Early rumors about an iPhone Air have been largely about what it would lack, like fewer digital camera options or reduced battery power. However the newest rumors has an ultrathin iPhone — which is perhaps referred to as the iPhone Slim — providing much more than a thin profile.
Apple Analyst Jeff Pu expects the iPhone 17 base mannequin to have the identical A18 chip used within the iPhone 16 however the Air would get the newer A19 chip, MacRumors reported on Could 30. Pu additionally predicted that the bottom iPhone 17 can be outfitted with 8GB of RAM, the identical because the iPhone 16, whereas the Air is anticipated to step as much as 12GB, just like the Professional fashions. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo beforehand mentioned Apple was nonetheless deciding on 8GB or 12GB of RAM for the iPhone 17 base mannequin.
With the buzzed-about “Air” going through critical competitors from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, Apple is perhaps feeling the strain to ship upgraded options in a thinner cellphone. However looming tariffs may imply you will additionally pay extra for the brand new iPhone when it is launched.
This is what we may count on from a skinnier iPhone.
Learn extra: Dear Apple, Please Steal These Galaxy S25 Edge Features for a Thin iPhone
iPhone 17 Air launch date: Is the slimmer iPhone coming this yr?
For almost a decade, Apple has held an occasion in September to announce its new telephones. This yr we count on Apple to disclose the iPhone 17 collection, together with the rumored iPhone 17 Air.
If the iPhone 17 Air rumors are true, Apple can be the newest to affix the ultrathin cellphone pattern this yr. Final month, I received to check out Samsung’s new light-weight Galaxy S25 Edge after previewing it and a slew of shockingly thin phones on the Mobile World Congress in March.
The iPhone 17 lineup would be the final to comply with this fall-release mannequin, in accordance with Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and a report from The Info. Beginning with the iPhone 18, Apple will reportedly split its phone releases in order that lower-cost iPhones launch within the first half of the yr (beforehand reserved for iPhone SE fashions) and higher-end professional fashions are introduced within the latter half. That will doubtless imply a rumored iPhone 18 Professional, Professional Max, Air and new foldable iPhone mannequin may debut in fall 2026. Take into account that an iPhone Flip or Fold has been rumored for years.
You will doubtless be capable to preorder a brand new iPhone the Friday after the announcement, with the cellphone delivery per week later.
What is going to the iPhone 17 Air price?
Early rumors about an iPhone 17 Air hinted that it may price much more than the iPhone 17 Professional, however a March Bloomberg report prompt the cellphone may price round $900. That price ticket would align with the rumor that the “Air” may change the Plus, which at present prices $929. For comparability, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge begins at $1,100.
Nevertheless, there’s additionally the query of how tariffs could affect the price of an iPhone. Amid President Donald Trump’s ongoing tariff drama, Apple has largely escaped further taxes by stockpiling stock and getting most of its merchandise on a tariff exemption list.
Apple has moved some production of US iPhones to India to keep away from the steeper tariffs imposed on China. Nevertheless, Trump not too long ago mentioned he pushed Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner to move US iPhone production from India to the US. Final month, he threatened Apple with a tariff of “no less than 25%” if the corporate does not transfer iPhone manufacturing to the US.
How a lot all of this could affect iPhone prices is but to be decided.
No matter how tariffs play out, Apple is anticipated to raise the price of the iPhone. These value hikes are rumored to start out with the iPhone 17 line, so put together now to pay extra for “Air.”
iPhone 17 Air digital camera: potential downgrade?
Among the many rumored potential sacrifices Apple might must make to get a skinnier cellphone is limiting the camera options.
The rumored iPhone 17 line is getting a brand new camera bar that extends throughout the width of the cellphone. However Entrance Web page Tech shared an iPhone 17 Air video in February that confirmed a bodily mockup of the cellphone based mostly on rumors. One of many extra stunning reveals was a smaller digital camera bar with one lens on the left, suggesting the “Air” cellphone has a single rear digital camera, just like the iPhone 16E ($599). It is not clear if the digital camera can be the identical because the 16E or if Apple would go the route Samsung did and embrace the primary digital camera from the iPhone 17 Professional.
The only digital camera idea is backed up by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and a Bloomberg report, which mentioned that the rumored Air might not have the ultrawide and 5x telephoto lenses which have change into staples of Apple’s premium iPhones.
In a bit of excellent information, it is also rumored that the front-facing “selfie” digital camera on all iPhone 17 fashions, together with the Air, will likely be upgraded to 24 megapixels, in accordance with analyst Jeff Pu.
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Professional
It could be getting numerous consideration, however the rumored Air seems to be much less a complicated Professional mannequin and extra a substitute for the Plus.
Nevertheless, rumors are that the Air would have a 6.6-inch show, in accordance with analysts Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo. If correct, that will imply the Air’s show is barely smaller than the iPhone 16 Plus, with a 6.7-inch show, however bigger than the iPhone 16 Professional, which includes a 6.3-inch show. The iPhone 16 Pro Max leads with a 6.9-inch show. It is unclear if the 17 Air’s display can be a Professional Movement show just like the one discovered on iPhone Professional fashions.
If the rumored Air lives as much as its identify, then the largest potential benefit it may supply over a Professional is its dimension and weight. A Bloomberg report from March notes that the iPhone Air may measure 5.5mm thick, in comparison with the iPhone 16 Pro at 8.25mm. The iPhone 17 Professional Max may get as thick as 8.725mm to make room for extra battery, in accordance with a report by 9to5Mac.
Mac Rumors reported {that a} leaker on the Korean-langauge Naver weblog, going by “yeux1122,” mentioned that the rumored iPhone 17 Air weighs roughly 145 grams (5.11 ounces). Examine that to the iPhone 16 Professional, which weighs in at 199 grams (7.03 ounces). If this rumor proves true, the Air can be simply barely heavier than the iPhone 13 mini, which weighs 141 grams (4.97 ounces).
Bloomberg’s report additionally notes that the iPhone 17 Air is anticipated to have superslim bezels in comparison with the remainder of the road, together with a Camera Control button and a Dynamic Island cutout within the show.
Pu predicted that every one the iPhone 17 fashions will use a brand new metalens expertise for the proximity sensor, in accordance with a report by 9to5Mac. That expertise may permit Apple to cut back the dimensions of the Face ID sensor and its Dynamic Island. Nevertheless, Pu’s report contradicts Kuo, who beforehand mentioned that the Dynamic Island would stay “largely unchanged” within the iPhone 17 lineup in comparison with the iPhone 16.
iPhone 17 Air battery life expectations
Among the many challenges of slimming down an iPhone might be determining tips on how to scale back the battery dimension with out compromising battery life.
Initially, it was assumed {that a} skinnier iPhone would merely have a diminished battery life since there can be much less house to deal with a big battery. However extra not too long ago, AppleInsider reported {that a} skinnier iPhone might use a silicon-anode battery that would assist prolong its battery life.
Yeux1122 mentioned the battery capability is 2,800mAh, based mostly on particulars that originate with “mass manufacturing confirmed pattern,” in accordance with MacRumors. It added {that a} excessive density battery within the Air may enhance its “precise capability” by 15 to twenty%.
If the rumored iPhone 17 Air does use the silicon battery expertise, it might be the primary iPhone to take action.
Are iPhone Air rumors and leaks to be trusted?
Rumors are simply that. The hypothesis main as much as the iPhone’s launch is usually based mostly on insider information or leaked data from the groups engaged on the iPhone’s design, however these plans can proceed to evolve and aren’t essentially mirrored within the ultimate product. We’ll solely be capable to affirm these rumors with certainty when Apple formally releases the subsequent iPhone and we are able to see it for ourselves.
