The iPhone 17 ‘Air’ will be Apple’s thinnest phone ever
posted Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 4:12 AM EST
The next generation iPhone is coming with some very big changes. Aside from the new iPhone SE, rumors say that a new thinner smartphone called the iPhone 17 Air will be introduced in the next few months.
Reports suggest that Apple users will have several options for screen sizes in the upcoming models. The base and Pro will have a 6.3-inch display while the Pro Max and the Plus will get 6.9-inch screens similar to the current generation.
Apple will add another option, as the iPhone 17 Air reportedly has a 6.6-inch display. In terms of screen size, this slot is in the middle of the Pro and Pro Max models. The new iPhone 17 Air will have a “significantly thinner” design, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Rumors claim that the upcoming Air model is thinner by around 25% compared to Pro models. The new variant will be the thinnest-ever iPhone at just 6.25mm. Currently, the iPhone 6 is the thinnest iPhone at 6.9mm.
To minimize the Air’s footprint, it will have an ultra-thin battery that is only 6mm thick. Apple also employed a “major redesign” giving the Air a narrower Dynamic Island with the smaller “metalens” for Face ID.
Rumored iPhone 17 features
The slim design may be the Air’s main selling point as there are no other stand-out features in the model. The Air will reportedly only have a single rear camera, which is one less than the base iPhone and the Plus and two less than the flagship Pro and Pro Max models. Apple may have chosen to have a single camera to save on weight and thickness.
Mac Rumors reports that all iPhone 17 models will have OLED screens with ProMotion which allows for 120Hz refresh rates. The feature also lowers the display to 1Hz, allowing for an always-on display when the phone is Locked. The iPhone 17 will have an anti-reflective display and feature the Ceramic Shield which protects the screen from scratches.
The A19 chip will be used across the iPhone 17 range and will reportedly use an upgraded 3-nanometer process. The new processor will offer more performance efficiency and increased transistor density. There is also a possibility that Apple will have an A19 Pro chip for the Pro and Pro Max models.
The iPhone 17 series is expected to be announced in September 2025.