Let’s hope Apple doesn’t get carried away with a new thirst for thin products

Apple’s new iPad Pro M4 sets the stage for thinner iPhones and other devices, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes in his latest Power On” newsletter. But let’s hope that Apple doesn’t get carried away in a bid for product thinness.

Over the past several years, Apple appeared to be shifting away from making devices as thin and light as possible. However, Apple’s unveiling of the new iPad Pro in May marked a return to form, Gurman says. 

“I’m told that Apple is now focused on developing a significantly skinnier phone in time for the iPhone 17 line in 2025,” he says. “ 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.”

A thinner Apple Watch makes sense, and perhaps a thinner iPhone, but do we really need a slimmer Mac? In some reviews, pundits have said that they would have preferred a slightly thicker iPad Pro M4 with battery life extended beyond 10 hours. 

If Apple whittles down the size of Mac laptops, would battery life be reduced? Would durability?

Jony Ive is a design genius. However, I think he became so obsessed with making devices thin that form overcame function. 

Admittedly, I may be in the minority here. Macworld’s Roman Loyola has a must-read article dubbed “Why I can’t wait to switch to a thinner MacBook Pro.” He makes some compelling arguments. Let’s just hope Apple proceeds with caution.

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