There have been so many rumors about the iPhone 17 Air, a very thin and light phone rumored for 2025. Imagine holding a phone that is thin enough to feel almost nothing, maybe something as thin as a stack of credit cards or a couple of coins. Apple is said to be working on a brand new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. In this article, we shall try and compile whatever this iPhone 17 Air rumor-ing world offers us concerning its ultra-thin design and how it could alter Apple’s smartphone lineup.
Introduction
Apple fans, brace yourselves for according to rumors; the iPhone 17 Air will be one of the ultra-thin models that will hit the lineup in 2025. Think MacBook Air-greatly lightweight and slim-and try to imagine the same feeling while in your pocket with this phone. Air means something light and thin, as light as carrying a piece of feather in one’s hand. Apple’s leakers have even gone on to say that this new iPhone would be way thinner than any other ahead of it. Should it come true, iPhone 17 Air is going to create a new definition of “thin and light” for a smartphone, taking hints from MacBook Air and iPad Air lines.
2025 iPhone Lineup Overview
The year 2025 is expected to witness a series of four iPhone offerings-the basic iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the all-new iPhone 17 Air. In other words, Apple is skipping an iPhone 17 Plus and putting in this super-slim Air model. Indeed, rumors claim “there will be no iPhone 17 Plus” – the Air shall take its place as the new mid-sized one. Envision this lineup as Apple’s equivalent of Macs or iPads: If MacBook Air is to laptop, iPhone 17 Air would be the iPhone that offers the slimmer, elegant alternative to the usual options of the main and Pro models.
Meet the iPhone 17 Air
So what actually is this iPhone 17 Air? The rumors say the new middle-child iPhone slotted in between the standard and Pro in size. It is said to have a display slightly bigger than 6.6 inches-it’s bigger than the base model but less than the size of a Pro Max. Analysts think it will be in the size and price range to replace the aging “Plus” phone. Another report even suggested it could cost roughly $899 in the U.S., thus sitting above the base level of about $799 but lower than the Pro at $999. Simply put, the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be a mid-tier premium phone: not the cheapest, not the most expensive, but still giving some perks of a Pro albeit with the tracing of an ultra-slim design.
Why the “Air” Name?
Why “Air”? Historically, Apple has used the Air label to mean light and slim. Think MacBook Air or iPad Air – those are lighter and thinner than their Pro siblings. That is the mindset the designers of the iPhone 17 Air are expected to carry. Analysts are quoted to say it will “echo the design philosophy of the original MacBook Air”. Lightweight build and low profile are therefore the core selling points. The name says it all: you will hardly feel it in your hand, like a breeze in the air. In fact, Apple is manipulating color cues on the rumor that entails a shade of light blue akin to the latest MacBook Air, hence strengthening the connection to the Air family.
Ultra-Thin Design
Being the main feature of iPhone 17 Air, as you might guess, is extreme thinness. Rumors have it that Apple wants a phone only about 6mm thick or even thinner! For reference, that would be thinner than the ancient iPhone 6, which is recorded to have an official thickness of 6.9mm. Analyst Jeff Pu has gone on record agreeing about the 17 Air being 6mm thick, which would make it the thinnest iPhone ever. Some rumors say it can get slimmer to even around 5.5mm-thick, which would be almost three-quarters thinner than the recent iPhones! However very primary slimness of any of those alone will surpass that of all other iPhones (the only thing it would still be slimmed by is Apple’s super slim iPad Pro at 5.1mm). In short, this could be as slender as stacking four pennies together!
Apple’s Air Analogies
We provided amidst the analogy; now, let us be explicit that the MacBook Air is to laptops what iPhone 17 Air will be to phones. So Apple is following a formula seen before-lighter and less fancy, but still snappy and premium. On a comparative note, experts say that the iPhone 17 Air will be comparable to the MacBook Air. (while the iPhone 17 Pro is like the MacBook Pro). In other words, they are using Apple’s “Air” magic for the phone – sleek, light, and focusing on portability. What it all actually means is that your phone could lose a bit of weight and maybe heavy-duty features in exchange for practically floating in your pocket.
The Final Substitution of “Plus”
Do you remember the iPhone 16 Plus (or 15 Plus)? Those bigger vanilla models didn’t stick around. Apple has moved on from “Plus.” The iPhone 17 Air is supposed to come in as the mid-sized option variant, as one leak stated, “just as the iPhone 14 Plus replaced the iPhone 13 mini in 2022, the iPhone 17 Air will appear in place of the Plus model for 2025”. So instead of going with “iPhone 17 Plus” (a name Apple thought didn’t sell), they are giving this phone brand new identity. Think of Air as the “new Plus,” but instead of just being a bigger iPhone 17, it is an entirely new kind of concept phone that is being built with thinness and lightness in mind. To summarize: if you liked bigger iPhones but wanted something more interesting than “Plus,” that would be the Air from Apple.
Heard through the grapevine
Here are some of the anticipated rumors regarding the iPhone 17 Air, based on leaks and analyst whispers:
- Ultra-slim: This device could be only about 5.5–6mm thick—thinner than any iPhone still to date.
- Bigger display: The iPhone Air could feature a ~6.6-inch display, which would sit in-between the standard iPhone and Pro Max. (And like any other 2025 iPhone, there will be 120Hz smooth display.)
- Single Camera: The Air device will likely have a single rear camera. Rumors say this could be a 48MP lens, meaning you’d get sharp photos, just not multiple lenses or a fancy optical zoom.
- Potentially no SIM card: Essentially, to have less space, the phone would remove its physical SIM card slot, and use eSIM (digital SIM) only. This means the phone will be thinner, but then you will manage your phone number in software.
These highlights illustrate a phone that is sleek and simple—and is all about being thin. You may hear something about the new A19 processor and more RAM, but ultimately don’t overthink it: this is a pushed design as the Air. It’s as if Apple is telling you, “This is our thinnest, sleekest iPhone yet.”
Trade-offs in Design
Naturally, going ultra-thin means sacrifices must be made. Rumors indicate the Air model may have a few trade-offs:
- Battery Life: A super thin phone can only accept a smaller insertable battery. Leaks suggest the iPhone 17 Air may have only around a 3,000 mah battery – which is smaller than many of Apple’s recent iPhones. Practically, that could mean going to a smaller battery for a typically slower daily battery life – as you run from the meeting to the commute.
- Features: Space is at a premium, and some features may be eliminated. For example, no physical SIM card slot (using eSIM instead) helps to save millimeters of thickness on the phone. Also, with a single rear camera, provides no telephoto or ultra-wide lenses compared to the Pro models. In fact, MacRumors notes that the iPhone 17 Air will not have 5x Optical Zoom lens – a feature kept for the Pro phones.
- Materials & Build: Apple may use special materials to help her phone maintain that thin shape (leaks suggest a Titanium-Aluminum frame). Regardless, very thin devices do tend to feel a bit more fragile, so Apple is probably building up the frame (i.e. the time where the old iPhone 6 bent in people’s pockets called “bendgate”).
To summarize, the iPhone 17 Air is likely to deliver a great look, but this may come with some compromises on battery and features. It’s kind of like swapping an expensive smartphone for a sleek magazine versus a heavy book — you give a few chapters (features) up for the sake of the featherweight profile.
Release & Pricing
When can you get one? If Apple follows its regular launch schedule, the iPhone 17 Air should be released at an Apple Event in September 2025 since this is when Apple generally announces new iPhone models (and MacRumors indicates that 2025 models were likely to be released then). Rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Air will be priced at around $899 to start in the U.S.. Which means it will be more expensive than the base iPhone (about $799), but less expensive than the Pro ($999). Of course, these numbers could fluctuate, but the concept is clear: the Air will be in the mid-spectrum while offering premium design without premier pricing.
Conclusion
In summary, the iPhone 17 Air appears to be Apple’s next surprise. Imagine an iPhone so thin and light that it almost disappears when you hold it in your hand. That is what Apple is saying they are aiming for, a featherweight champion. By using the Air branding, Apple is reestablishing a legacy of thin, lightweight devices (MacBook Air?). If the rumors are true, the iPhone 17 Air will change Apple’s iPhone lineup launching the “ultrathin” standard of innovation. Regardless of whether you are excited for a thin phone or are concerned about what design sacrifices will be made with this new trend, one thing is for certain: the next iPhone series could be a lot lighter in your pocket. Imagine that! Keep your toe-dippers on alert, it may not be long before we are holding an iPhone as thin as air.
Support the affiliate! 🤝💸
Remember, shopping through affiliate links is a great way to support content creators you enjoy! 🌟
Reference:
