Apple is soon expected to introduce a brand-new iPhone moniker with the iPhone 17 series: the iPhone 17 Air. It will reportedly replace the iPhone 16 Plus from last year, just as the Plus model replaced the Mini models in the iPhone 14 series. There is a lot of confusion as to where this new model will sit. Will it sit above or below the Pro models? Will it be more premium than the standard iPhone 16 models? To answer this, a lot of information has emerged from multiple sources, with most saying the same thing. Read on for the details.
No, iPhone 17 Air Is Not Expected To Replace Pro Models Or Sit Above Them
So far, reports suggest that the iPhone 17 Air will feature a single-camera setup and the Apple A19 chipset, not the A19 Pro that the Pro models are expected to receive. Also, having a single-camera setup makes it less versatile than the Pro models, so it will not be replacing them.
The display is another area where the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be a downgrade compared to the Pro models. It could have a display measuring between 6.3 and 6.5 inches and support a 120 Hz refresh rate. However, sources and reports have mentioned that this may not be an LTPO panel or feature the ProMotion technology that the Pro models have had for years. So, while it could support 120 Hz, it may not go down to 1 Hz like the Pro models.
Any Similarities To The Vanilla iPhone 17?
Reports have so far suggested that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have the same A19 3 nm chipset as the standard iPhone 17 model. In this regard, both smartphones are expected to be more or less the same. Reports have also suggested that all iPhone 17 models could ship with 12 GB of RAM. This is another area where they could be similar.
However, while the standard iPhone 17 is expected to have a dual-camera setup (a standard wide camera and an ultra-wide shooter), renders and leaked dummies of the iPhone 17 Air have so far shown a single-camera setup. It is therefore unlikely to feature a dual-camera setup, making it less versatile than the standard iPhone 17, too.
Having said that, an area where it is expected to excel is its form factor and design. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be the slimmest iPhone yet, beating the iPhone 6. It is predicted to be under 6 mm thick, around the 5.8 mm mark, according to industry insiders like Ming-Chi Kuo. For those who prefer form over function, this could be the ideal device.
{{/usCountry}}Having said that, an area where it is expected to excel is its form factor and design. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be the slimmest iPhone yet, beating the iPhone 6. It is predicted to be under 6 mm thick, around the 5.8 mm mark, according to industry insiders like Ming-Chi Kuo. For those who prefer form over function, this could be the ideal device.
{{/usCountry}}It should also be noted that when it comes to build materials, all iPhone 17 series models this year, including the Pro variants, are expected to feature aluminium and glass construction, not titanium. So, this is one area where they might all be the same. More should be clear in September 2025 and we will know if this is Apple's attempt to create a phone that prioritises design over specifications.