Apple is working to make drastic changes to the iPhone 17 lineup next year, as a new report shares details on what users should be looking forward to. We have previously covered that the company is planning to launch an ultra-thin version of the Phone 17 Air, and it appears that the device will not compete against the 'Pro' models.
iPhone 17 Air is expected to be priced lower than that of the 'Pro' but with a modern, more slim design
Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie from The Wall Street Journal claimed in a paywalled report that the iPhone 17 'Air' will come with an "ultrathin" design thinner than the current iPhone 16 lineup. We have previously reported that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to sit between 5mm and 6.25mm in terms of thickness compared to the base iPhone 16's 7.8mm. The iPhone 16 Pro models, on the flip side, are 8.25mm thick, which would make the forthcoming 'Air' model a marvel in its own right.
If we are drawing a comparison, the thinnest Apple has seen is with the iPhone 6 in 2014, which was reported to be 6.9mm thin. We have also covered that the thinner design of the iPhone 17 Air will bring some compromises to the table, including the lack of a physical SIM card tray, a single camera sensor, and more. The latest report also shares details that the iPhone 17 Air will come with a "simplified" camera system. While no other camera specifications were shared, we suspect that the device will have a lot of similarities with the iPhone SE 4, which is expected to launch early next year.
The iPhone 17 Air was also speculated to feature a price tag above the 'Pro' models next year, with the company basing its decision on the new form factor of the handset. The device will not be the most 'Pro' iPhone Apple has ever made, but it could appeal to some users who want a "cool" looking device. If the news has any heft to it, we can safely presume that the 'Air' will feature specifications on par with the standard models of the iPhone 17 with a standard A19 chip and 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence.
The report also states that the 'Air' model will be priced lower than the iPhone 17 Pro models, which currently start at $999 in the United States. If the company plans to offer the iPhone 17 'Air' at a price that is higher than that of the standard models but lower than the 'Pro' models, we can assume that the company will charge more or less $900 for the device, unless it is planning to introduce a price hike for the smaller iPhone 17 Pro. In this case, the iPhone 17 Air could be priced at $999. We will share more details on the matter as soon as further details are available.
