the “5mm thin iPhone Slim” rumors. Although I do believe 6mm is achievable for Apple, which (according to insiders) is still working on “iPhone Slim” prototypes, trying to figure out how to make the phone slimmer without having to remove the display and battery altogether.
So, who knows – Apple might reach the seemingly impossible “5mm goal” for the iPhone Slim, but I’m not sure this might be good news for the actual experience of using the slimmest iPhone.
However, if you’re OK with having a super-slim phone without pro-grade features, I’ll bring it back to the beginning of the story, and tell you that the $200 Honor X8b is available to buy right now.
It doesn’t run iOS, but it also doesn’t cost $1,300. Give some – take some.
