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Apple began the year 2025 with the launch of the budget-friendly iPhone 16e. But, this is not the only iPhone users are to expect this year. Later this year, enthusiasts and users expect the release of a new iPhone 17 Air from the new flagship. This will be a slimmer type that replaces the Plus type from the lineup as it will come with a new A19 chip and single back camera like the iPhone 16e, but with flagship features. According to rumours, the new iPhone is made for users who wish to experience the iPhone but in a slimmer form. Let’s explore everything we know so far about the iPhone 17 Air.
Performance
The iPhone 17 Air may use Apple’s next-gen A19 chip. Though the Pro units may possibly be powered by advanced A19 Pro, the regular A19 chip can still offer an impressive performance for daily tasks, AI-driven features, and gaming. Additionally, it is also rumored that the iPhone 17 and 17 Air may use 8GB RAM. Reportedly, Apple is creating a cooling system vapour chamber that will help reduce overheating during intensive tasks such as video recording or gaming.
Design
Though there are rumours that the iPhone 17 may still use a similar design to the iPhone 16, there is the possibility that this device may have some changes. According to some leaks, the iPhone 17 Air may be 2mm thinner than iPhone 16 Pro, which will make it one of the slimmest iPhones in recent years. Moreover, the iPhone 17 Air may also use the iPhone 16 pill-shaped dual camera setup.
Display
Reportedly, the iPhone 17 Air may feature a 6.6 inch ProMotion OLED display having a 120Hz refresh rate. This ProMotion display will be allowed by LTPO OLED technology panels, which Apple intends to make use of in all iPhone 17 types. Worthy of note is that the entire 17 series may use the 120Hz display which was only found in Pro types. This higher refresh rate will provide users with responsive touch input, better video content alongside excellent scrolling experience. Moreover, the refresh rates of ProMotion usually allow functionality of Always-On display. However, we are not sure if this feature will be expanded to the whole lineup.
The iPhone 17 Air is reported to also use a 6.6 inch display. This is smaller than the 17 Pro Max, but larger than the 17. Though there are also rumours that the iPhone 17 Air may come with a slimmed down Dynamic Island, Min-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst, doesn’t think there will be changes to the Dynamic Island.
Camera
The iPhone 17 Air is slimmed down. This will inevitably result in lesser internal space. Therefore, the iPhone 17 Air may just get a rear camera with single lens. Reportedly, the iPhone 17 Air will also use a Wide camera with 48-megapixel found in 16 typess. With single lens rear camera, the iPhone 17 Air would be unable to take spatial photos or spatial videos, except that Apple owns new methods that can capture this type of content.
Connectivity
Sim Tray
The iPhone 17 Air will not use a physical SIM tray, just like it hasn’t since the iPhone 14. However, it may be removed in more countries next year, though we are unsure about the countries that this will take place.
5G Modem Chip
Reportedly, the iPhone 17 Air will be among the earliest iPhones to utilise the 5G modem chip. Apple’s modem can theoretically use 5G downloads with a speed of about 4GB/s. However, Qualcomm modems found in the latest iPhones are faster. Moreover, the chip has a sub-6GHz speed and is unable to support the fast mmWave 5G. Apple intends to still use the Qualcomm chips for the other 17 types. Only the iPhone 17 Air will use the 5G modem chip.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
All iPhone 17 types to be released this year will use Apple’s custom Wi Fi chip that has Wi Fi support. iPhone 16 types already use the Wi Fi 7, but with Apple designs we can expect connectivity and efficiency enhancements, and it will also make preparations for a possible comprehensive SoC. Reportedly Apple aims to make wireless setup with tightly integrated components and energy efficiency. This will allow the company to reduce battery usage of Wi Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular technologies. Moreover, Wi Fi 7 will allow data transmissions over 6GHz, 5GHz, and 2.4GHz simultaneously for lower latency and faster speeds with supported routers.
Battery
Currently, we don’t have any details on the battery life of the iPhone 17 Air. However, we can assume that the space may be lesser, resulting in battery life concessions. iPhone 17 series will be expected to use about a wired charging speed of 35W.. This means there won’t be any difference from the maximum charging currently available.
Conclusion
Based on industry insights and rumours, we expect the iPhone 17 Air to be an excellent option for users who require a premium phone experience without the price tag of the Pro. Its features such as the Always-On-functionality, 120Hz ProMotion display and others might even prompt some Pro users to change their experience. For those looking for repairs or replacements for their iPhones, check out Quick Phone Repair for fast and reliable service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the iPhone 17 Air confirmed?
After the release of the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17 Air is currently the major highlight for Apple’s upcoming launches. Though the iPhone 17 series may be released in September this year, the 17 Air has been rumoured to come a little later.
What will the iPhone 17 look like?
The iPhone 17 comes with an aluminum frame and is rumored to also have a half-glass, half-aluminum backing instead of an all glass back. The top half of the back will be made from aluminum, and the bottom half will still use glass to ensure wireless charging functionality.
Will the iPhone 17 be bigger?
There is no confirmed camera bar for this phone. However, MacRumors speculates that based on the expected size of the iPhone 17 Pros, it may get a slightly bigger screen of 6.3 inches instead of 6.1 inches.
