iPhone 17 Air could deliver premium design at affordable price

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Apple’s upcoming slimmer-than-usual iPhone 17 Air could cost less than rumored. A new report sheds more light on the Cupertino company’s super-slim iPhone, expected to launch in September 2025.

The device will apparently help Apple revive growth, impressing potential customers with its sleek design.

iPhone 17 Air might be surprisingly affordable

Multiple leaks and reports suggest Apple is developing an iPhone 17 Air for 2025, though it won’t necisarrily go by that actual name. The phone will supposedly replace the 6.7-inch iPhone 17 Plus model in the company’s current lineup, and stand out for its slim design. It will be a millimeter or two thinner than current-gen iPhones, with one report suggesting it may be Apple’s slimmest iPhone yet.

A Wall Street Journal report on Sunday claims the phone will cost less than its Pro siblings. It will ship with a “simplified camera system” to keep costs in check. Rumors indicate the iPhone 17 Air might ship with a single 48MP rear camera, primarily due to space constraints.

Given the super-slim iPhone will replace the Plus model, it may carry the same $899 price tag as the latter. This would also make the phone $100 cheaper than the Pro model.

Apple is seemingly relying heavily on the iPhone 17 Air’s slim design as a key feature to attract customers. It purportedly hopes the slender form factor would be enough for many consumers to look over its other compromises.

New 5G modem and Wi-Fi chip on iPhone 17 Air?

Besides an inferior camera system, the iPhone 17 Air might use Apple’s in-house 5G modem. Reports indicate that the first-generation modem might only support sub-6GHz 5G, so it won’t deliver the ultra-fast gigabit speeds associated with mmWave 5G. The modem will supposedly launch on the iPhone SE 4 in Q1 2025 first.

Additionally, the iPhone 17 Air could use Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi + Bluetooth chip, replacing long-term partner Broadcom.