Apple was planning to replace the iPhone Plus with an ultra-thin model, the iPhone 17 Air, next year.
The upcoming model, revealed by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, will measure just 6.25mm thick, making it the thinnest iPhone to date. The title previously belonged to the iPhone 6, which was 6.9mm thick when released in 2014.
Despite its slim profile, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to carry a higher price than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the flagship model of 2025. The premium price, however, will not correspond to enhanced specifications.
The device will run on the non-Pro A19 application processor, built on TSMC's advanced N3P 3nm process, while the Pro models will feature the A19 Pro chipset.
The display of the iPhone 17 Air, at a rumored 6.6 inches, will be smaller than the 6.9-inch screen of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Additionally, the phone will feature a single rear camera, relying heavily on computational photography, a strategy reminiscent of Google's Pixel lineup. It will also include 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence.
The design overhaul will allow Apple to integrate its custom 5G modem, first appearing in the iPhone SE 4. This in-house modem will replace Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip on this model, enabling Apple to optimise internal space for the slim body.
