Discover the latest iPhone 17 Air rumors, including its ultra-light design, A20 Bionic chip, and potential features like an under-display camera and solid-state battery.
The iPhone 16, despite being only two months old, has already sparked excitement among Apple enthusiasts regarding the upcoming models for next year.
Notably, speculation is rife about a new, sleeker version anticipated for release in 2025, referred to as the iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be unveiled in September 2025, following Apple’s traditional release schedule.
While the exact pricing remains uncertain, historical data suggests that it may be positioned similarly to the iPhone 16 Plus, which starts at $899 for 128GB.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has indicated that the iPhone 17 Air will not serve as a direct replacement for the Plus model, emphasizing its design and form factor over hardware specifications.
Additionally, there are rumors that the iPhone 17 Air could potentially be priced higher than the Pro Max model, which begins at $1,199.
Surpassing the Pro Max in price may prove challenging if the rumors regarding the iPhone 17 Air’s features are accurate.
The iPhone 17 Air is anticipated to attract attention primarily due to its sleek design. According to reports from The Information (via MacRumors), prototypes of the iPhone 17 Air are measuring approximately 5 to 6mm in thickness, potentially making it the slimmest device Apple has ever produced, especially when compared to the current iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, which are both 7.8mm thick.
However, this slim profile may limit the space available for advanced hardware. The battery that Apple intends to incorporate is already 6mm thick, which poses challenges to achieving the desired thinness.
Without a viable solution, the iPhone 17 Air may not be significantly thinner than the iPhone 6, which measured 6.9mm in 2014.
The iPhone 17 is anticipated to feature a screen size ranging from 6.1 to 6.7 inches, as reported by The Information (via MacRumors).
Analysts generally project it will be closer to the upper limit of this range, with Kuo and Jeff Pu estimating a size of approximately 6.6 inches, while Ross Young forecasts a display measuring 6.55 inches.
This would position the iPhone 17 as larger than the 6.1-inch iPhone 16, yet smaller than the 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus.
Kuo indicates that the iPhone 17 Slim will feature a titanium-aluminium alloy frame, while Pu claims it will be made of aluminium, reflecting Apple’s emphasis on design.
The iPhone 17 Air’s reduced thickness is expected to limit its features, as highlighted in a recent report from The Information, which notes that the device’s battery will be smaller than that of other iPhones, potentially leading to decreased battery life.
The exact extent of this reduction remains to be seen. Additionally, the report mentions that the iPhone 17 Air will include only one speaker, located near the ear, as Apple has struggled to fit a second speaker at the bottom due to the device’s slim profile.
Furthermore, current prototypes of the iPhone 17 Air reportedly lack a SIM tray, suggesting a reliance on eSIM technology.
This change may not significantly affect U.S. users, who have been using eSIMs since the iPhone 14 in 2022, but it marks a departure for international models that have traditionally supported physical SIM cards.
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According to The Information, the iPhone 17 Air’s camera will undergo a significant reduction, featuring only a single, centrally positioned rear camera instead of the multiple lenses typically found in previous models.
Analyst Kuo has also mentioned that this camera will be a wide lens, lacking both the ultra-wide and telephoto options present in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, respectively.
Pu has echoed this sentiment, predicting that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a 48-megapixel rear camera.
The quality of the camera remains a significant factor for consumers seeking new smartphones, regardless of its megapixel specifications.
The latest model from Apple featuring a single rear camera is the budget-friendly iPhone SE (3rd generation), with the anticipated fourth version set to launch in the spring of next year.
Fortunately, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to maintain its high standards. Analysts Kuo and Pu have indicated that this model will include a 24-megapixel front camera, which is double the resolution of the front cameras in the current iPhone 16 series.
They also predict that the Dynamic Island feature will largely remain the same. Additionally, Young suggests that the iPhone 17 Air will incorporate a 120Hz refresh rate display, similar to the iPhone 16 Pro, known as ProMotion technology.
Reports from Pu indicate that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with 8GB of RAM, enabling advanced on-device Apple Intelligence capabilities.
Both he and Kuo have asserted that this model will feature Apple’s next-generation A19 processor, an upgrade from the A18 found in the iPhone 16.
Lastly, the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to include a new 5G modem developed internally by Apple.
Kuo has noted that the company plans to move away from its long-standing reliance on Qualcomm chips, opting instead to equip the iPhone 17 Air and the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE with its proprietary 5G technology.
Apple has been engaged in the development of its proprietary chips since at least 2018.
Nevertheless, the company renewed its partnership with Qualcomm last year, ensuring that Qualcomm’s hardware will remain in iPhones until at least 2026.
However, there were already indications that Apple might introduce its own modem sooner.
If the speculation surrounding the iPhone 17 Air proves accurate, Apple could potentially launch its 5G modem chips within the coming year.
Peoplesmind