6 Rumors About the Upcoming iPhone 17 Air

In just two months, Apple’s latest iPhone series will be released: the iPhone 17. We won’t have any confirmed details until the annual September launch event. However, one thing we do know is that a new model will join the lineup alongside the standard iPhone and Pro models.

The iPhone 17 Air looks set to be Apple’s thinnest phone yet, offering a perfect on-the-go solution that simply slips into your pocket or bag. However, this lightweight design is likely to require some compromise. Sacrifices could be made on the camera, battery life, and chipset, compared to other iPhone 17 models.

Rumors and leaks about the lineup have already been circulating for months, including a potential release date — early September 2025. But what else can we expect? 

What to Expect From the Apple iPhone 17 Air: 6 Rumors

We’ve heard plenty of rumors of new Apple iPhone models before, including the iPhone 16 Ultra. While many of these have never materialized, the iPhone 17 Air may have recently been confirmed by Apple itself.

A 1260 x 2736 resolution wallpaper was discovered in the latest iOS 26 beta 2, which perfectly matches the rumored 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air screen. This pretty much confirms the existence of the slim model! Here are some other details that have emerged:

1. Ultra Slim Design

Insider information from Apple supply chain analyst Ming Chi Kuo suggests that the thinnest point of the iPhone 17 Air will be just 5.5mm and weigh approximately 145 grams. If correct, this would make the device more than 30% slimmer versus the iPhone 16 models, which measure 8.25mm. 

It would also break the iPhone 6’s 6.9mm record! This puts the Air in direct competition with Samsung’s thin and light Galaxy S25 Edge.

The 17 Air could also have a 6.6-inch display that’s slightly smaller than the iPhone 16 Plus, but interestingly larger than the 16 Pro. Super-slim bezels and a Dynamic Island cutout may also feature, while the Always-On display and variable refresh rate could be sacrificed. Although the other models will switch to aluminum, the iPhone 17 Air is likely to keep the durable titanium frame too!

These details come from a recent hands-on video, which shows an up-close preview of a dummy unit iPhone 17 Air model in black. 

2. Single Rear Camera

This hands-on video also reveals other key design details of the iPhone 17 Air, including the camera setup.

Taking inspiration from the budget-friendly Apple iPhone 16e, the 17 Air is rumored to feature a single rear Main camera with a 48-megapixel lens, similar to the iPhone 16E. This would mean no Ultrawide or 5x Telephoto cameras, supporting Apple’s efforts to save space in the thinner new model. The lens could be housed on a small pill-shaped camera bar on the left.

But it’s not all bad news! The Air is expected to include a 24MP TrueDepth front-facing Selfie camera, which offers a considerable upgrade from the iPhone 16’s 12MP lens. It should also keep the Camera Control button that was new to the iPhone 16 series

3, eSim Only

No physical SIM card slot is another space-saving design feature we’re expecting from the iPhone 17 Air. This would make the latest iPhone an eSIM-only device worldwide. While US standard iPhone 16 models included only eSIM technology, those made in the UK, China, Japan, Australia, and Canada used a physical nano SIM.

As well as making the device more lightweight, eSIMs are also incredibly convenient for those with more than one phone number. Easily switch between personal and business lines or travel internationally without purchasing a new network plan! They’re also harder to steal or clone and are more environmentally friendly than physical SIMs.

Neither Samsung nor Google has gone completely eSIM-only yet, which would make Apple pioneers of the global eSIM movement!

4. A19 Chip

While the standard model could keep the iPhone 16’s A18 chip, the iPhone 17 Air may benefit from the enhanced power efficiency of the new A19 system-on-silicon. We’re not yet sure how advanced this chip will be, since Apple may not have a chip built on a 2-nanometer processor until the iPhone 18.

This means that the A19 would remain a 3nm chip like the A18, suggesting only small performance gains. It also won’t get the A19 Pro that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are likely to have. 

Despite this, the iPhone 17 Air could feature a connectivity upgrade that the other models won’t have — the Apple-built C1 cellular modem. This WiFi chip would offer efficiency gains, something that Apple can achieve by relying less on third-party components. Meanwhile, other iPhone 17 devices will keep an older Qualcomm 5G modem.

5. High-Density Battery

One of Apple’s biggest challenges in creating a slimmer phone will be finding a way to reduce the physical battery size without compromising performance.

While a shorter battery life was initially expected, rumors suggest that the iPhone 17 Air might be the first to include a silicone-anode battery. This would have a 2800 mAh capacity and a higher density, which may increase the actual capacity by up to 20%.

Similar to the Pro models, the iPhone 17 Air’s Apple Intelligence performance is also expected to be supported by 12GB of RAM. The base model could stay at 8GB, meaning the Air would offer a significant step up.

12GB of RAM would facilitate AI features like Adaptive Power. This adjusts the phone’s performance based on how you’re using it in that moment to preserve battery life.

6. Price Changes

Trump-imposed tariffs mean the latest iPhone range is likely to increase in price — including the iPhone 17 Air. Apple will face these tariffs if iPhone manufacturing isn’t moved to the US, which would push the 17 Air’s cost up to $1,100+. 

A price hike could be expected anyway to cover new and updated features, especially since the iPhone hasn’t seen one in five years.

However, the iPhone 16 series stayed at the same price as the previous generation. The 17 lineup could follow in its predecessor’s footsteps, putting the Air at a price point of around $900. This makes it the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus, which would make sense as its direct replacement. 

Final Thoughts

Expected to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, the iPhone 17 Air looks likely to replace the iPhone Plus. This is definitely a win for those preferring a slim, lightweight device to use on the go. But if you’re a fan of larger phones, go for the iPhone 17 Pro Max instead.

The biggest downside of this thinner phone is its reduced specifications, including a single rear camera and lack of Pro chip. However, like the standard iPhone, it should still offer a strong performance with the brand-new standard A19 chipset. 

Its rumored 12GB of RAM and the Apple-designed 5G modem also make the iPhone 17 Air a worthwhile purchase, particularly if you’re looking for a more compact device!