The iPhone 17 Air is the iPhone 17 mannequin I’ll purchase subsequent yr, assuming it’s actual. I’ve stated this many instances: I’ve reached that time in my life as a longtime iPhone person the place I desire a cellphone with a bigger display screen, however I don’t like the majority of Apple’s present Plus and Professional Max fashions. My present iPhone 16 Plus has a terrific show, nevertheless it’s too thick for my style.
I additionally stated I’m keen to compromise on specs for the iPhone 17 Air. I can deal with a cellphone with a single rear digicam and a battery that wants recharging each evening. These are easy-to-guess tradeoffs that may permit Apple to provide an ultra-thin smartphone.
A brand new report offers us among the purported specs of the iPhone 17 fashions, indicating the Air will share many key specs with its siblings. However the iPhone 17 Air will certainly have a couple of compromises which are wanted to make it so skinny.
Analyst Jeff Pu talked about the specs for the iPhone 17 Air and the opposite iPhone 17 fashions in a brand new investor notice (by way of 9to5Mac).
In keeping with Pu, the iPhone 17 Air will sport a 6.6-inch show, the A19 chip constructed on a brand new N3P node, 8GB of RAM, a 48-megapixel extensive digicam, and a 24-megapixel selfie digicam. The identical entrance digicam shall be present in all 4 iPhone 17 fashions.
The iPhone 17 Air will even have a daily Dynamic Island on the entrance, Face ID, and an aluminum chassis.
Apple’s supposed iPhone 17 Air’s specs are nearly an identical to the bottom iPhone 17 mannequin. Pu’s report claims the latter will pack the anticipated smaller 6.1-inch display screen. However the common iPhone 17 can have an additional 12-megapixel ultra-wide digicam on the again.
The iPhone 17 Professional and 17 Professional Max get the higher A19 Professional chip, 12GB of RAM, and three 48-megapixel cameras on the again. That’s proper, the telephoto lens can be getting a decision bump. The iPhone 17 Execs will include the identical display screen choices as their predecessors: 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch.
The iPhone 17 Professional Max will pack a key design differentiator. If the iPhone 17 Air has the thinnest profile, the Professional Max will rock the smallest Dynamic Island cutout due to the addition of metalens tech to the Face ID module.
Pu’s notice surprises me with the case alternative for the 4 iPhone 17 fashions. He claims all 4 telephones ought to function aluminum frames, which I discover puzzling. I’d count on the Execs to proceed rocking titanium as a substitute of metal or aluminum.
The partial specs sound convincing, however they’re not official. Pu could be making educated guesses primarily based on info he may need from Apple’s suppliers. The analyst made comparable claims concerning the iPhone 17 Air a couple of month in the past.
I’ll additionally notice that some key specs usually are not out there within the record. For instance, we don’t have battery capacities or storage capacities for the 4 fashions. The load is one other mysterious side, particularly if all 4 telephones will get aluminum frames.
The analysis notice’s extra attention-grabbing declare is that the iPhone 17 Air shall be 6mm thick. That might make it nearly 1mm thinner than the iPhone 6, Apple’s thinnest iPhone thus far. I stated not too long ago that I’d be proud of an iPhone 17 Air thickness between 7.1mm and seven.3mm.
If Apple manages to create a 6mm iPhone 17 Air, I’ll be much more excited to get it. So what if I lose a digicam on the again, and the Dynamic Island stays the identical? I’d nonetheless find yourself with an iPhone with a bigger display screen and a a lot thinner profile than the opposite iPhone 17 fashions.
Pu additionally says that the iPhone 17 Air won’t be a high-volume mannequin as a result of tech compromises Apple must make. If correct, I’d count on the handset to promote out rapidly, maybe as quick because the iPhone 17 Professional Max.
That stated, we’re nonetheless early within the iPhone 17 rumors section. Apple nonetheless has time to vary its thoughts on a lot of issues.
