Summary
- Apple is trying to right the wrongs of the past with the iPhone 17 Air.
- The ultra-thin slim smartphone is expected to carry over many of the features from the iPhone 16 Pro, like ProMotion and Camera Control, with a $900 price tag.
- Apple is using the iPhone 17 Air as a test bed for a future port-free slim iPhone.
As Apple navigates challenges with Siri, new details about the iPhone 17 Air, Apple’s rumored new ultra-thin smartphone, have emerged. Apple’s last attempt at a slim smartphone was the iPhone 6 Plus in 2014, which resulted in the notorious controversy, as the phone was highly susceptible to bending.
Now, over a decade later, Apple seems eager to make amends with the upcoming iPhone 17 Air. The Cupertino-based company has reportedly made notable choices for this phone that make it quite similar to its predecessors while also using it as a test bed to redefine the future.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
- Brand
- Apple
- SoC
- A18 Pro (3nm)
- Display
- 6.3-inch 1,206 x 2,622 pixel resolution 120Hz LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typical), 2000 nits (peak)
- Storage
- 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Ports
- USB-C
- Front camera
- 12-megapixel, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″, PDAF, OIS
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Carrying over features from the iPhone 16 Pro
60Hz might finally be a thing of the past
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed new information about the iPhone 17 Air. The device is expected to retain many features from the iPhone 16 Pro, including Camera Control and ProMotion. It’s surprising Camera Control could be included due to the phone’s slim design, rumored to be just 5.5mm thick, but it seems Apple has found a way to implement it. ProMotion is also a welcome addition, hopefully signaling that 60Hz is officially a thing of the past.
Turning to the display, it’s reported that the iPhone 17 Air could have a 6.6-inch screen. Gurman reports that Apple initially prototyped a version with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately, it “pulled the plug” on that idea over fears of bending. It’s clear Apple doesn’t want a repeat of 2014.
New details about the phone’s battery have also surfaced. Gurman reports that the ultra-thin and lightweight phone’s battery life will be “on par with current iPhones.” He didn’t specify how Apple would achieve this. This is an intriguing development, since the phone’s slim build would mean there is less room for a larger battery like the iPhone 16 Pro’s. There have been leaks suggesting the iPhone 17 Air will use “high-density battery cells,” so perhaps that’s how Apple has achieved stronger battery life.
The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to replace the iPhone 16 Plus in Apple’s iPhone lineup, leading many to speculate whether the pricing will align with the 16 Plus. Gurman has now reported that the starting price of the new phone will be $899 in the US, matching the cost of the iPhone 16 Plus. This pricing structure would position the 17 Air as the second least expensive model in the iPhone 17 range, following the base iPhone 17.
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A port-free future, but not yet
Apple is using the iPhone 17 Air as a test bed
Apple / Pocket-lint
When Apple first began conceptualizing the iPhone 17 Air, it reportedly considered releasing the phone without a USB-C port, which would have made it the “first completely port-free iPhone.” However, Gurman reports that Apple ultimately decided against this option, instead choosing to reserve a port-free design for a future model, contingent on the success of the iPhone 17 Air. Gurman stated that the iPhone 17 Air will “foreshadow a move to slimmer models without charging ports.”
The decision to keep the port could also be attributed to technical reasons and to appease the European Union (EU). Not long ago, Apple finally moved to switch all its iPhone models to USB-C due to an EU law requiring it. The first iPhone lineup to switch entirely over to USB-C was the iPhone 15 series in 2023. The iPhone 17 Air will be launching only two years after that, and if Apple decided to go port-free for the phone, it could have caused issues with the EU.
I think this is a smart move on Apple’s part, not only to avoid issues with the EU, but also because I don’t think people are ready to switch entirely to wireless charging.
I think this is a smart move on Apple’s part, not only to avoid issues with the EU, but also because I don’t think people are ready to switch entirely to wireless charging. When this news broke, I asked some of my friends if they used wireless charging, and no one did. While this is obviously not a proper survey or anything, it just got me thinking if wireless charging is popular enough that device manufacturers can switch to entirely port-free phones just yet.
If the iPhone 17 Air is successful, or even the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge and slim smartphones start to make a comeback, I foresee port-free phones becoming a thing in the future to reduce thickness. Perhaps by then, wireless charging standards will have gotten even better, and more people will be using them.
The iPhone 17 Air is shaping up to be quite the curveball for Apple’s iPhone lineup. The last couple of iPhone launches haven’t been the most exciting, so I’m really looking forward to this year’s lineup, given all the leaks and rumors about design shakeups and changes to iOS. If successful, the iPhone 17 Air has the potential to be a device that redefines what the future looks like for smartphones for years to come.
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