iPhone 17 Air: Leaks, Specs, Expected Price, and Release Date

Alongside its flagship lineup, Apple is rumored to unveil a new variant this year: the iPhone 17 Air. Set to be Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet, the 17 Air is expected to replace the iPhone 17 Plus and debut in September 2025. While the release is still some time away, numerous leaks have surfaced regarding its design, specs, and price. Below, we’ve gathered all the details on the upcoming iPhone 17 Air.

iPhone 17 Air Release Date

Apple is expected to release the iPhone 17 Air in September 2025, following its typical release schedule. The company will likely hold a fall event to unveil the new iPhones and other products. However, the exact release date for the iPhone 17 Air has not been confirmed yet.

iPhone 17 Air Design

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to mark a departure from Apple’s recent design trends, with its standout feature being an ultra-thin profile. Leaks suggest it could measure between 5.5mm and 6.25mm at its thinnest point potentially making it slimmer than the iPhone 6 (6.9mm), which famously led to the bendgate controversy. According to reports, the iPhone 17 Air will be around 2mm thinner than the other models in the iPhone 17 lineup. When placed side by side with the rest, the iPhone 17 Air clearly stands out for its sleek and slender design.

Another notable design change is expected in the camera module. To maintain the iPhone 17 Air’s slim profile, Apple may move away from the traditional multi-lens setup in favor of a single 48MP rear camera, a first for a higher-end iPhone since the iPhone 8. This camera is rumored to be housed in a wide, Pixel-style camera bar, allowing for more efficient internal component distribution. These iPhone 17 Air rumors have gained traction following leaked images shared by Majin Bu, as previously reported by AzMo Tech.

iPhone 17 Air pic.twitter.com/SxMfuL9WWj

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) April 7, 2025

iPhone 17 Air Display

Apple is rumored to equip the iPhone 17 Air with a 6.5 or 6.6-inch display, positioning it between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max in terms of size. The company reportedly considered a larger 6.9-inch panel but ultimately dropped the idea due to concerns over structural integrity. Understandably, Apple is determined to avoid another bendgate scenario and rightfully so.

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature ProMotion technology, enabling a 120Hz refresh rate a feature that has so far been exclusive to the Pro models. However, this year, Apple may extend 120Hz displays across the entire iPhone 17 lineup, offering smoother visuals across the board. If that happens, the Air won’t stand out in this area.

The device will also include a Dynamic Island, consistent with the rest of the iPhone 17 series. While some reports suggest a smaller cutout for this model, respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that won’t be the case and realistically, it wouldn’t make much sense to shrink the Dynamic Island on just one variant.

As for the display, the iPhone 17 Air is said to use the same OLED panel found in the iPhone 16 Pro models. Built with LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) technology, it supports a variable refresh rate between 1 Hz and 120 Hz. However, there’s a chance the iPhone 17 and 17 Air might only scale down to 10 Hz, unlike the full 1 Hz range available on the Pro models.

iPhone 17 Air Hardware and Performance

Under the hood, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be powered by the A19 chip, the same processor rumored for the standard iPhone 17. This would position it a step below the Pro models, which are likely to feature the more advanced A19 Pro chip. That said, it would remain on equal footing with the iPhone 17 Plus, the model it’s rumored to succeed.

Another significant change is the inclusion of Apple’s C1 5G modem, which is recognized for its power efficiency. This could help preserve battery life despite the iPhone 17 Air’s slim design. It’s expected to be the only model in the lineup featuring this chip, which was first introduced with the iPhone 16e. The other models will likely continue using the Qualcomm chip.

Notably, the Apple-designed modem chip comes with some limitations compared to the Qualcomm chip Apple currently uses. It doesn’t support the fastest mmWave 5G and will be limited to sub-6GHz speeds.

Credible leaks about the iPhone 17 Air have confirmed that it will feature 8GB of RAM, the same as the entire iPhone 16 lineup, which meets the minimum requirement for Apple Intelligence.

The entire iPhone 17 lineup, including the Air, will feature Apple’s first custom-designed Wi-Fi chip. This chip will support Wi-Fi 7, just like the one in the iPhone 16 lineup, but is expected to be more efficient and offer improved connectivity in the upcoming devices.

Due to its slim design, leaks suggest the iPhone 17 Air may completely eliminate the physical SIM tray. It’s also rumored that Apple could remove the physical SIM slot from other iPhone 17 models in additional countries.

iPhone 17 Air Battery Life

There’s no definitive word yet on the iPhone 17 Air’s battery life, which remains a major concern given the device’s limited internal space. However, reports suggest that Apple is committed to maintaining battery performance. Leaks indicate the iPhone 17 Air could feature high-density battery cells.

It may even switch to silicon-carbon batteries instead of the traditional lithium-ion cells used in current iPhones. Combined with the power-efficient modem, the absence of a telephoto lens, and other space-saving design choices, the 17 Air could still deliver solid battery life.

The iPhone 17 Air will feature support for both MagSafe charging and wired charging through a USB-C port. Although Apple initially planned for the 17 Air to be portless, it reportedly abandoned that idea due to concerns over EU regulations.

iPhone 17 Air Camera

As mentioned earlier, leaks suggest that the iPhone 17 Air will feature a single 48-megapixel camera to maintain its slim profile. Reports indicate that it will use the same wide camera currently found on the iPhone 16 models. A single camera setup could mean the iPhone 17 Air might not be capable of capturing spatial videos or photos unless Apple has found a workaround for this.

The front-facing camera is expected to get an upgrade to a 24-megapixel sensor with a six-element lens, significantly improving selfie quality compared to the current 12-megapixel camera found across the iPhone 16 lineup.

iPhone 17 Air Price

As the successor to the iPhone 17 Plus, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be priced just below the Pro models. Current estimates place its price around $899, positioning it between the base iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro.

iPhone 17 Air Specs

Now that we’ve covered all the information available, here are the iPhone 17 specs based on leaks and rumors.

The iPhone 17 Air is shaping up to be one of Apple’s boldest design experiments in recent years. Ultra-thin, packed with modern features, and tailored for users who prioritize sleek aesthetics over camera versatility, it could create a new category within the iPhone lineup. If this device proves successful, reports suggest that Apple may look into making all of its phones slimmer in the future.