In addition to the regular iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is reported to launch an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air this year. It will be replacing the Plus model, since that hasn’t been very popular with end users.
The iPhone 17 Air, while not as thin as Apple’s M4 iPad Pro, could still be the thinnest iPhone to date. Rumors suggest it will be 6mm thick, with the battery being a limiting factor. This information was reiterated by an analyst in November 2024.
It is anticipated that Apple’s C1 modem, which was carried over from the less expensive iPhone 16e, will be included in the iPhone 17 Air. Despite lacking some technologies like mmWave and Wi-Fi 7, analysts have stated that the C1 offers superior power efficiency than the Qualcomm modems featured in the majority of iPhones. Although Apple is developing newer iterations of its internal modem, it is not anticipated that they would be released alongside the iPhone 17 series.
The iPhone 17 Air is also expected to include Samsung’s M14 OLED panels, which provide perks such as a 30% brightness increase and a longer lifespan. The panel’s resolution is likely to be 2,740 by 1,260, which is similar to the iPhone 16 Plus’ 2,796 by 1,290 display. According to many sources, ProMotion support will be available across the whole iPhone 17 range. While this addition is appealing, there are major issues concerning its practical implementation. If Apple added ProMotion to the model, the Pro models would lose one of the line’s main selling advantages. Instead, Apple may prefer to showcase the iPhone 17 Air’s significant design modifications.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a single rear camera mounted on a raised “camera bar” that has not been seen on prior iPhone models. This design tackles an interior space problem by allowing Apple to incorporate an alleged 48MP camera while preserving the device’s original thickness. The front camera is expected to be improved to 24MP, doubling the resolution of the current iPhone 16 range. The camera will use a 24-megapixel sensor and a six-element polycarbonate lens, similar to the TrueDepth camera array in the iPhone 15.
According to reports, the iPhone 17 Air will use Apple’s A19 CPU and TSMC’s 2nm technology. There have been no particular claims made about the iPhone 17 Air’s performance or hardware, and there are no hints of innovative innovations such as vapor chamber cooling. According to reports, the iPhone 17 range will enable wired charging speeds of up to 35W, however the iPhone 16 range can already charge at up to 45W via a cable, which is quicker than the rumored iPhone 17 charging speed.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to debut in September 2025, alongside the base model iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
