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

Alongside its flagship lineup, Apple is rumored to introduce a new variant this year: the iPhone 17 Air. Designed to be Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever, the 17 Air is expected to replace the iPhone 17 Plus and make its debut in September 2025. Since the release is quite far as of now, we have an abundance of iPhone 17 leaks, including design, specs, and price. Below, we have compiled everything about the iPhone 17 Air.

iPhone 17 Air Release Date

Apple will release iPhone 17 Air in September 2025, if it follows the usual release pattern. As is the norm, the tech giant will host a fall event to showcase new iPhones and more. As of now, we don’t have the exact iPhone 17 Air release date.

iPhone 17 Air Design

The iPhone 17 Air is set to break from the past few years of Apple’s design tradition. The headline change? An ultra-thin design. Rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Air could measure just 5.5mm to 6.25mm at its thinnest point. This would potentially make it thinner than the iPhone 6 (6.9mm), which once sparked the infamous bendgate saga. As per iPhone 17 Air leaks, it will be around 2mm thinner than the rest of the devices in the 17 lineup. When compared side by side to other rumored iPhone 17 models, the iPhone 17 Air does look seriously thin.

Another design change is coming to the camera module. To accommodate the sleek profile, Apple may ditch the multiple-lens system for a single 48MP rear camera — a first for a higher-end iPhone since the iPhone 8. This camera will reportedly sit in a wide, Pixel-like camera bar, helping Apple distribute the internal components more efficiently. These iPhone 17 Air rumors have gained more solid ground since the photos shared by Majin Bu, as Beebom previously reported.

iPhone 17 Air Display

Apple is rumored to equip the iPhone 17 Air with a 6.5 or 6.6-inch display, placing it right between the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro Max. The tech giant reportedly explored a larger 6.9-inch panel but scrapped the idea to avoid structural integrity issues. Apple is hellbent on avoiding a repeat of bendgate, as it should.

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to support ProMotion technology, allowing for a 120Hz refresh rate — a feature currently exclusive to Pro models. However, this year, Apple may bring 120Hz displays to the entire iPhone 17 lineup for smoother visuals. So there might not be any difference on that account.

The device will also feature a Dynamic Island, like the rest of the series. While some reports hint at a smaller cutout on the 17 Air, respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that won’t be the case. Frankly, slimming down the Dynamic Island only on this model wouldn’t make much sense.

The iPhone 17 Air display will use the same OLED panel found on the iPhone 16 Pro models. Built with LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) tech, this allows the refresh rate to scale between 1 Hz and 120 Hz. However, there’s a possibility that, unlike the Pro models, the iPhone 17 and 17 Air may only scale down to 10 Hz instead of 1 Hz.

iPhone 17 Air Hardware and Performance

Under the hood, the iPhone 17 Air will likely house the A19 chip, the same processor rumored for the iPhone 17. This would place it a tier below the Pro models, which will likely get the A19 Pro chip. This will, however, keep it at par with the iPhone 17 Plus, the phone it’s supposedly replacing.

Another notable shift is the inclusion of Apple’s C1 5G modem, known for its power efficiency. It could help maintain battery life despite the device’s thinner frame. It will reportedly be the only model in the lineup to have this chip. It’s the same chip Apple released with the iPhone 16e. The rest of the models would still have the Qualcomm chip.

Notably, the Apple-designed modem chip has some limitations over the Qualcomm chip Apple currently uses. It doesn’t support the fastest mmWave 5G and will limit support to sub-6GHz speeds.

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

The entire iPhone 17 lineup, including the Air, will also have Apple’s first custom-designed Wi-Fi chip. Apple’s Wi-Fi chip will also support Wi-Fi 7, the same found on the iPhone 16 lineup. However, the chip is believed to be more efficient and provide better connectivity in the upcoming iPhone lineup.

Due to its slim chassis, the iPhone 17 Air leaks suggest that it may omit a physical SIM tray altogether. Reportedly, Apple might also remove the physical SIM slot from other models in the iPhone 17 lineup in more countries.

Battery Life

There’s no solid word yet on the iPhone 17 Air battery life, which is the biggest concern most people have, given the limited space the 17 Air has for internal components. However, reports suggest that Apple is resolute on not giving up battery life. There are leaks of the iPhone 17 Air using high-density battery cells.

It might even have silicon-carbon batteries instead of the Lithium-ion batteries iPhones currently use. Combined with the power-efficient modem, lack of a Telephoto lens, and other space-saving features, the 17 Air may still offer decent battery life.

The iPhone 17 Air will also support MagSafe charging and wired charging via a USB-C port. While Apple initially wanted to make the 17 Air portless, it reportedly dropped those plans, owing to concerns over EU regulations.

iPhone 17 Air Camera

As I said above, the iPhone 17 Air leaks point to a single 48-megapixel camera to keep the chassis slim. As per reports, it will be the same wide camera currently on the iPhone 16 models. A single camera could mean that the iPhone 17 Air might be incapable of capturing spatial videos or photos. That is, if Apple hasn’t come up with a solution for it yet.

The front-facing camera may see an upgrade to a 24-megapixel sensor with a six-element lens. This would enhance selfie quality considerably from the current 12-megapixel on the entire iPhone 16 lineup.

iPhone 17 Air Price

As a replacement for the iPhone 17 Plus, the Air will likely be priced just below the Pro tier. Current estimates suggest that the iPhone 17 Air could be priced around $899, placing it between the base iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro.

iPhone 17 Air Specs

Now that we have elaborated all the information available to us so far, here are 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 years. Ultra-thin, packed with modern features, and designed for users who value sleek aesthetics over camera versatility — it could carve out a new category in the iPhone lineup. Reports suggest that if this device proves to be a success, Apple might start working on making all its phones slimmer.