Apple is rumored to be shaking up its 2025 iPhone lineup, with a brand new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. Here is what the rumor mill thinks is coming.
The long-rumored iPhone 17 Air, or iPhone 17 Slim because it’s generally known as, is ready to launch alongside the usual iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Professional, and iPhone 17 Professional Max. It’s going to, nevertheless, substitute the Plus variant of the iPhone, which hasn’t seen important reputation with finish shoppers.
Simply because the iPhone 14 Plus changed the iPhone 13 mini in 2022, the iPhone 17 Air will seem rather than the Plus mannequin for 2025. Relatively than merely being a bigger model of the usual iPhone, Apple’s new iPhone Air mannequin will give attention to thinness above all else.
Leakers and analysts alike have supplied specifics in regards to the dimensions and options of the slim iPhone, they usually have lots to say.
iPhone 17 Air shall be noticeably thinner than earlier fashions
Although the title of the system continues to be up for debate, Apple’s ultra-thin iPhone will undoubtedly echo the design philosophy of the authentic MacBook Air. The principle promoting level shall be its skinny and light-weight design.
The iPhone 17 is predicted to be lower than 6mm skinny.
Although it will not be as skinny because the M4 iPad Professional, which is Apple’s thinnest product ever at simply 5.1mm, the iPhone 17 Air might nonetheless be thinner than any iPhone up to now.
An October 2024 rumor advised that the system can be 6mm thick, and that declare was later reiterated by analyst Jeff Pu in November of the identical yr. The battery of the iPhone 17 Air reportedly influenced the system’s thickness, in that it was a limiting issue.
In January 2025, nevertheless, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo chimed in, saying that the iPhone 17 Air can be even thinner than initially believed, at solely 5.5mm. Leaker “Ice Universe” stated the identical factor in March 2025, whereas YouTuber Jon Prosser claimed in February 2025 that the system would have a thickness of 5.64mm.
After alleged CAD information had been shared by a number of leakers, increasingly more dummy models of the iPhone 17 Air started showing on-line. A March 2025 video indicated that the system can be round 5.6mm thick. This implies it is set to be Apple’s thinnest iPhone but, even surpassing the iPhone 6, with its notorious “Bendgate” drawback.
In line with a July 2024 rumor, Apple selected a titanium-aluminum alloy body for the iPhone 17 Air. The declare was later echoed by Jeff Pu in February 2025. Apple might have chosen a stronger titanium-aluminum alloy to stop the system from bending.
In October 2023, a rumor advised that Apple would use thinner and lighter motherboard know-how with the iPhone 17 vary, by using resin-coated copper. Apple seemingly needed to overcome important engineering challenges to realize the specified sub-6mm thickness, which can have result in some compromises with the iPhone 17 Air design.
The iPhone 17 Air may be eSIM-only
Particularly, experiences from November and December 2024 advised that the iPhone 17 Air would ship with no bodily SIM slot to realize the specified sub-6-mm thickness. Extra lately, in April 2025, dummy models confirmed the iPhone 17 Air with no SIM card slot, giving this rumor some further credibility.
Alleged iPhone 17 vary dummies.
The absence of a bodily SIM card slot would not make a lot of a distinction in the USA, as each iPhone offered within the nation is already eSIM-only. This may very well be a problem for customers in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, nevertheless, as iPhones provided in these areas solely assist two bodily SIM playing cards.
It appears unlikely that Apple would create a mannequin unsuitable to be used throughout completely different international locations and areas. Even with its ultra-thin design, dummy models point out that the iPhone 17 Air will retain the Digital camera Management button at the moment discovered on the iPhone 16 vary. It would not be inconceivable for Apple to incorporate a SIM card slot, and the iPhone maker wants to take action if it desires to promote the iPhone 17 Air worldwide.
When it comes to mobile connectivity, the iPhone 17 Air is predicted to function the C1 modem — a carryover from the budget-friendly iPhone 16e, introduced in February 2025.
The iPhone 17 Air may be geared up with Apple’s C1 modem.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first advised in July 2024 that Apple’s in-house modem can be accessible on the iPhone 17 Air, after which repeated this declare the identical month the iPhone 16e made its debut. This rumor aligns with two separate experiences, which stated Apple’s in-house modem would seem in additional inexpensive merchandise.
Whereas the C1 lacks choose options, akin to mmWave and Wi-Fi 7, it affords higher energy effectivity relative to the Qualcomm modems present in most iPhones. Apple’s already believed to be engaged on up to date variations of its in-house modem, however Kuo has advised they will not debut with the iPhone 17 vary.
The iPhone 17 Air could also be thinner than Apple’s present Plus mannequin, but it surely will not essentially be greater.
In Could 2024, Ross Younger of Show Provide Chain Consultants stated that the Plus variant within the 2025 iPhone vary would have a smaller show than its 6.7-inch predecessor. It is protected to imagine that this declare pertains to the iPhone 17 Air, as a number of sources have talked about the system that includes a 6.6-inch show, akin to Jeff Pu in October 2024. YouTuber Jon Prosser, nevertheless, believes the system will function a 6.7-inch show.
The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly function a 6.6-inch Samsung OLED show with ProMotion.
In line with a February 2025 report, the iPhone 17 Air is predicted to function Samsung’s M14 OLED panels. The M14 panels within the iPhone 16 provided some advantages over the previous M13 panel, together with a 30% increase to brightness and a greater lifespan. This was partly instigated by switching blue fluorescence with a blue phosphorescence, which additionally diminished energy consumption.
As for the show decision, Kuo insisted that the panel on the iPhone 17 Air would have a decision of two,740 by 1,260, which might be near the two,796 by 1,290 show of the iPhone 16 Plus.
A number of sources have stated that the complete iPhone 17 vary would obtain ProMotion assist. The declare was first made by DSCC in April 2023. It was then reiterated in February 2024, after which it was repeated by leaker “Ice Universe in July 2024. The newest mentions date to September 2024, November 2024, December 2024 and March 2025.
Whereas a sexy addition for the iPhone 17 Air, particularly whether it is to be a featured mannequin launch, there’s nonetheless some doubt to it truly taking place. For Apple so as to add ProMotion to the mannequin, it might imply the Professional fashions would lose one of many line’s massive promoting factors. Apple may need to spotlight the iPhone 17 Air’s radical design adjustments as a substitute.
iPhone 17 Air — Rear digital camera bar and key design facets
Dummy models and 3D renders primarily based on CAD information all recommend that the iPhone 17 Air will function a single rear digital camera, positioned in a raised “digital camera bar” that hasn’t been seen on earlier iPhone fashions.
Instances for the iPhone 17 Air function a rear digital camera bar design.
In November 2024, a report indicated that the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air wouldn’t function a telephoto digital camera. In December of the identical yr, rumors of an obvious rear “digital camera bar” started popping up, although one leaker claimed this wasn’t taking place.
A month later, in January 2025, a picture of what seemed to be an iPhone backplate or case confirmed off the rumored digital camera bar design. Since then, this identical design has appeared on just about each 3D render and dummy unit of the iPhone 17 Air, together with instances for the system.
The digital camera bar solves an inner house dilemma, as Apple might nonetheless match a rumored 48MP digital camera within the iPhone 17 Air, whereas sustaining the sub-6-mm thickness initially envisioned for the system. As for the entrance digital camera, Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu each declare it is going to be upgraded to 24MP — double that of the present iPhone 16 vary.
The digital camera bar design of the iPhone 17 Air may be seen in leaked CAD information.
The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly use a 24-megapixel digital camera with a six-element plastic lens. For reference, the TrueDepth digital camera array within the iPhone 15 makes use of a 12-megapixel digital camera, with 5 lens components product of plastic.
The rest of the iPhone 17 Air design largely resembles the prevailing iPhone 16, full with an Motion button and Digital camera Management, that means that the one main adjustments are the digital camera bar and the diminished thickness.
Different iPhone 17 Air rumors — A19 chip, 35W quick charging
When it comes to processing energy, the iPhone 17 Air is predicted to function Apple’s A19 chip. Rumors have advised that the A19 chip within the iPhone 17 Professional will use TSMC’s 2nm course of, but it surely’s not clear if this transformation will even apply to the iPhone 17 Air.
Analyst Jeff Pu believes the iPhone 17 vary shall be able to 35W wired quick charging.
No particular claims have but been made in regards to the efficiency or processing {hardware} of the iPhone 17 Air, and there aren’t any indications Apple plans so as to add groundbreaking options just like the vapor chamber cooling rumored for the iPhone 17 Professional.
In February 2025, Jeff Pu claimed that the iPhone 17 vary would assist wired charging speeds of as much as 35W. In our evaluation of the iPhone 16 Professional, we hit 34W of energy with appropriate wired charging gear, and we have seen experiences of some customers getting 39W whereas charging.
In line with leaker ShrimpApplePro, nevertheless, the iPhone 16 vary is already succesful of charging at speeds of as much as 45W through a cable, which is quicker than the purported iPhone 17 charging velocity supplied by Pu, although unofficial.
The iPhone 17 Air is predicted to debut in September 2025, alongside the bottom mannequin iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Professional, and iPhone 17 Professional Max. It may not be for everybody, however the system is certain to reach, primarily based on the sheer quantity of rumors and the completely different sources behind them.
