iPhone is about to enter a new chapter

If sales meet expectations, the iPhone 17 Air could open a new chapter for Apple's future smartphones.

iPhone 17 Air render based on rumors. Photo: AppleInsider .

In the Power On newsletter on Bloomberg , analyst Mark Gurman shares more about the iPhone 17 Air, the ultra-thin smartphone expected to be launched by Apple later this year.

In the context of iPhone sales in many countries showing signs of slowing down, iPhone 17 Air is expected to bring a difference. Not only boosting sales, this could be a "new beginning" for iPhone with many big changes.

What is worth waiting for in iPhone 17 Air?

Similar to the MacBook Air, Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air will be thinner than the rest of the models, combining the basic and professional features. The device will eliminate long-standing features, using new components and design standards.

“If everything goes as planned, the changes will be applied to the rest of the iPhone lineup,” Gurman stressed.

Basically, the iPhone 17 Air is not too different when looking at the front. The device has a screen of about 6.6 inches, thin bezels like the iPhone 16 Pro, supports ProMotion (120 Hz refresh rate) and Dynamic Island.

Camera Control, a feature that debuted on the iPhone 16, will also be available on the iPhone 17 Air. Despite being thinner, the device's battery life may still be on par with current iPhones.

Based on rumors, the iPhone 17 Air is 5.5mm thick at its thinnest point, and 9.5mm if you count the camera cluster. Internally, Apple has codenamed the device D23.

To achieve this thinness, Bloomberg 's writer said that the engineering team at Apple had to "make extraordinary efforts". Thin smartphones often require thin batteries, reducing usage time. Because they did not want to sacrifice this factor, the development team at Apple had to change the screen design, semiconductor components and software to optimize energy.

iPhone 16 (left) and iPhone 16 Plus. Photo: Bloomberg .

However, Apple still had to cut some features to make the iPhone 17 Air thinner. For example, the device only has a single rear camera, with a resolution of 48 MP, similar to the iPhone 16e (priced at $ 600 ). For comparison, the standard iPhone 16 has 2 rear cameras, while the iPhone 16 Pro has 3 lenses.

The device could use the standard A19 processor chip instead of the A19 Pro, in addition to removing the physical SIM slot. Currently, only the US iPhone does not have a SIM slot, while eSIM cannot be used in China.

The iPhone 17 Air also includes future-oriented technologies. According to Gurman, the device is expected to integrate the C1 modem. First appearing on the iPhone 16e, Apple's self-developed 5G modem is rated to be more energy-efficient than Qualcomm modems, making the device thinner. However, the chip does not yet support the high-speed 5G mmWave band.

iPhone 17 Air almost dropped USB-C port

Not only upgrading the hardware, iPhone 17 Air also shows Apple's ambition to innovate smartphones. During the device development process, Apple tested several prototypes with major changes.

“When development began, Apple created a prototype with a 6.9-inch screen similar to the iPhone Pro Max. However, the company scrapped it because it was concerned that a thin device with a large screen would bend easily.

In 2014, Apple caused controversy with the 'bendgate' incident, which caused the iPhone 6 Plus to sometimes bend when put in tight pants pockets," said Gurman.

A more daring idea is to make the iPhone 17 Air Apple's first portless smartphone. This would mean removing the USB-C port on the bottom edge, switching to wireless charging and cloud data syncing.

The thinness of the iPhone 17 Air compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Photo: MacRumors .

In fact, the world is already changing. Most iPhone users are still comfortable without plugging in to charge, use headphones, or download data. Many Apple Watch users have gotten into the habit of wireless charging since the device first supported it.

Still, Gurman says removing the charging port on the iPhone is bound to be controversial. Some users still complained when the company switched to Lightning a decade ago. With the 2008 MacBook Air, Apple stuck with a single USB-A port. In 2015, the company introduced the 12-inch MacBook with a USB-C port for charging and data transfer.

“However, Apple ultimately chose not to adopt this design, citing concerns about upsetting European Union regulators, who have required the iPhone to switch to USB-C and are closely evaluating the company’s business practices,” the Bloomberg writer said.

"Model" for the future iPhone

More than just a super-thin design, the iPhone 17 Air could represent a major change for Apple, ushering in a new industrial design and revamped iOS version this year.

“Apple executives said that if the iPhone 17 Air is successful, the company will try to produce an iPhone without a connection port, and at the same time switch many other models to this ultra-thin design,” Gurman revealed.

iPhone 16 Pro billboard. Photo: Bloomberg .

Of course, it’s too early to predict the success of the iPhone 17 Air. Apple’s previous attempts at a new form factor, including the iPhone mini and the Plus, have all failed, leaving the company to find a design that’s appealing enough to fit between the standard iPhone and the iPhone Pro.

Bloomberg 's writer emphasized that the price of the iPhone 17 Air could be around $900 , equivalent to the iPhone 16 Plus.

The iPhone 17 Air's manufacturing technology can be applied to more innovative models such as the foldable iPhone, which has a similar design to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold but with a more opaque fold.

“The device, expected to launch in 2026, will take advantage of the battery, display, modem, and chip improvements of the iPhone 17 Air. It will also be part of a wave of products to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iPhone,” Gurman shared.