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For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

iPad-Pro-vs-iPhone-17-Air-Feature.jpg

We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but there have been mixed rumors on just how thin Apple will be able to make it. Rumors have coalesced around 6mm, though in a recent report, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that he expects the iPhone to measure in at about 5.5mm.

iPhone-17-Air-Size-Feature.jpg

At 5.5mm, the iPhone 17 Air will be the thinnest iPhone to date, a title currently held by the 6.9mm iPhone 6 that came out in way back in 2014. 5.5mm would be approximately 30 percent thinner than the iPhone 16, which measures in at 7.8mm thick, and 33 percent thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro models, which are 8.25mm thick.

iPhone-16-Pro-vs-iPhone-17-Air-Feature.jpg

It won't be too far off from the 13-inch iPad Pro that Apple came out with last year. The new iPad Pro is also super thin, measuring in at 5.1mm. It's Apple's thinnest device to date, in fact.

Apple is hoping a super thin design will entice people more than the iPhone mini and iPhone Plus models, neither of which has sold as well as the standard and Pro models. Apple discontinued the 5.4-inch iPhone mini option after the iPhone 13 mini, and the iPhone 16 Plus will apparently be the last "Plus" iPhone.

Kuo says the iPhone 17 Air will be 5.5mm at its "thinnest point," so it sounds like we can still expect a camera bump. Apple is planning for a single 48-megapixel rear camera, with the company opting for just one lens because of space constraints in such a small chassis.


Some of the early rumors about the iPhone 17 Air suggested it would be more expensive than the Pro models, but it doesn't sound like that's going to be the case. It will be a mid-tier model in size and functionality, featuring a 6.6-inch display and an A19 chip that won't be as quick as the A19 Pro expected for the iPhone 17 Pro models. It's also going to sport Apple's custom modem chip, which won't offer the fastest mmWave 5G speeds.

While Kuo has targeted 5.5mm, it is worth noting that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in December that the iPhone 17 Air will be 2mm thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro models, which would actually put it at 6.25mm. 5.5mm will be closest to the iPad Pro, but even at 6.25mm, it will be the thinnest iPhone to date.

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September of 2025. More information on what to expect from the entire iPhone 17 lineup can be found in our dedicated roundup.

Article Link: Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be
 
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Talk about splitting hairs...

2.75mm is truly near as makes no difference... There is however a massive difference between a device with a 5.4" display (aka "mini") and a device with 7" display.

My hand doesn't seem to be growing year over year the way most of y'alls do - I don't understand how they sell these massive phones. The line between iPhone and iPad mini continues to blur...

Phone = 1 handed use
Laptop = 2 handed use
 
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ok, so in the end it is still a slab with a large screen.
While I personally have ProMax and prefer that form factor, my wife has a 13mini and does not want something she cannot hold in her hand.

Sure, people will buy this, but it ain't driving growth.
 
I hope Apple surprises everyone and gets it down to 5 mm. It will be quite elegant, so thin and light.

Try harder to get 2 speakers and excellent mics in it.

One good camera is alright.

This iPhone might be portless because it's so thin. Only wireless charging.
 
So much bellyaching. You’d think Apple was discontinuing every other iPhone and making this their sole model. You’ll still have your massive bricks to choose from, so what’s the problem with offering something thinner as an OPTION? Jesus.

I for one am grateful that Apple is finally making thin and light phones again and can’t wait to purchase an iPhone Air. I’ve been begging them to do something like this.
 
I really don’t see how this is a positive. On the iPad it makes sense, because it reduced weight a ton but on iPhones I find that a heavier weight makes them feel much better and premium on the hands. Which is why I hate the new titanium, it just feels cheap. And now it will be so thin that you won’t be able to grip it right. No matter how I try to approach this design it has no net positives other than being able to say that it’s thin.
 
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