7 things that make iPhone 17 Air unique when launched

Here are 7 new features that will be available on the iPhone 17 Air - expected to launch later this year.

This fall, the 2025 iPhone lineup will have a completely new member: the iPhone 17 Air. Apple plans to eliminate the iPhone Plus model in favor of an ultra-thin iPhone that will appeal to many iPhone Pro users.

Here are 7 features that will be available on the iPhone 17 Air.

Ultra slim design

Following the trend of the iPad Pro M4, the most prominent feature of the iPhone 17 Air will be its thinness.

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Illustration photo.

Reports have varied on the exact dimensions of the new device, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo most recently predicting that the thinnest part of the iPhone 17 Air will be just 5.5mm thick.

This is impressively thin compared to current iPhones. The iPhone 16 Pro models are 8.25mm thick while the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are 7.8mm thick.

Apple's thinnest iPhone ever is the iPhone 6, which is just 6.9mm thick.

New 6.6 inch display

Being super thin won't be the only hardware advantage the iPhone 17 Air has over the iPhone Pro line. Apple will also give its new iPhone a unique display that could strike the perfect balance between existing sizes.

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Illustration photo.

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively - the same size as the iPhone 16 Pro series.

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a 6.6-inch display. Thanks to its ultra-thin design, the iPhone 17 Air's display is still small enough for current iPhone Pro users while still providing enough space to satisfy iPhone Pro Max fans.

Always-on display and high refresh rate

As of 2022, the big difference between the standard iPhone and iPhone Pro models comes down to two display features:

- iPhone Pro models boast Always-On display

- The iPhone Pro pair also supports the high refresh rate ProMotion 120Hz

Fortunately, for the first time, Always On and the expected ProMotion version are coming to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air.

A19 Chip

Like the iPhone 16 series, Apple plans to launch two brand new chips for the iPhone 17 models.

The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will have the A19 chip, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will use the A19 Pro chip.

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iPhone 17 Series will be integrated with A19 chip.

How much difference will there be between the chips? Probably not much for everyday tasks as the A19 will still be a powerhouse for AI, gaming, etc. But technically, the chip inside the iPhone 17 Air will be slightly weaker than the A19 Pro.

48MP single rear camera with 'bar' design

As the leaked image above shows, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to differ significantly from other versions in the camera department.

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Rumored image of iPhone 17 Air.

While the iPhone 17 Pro series still offers three rear cameras and the standard iPhone model has two rear cameras, the iPhone 17 Air will only have one rear camera: a 48MP 'Fusion' camera. This camera is expected to be very similar to the main camera on the iPhone 16 series.

On the other hand, it remains to be seen what benefits the 'camera bar' design will bring to the iPhone 17 Air.

24MP front camera

Currently, the iPhone's selfie camera only has a 12MP resolution and gives worse results than the rear camera.

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Illustration photo.

Fortunately, Apple is bringing a welcome 24MP upgrade to the front camera on the iPhone 17 Air and all other iPhone 17 models.

The new front camera still won't match the quality of the rear camera, but it should at least close the gap significantly.

Apple's self-developed 5G modem

Finally, the iPhone 17 Air will have a connectivity change that no other iPhone 17 model will have.

Apple's in-house 5G modem - which has been in development for years - will debut this year and feature on the iPhone 17 Air.

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Illustration photo.

This new chip will first appear on the iPhone SE 4 this spring.

It's unlikely that the new chip will be able to match Qualcomm's current 5G modem, but experts expect Apple's tight integration of hardware and software to bring unique benefits.

Conclusion

The iPhone 17 Air is sure to be the most exciting fourth iPhone in Apple's lineup. While the iPhone mini and iPhone Plus have their own dedicated fanbases, the iPhone 17 Air will shape the future of iPhone design. This is expected to be the most exciting iPhone launch season in years.