Yes, the newer Tomcats have engineering fixes that involve thicker frames.
I currently own two Tomcats. Both were originally the thinner frames, and mine were the Alley Cat versions with the XS big dot sights on the barrels. (Old eyes...)
One of my 3032 slides cracked. I sent the pistol back to Beretta. They sent me a new one as a replacement, but it had the thicker slide on it. My two Tomcats were NOT the INOX versions, however, my understanding was the slide cracking problem was not as prevalent on the INOX versions.
The slide cracking issue was in part due to user error. As described by a Beretta tech I spoke with, the Beretta 3032 Tomcat was originally designed around the original Winchester Silvertip round - a 60 grain jacketed hollow point round. Another round of a similar energy level was/is the PMC Bronze .32 ACP JHP - also a 60 grain jacketed hollow point projectile.
Specs linked here:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900363648
Specs linked here:
https://www.ammosupplywarehouse.com...age=product_info&cPath=1_53&products_id=34381
There are other manufacturers as well who offered 60 grain JHP self defense rounds, such as Speer Gold Dot, and the Fiocchi Extrema 60 grain JHP.
The Federal Hydra-Shok JHP round offers a 65 grain projectile, but after that many .32 ACP ammunition options jump to 71 and 73 grain projectiles.
These heavier .32 ACP rounds offer higher energy levels or heavier projectiles (or both), and more penetration - examples include Federal American Eagle 71 grain FMJ; Fiocchi 73 grain JHP; Sellier & Bellot 73 grain FMJ; and Prvi Partizan .32 71 grain JHP and FMJ.
According to the tech, what was causing the Beretta 3032 slides to crack was a steady diet of these higher energy rounds - which exceeded the design specifications originally established for the Beretta 3032 Tomcat. It had been designed around the 60 grain Winchester Silvertip specifications.
The thicker slides will now accommodate all 71 and 73 grain rounds, however, they do create a slightly chunkier 'feel' to the pistol. It still fits in my original holsters, so new slides are only marginally thicker, but it is a noticeable difference.
I've recently seen new INOX Tomcats for sale at my LGS, and I'm still a fan of them for pocket carry, especially in summer when you're wearing lighter shorts & T-shirts type attire. They fit my hand better than the Kel-tec .32 ACP pistols.
My thin-slide 3032 is more than 20 years old. It's had more than 2000 rounds through it. Most have been 60 grain rounds, after the other 3032 cracked and was replaced. In my experience these pistols are reliable.
Accuracy is about par with other very small, lightweight pistols with 4 lbs of torque or so applied to them in double action shooting. Mine are about on par with my J-frames at similar distances. I do have the XS sights installed, which are easier for me to acquire relatively rapidly.
There are many on internet forums who have apparently found their experiences with this platform to be less successful than mine, however, I purchased my first 3032 in 1994 if I recall correctly, and I've found them to be quite serviceable when 60 grain self defense loads are fired through them. (They're reliable with the heavier loads as well, however, for self defense purposes you'll probably want to use the design spec self defense loads.)
I do recommend you consider the INOX version if you have a choice, and if you can find an Alley Cat barrel with the XS sights on it I suspect you'll be happier with these sights.
Your mileage may vary. Best with your consideration & decision.