iPhone 17 Air: Apple’s Slimmest Phone Yet, Breaking the 5mm Barrier
Apple is gearing up to shake the smartphone market again, and this time, it’s all about slimness. Rumors have been swirling for months that the tech giant plans to replace the iPhone 16 Plus with the sleeker iPhone 17 Air (or iPhone 17 Slim) next year. This move comes as the Plus model struggled with disappointing sales among the four yearly releases.
The latest leaks reveal that the iPhone 17 Air will set new records for thinness. Initial reports hinted at a 6mm thickness, but fresh details now suggest it will measure between 5mm and 6mm—a feat that solidifies its place as one of the slimmest smartphones ever made.
Breaking Down the Slim Profile
For context, the iPhone 16 models are 7.8mm thick, while the Pro versions come in at 8.25mm. Even the iPad Air (2024), known for its slender design, is 6.1mm thick. Apple appears to be chasing the 5.1mm profile of its iPad Pro (2024) to bring a similarly sleek form factor to its smartphone lineup.
While the ultra-thin design is impressive, it comes with trade-offs. To achieve this level of compactness:
- Physical SIM card slots have been removed.
- A single speaker that doubles as an earpiece replaces the traditional dual-speaker setup.
- The device will rely on a new Apple-designed modem, offering a smaller, more power-efficient solution but sacrificing mmWave support and delivering slightly slower data speeds compared to Qualcomm chips.
A Smaller Battery and Streamlined Features
As expected, the slim build results in a smaller battery, which will be less powerful than the 3,561mAh cell found in the standard iPhone 16. However, the iPhone 17 Air makes up for this with cutting-edge features:
- A 6.6-inch screen for immersive viewing.
- A powerful A19 chip for smooth performance.
- Face ID and the iconic Dynamic Island interface.
- A high-resolution 48MP single rear camera, set within a prominent centered camera bump.
- An upgraded 24MP selfie camera and 8GB of RAM for seamless multitasking.
Launch Details and Expectations
Apple enthusiasts can mark their calendars for September 2025, when the iPhone 17 Air will debut alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The device’s revolutionary design and sleek aesthetics aim to capture the imagination of tech lovers worldwide, even as it makes some concessions in functionality.
