Apple is reportedly set to name its upcoming slim iPhone the iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter. This device is anticipated to serve as a testing ground for future technologies, paving the way for Apple’s first foldable smartphones.
The name iPhone 17 Air aligns with Apple’s trend of naming its thinnest models—similar to the MacBook Air and iPad Air. Reports suggest that this new iPhone will be approximately 2 millimeters thinner than the current models, as Gurman has indicated. Recent rumors suggest its thickness will range between 5.5mm and 6.25mm, nearing the M4 iPad Pro’s depth and surpassing the iPhone 6, which is currently the thinnest iPhone.
The emphasis on thinness is not merely aesthetic; it represents a significant step toward Apple’s ambitions for future foldable iPads and iPhones. Gurman notes that the iPhone 17 Air could also be an early platform for testing Apple’s in-house cellular modem, codenamed Sinope, after its launch in the iPhone SE this spring. Additionally, this year’s iPhone models are expected to introduce Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, though Gurman does not confirm if this will include the 17 Air.
Previous rumors indicate that the iPhone 17 Air will feature a 6.6-inch ProMotion OLED display—a 120Hz variable refresh rate screen currently exclusive to iPhone Pro models. The device is also expected to have a single 48-megapixel camera on the rear and a 24-megapixel front-facing camera. Furthermore, it might be powered by Apple’s A19 chip and, like the iPhone SE 4, is anticipated to have 8GB of RAM to support advanced Apple Intelligence AI features.
