Apple is reportedly preparing to release its slimmest iPhone to date with the upcoming iPhone 17 Air. According to The Information, this model is set to redefine thinness in smartphones, boasting a significantly reduced profile compared to previous models. If the claims hold true, the iPhone 17 Air could establish a new benchmark in Apple’s lineup while introducing design trade-offs to achieve such dimensions.
iPhone 17 Air could rival the iPad Pro 13 in thickness
The iPhone 17 Air, previously referred to as the iPhone 17 Slim, is rumored to replace the iPhone 16 Plus in Apple’s lineup. Early reports suggested a slim design, but the latest details indicate an even thinner profile, measuring just 5-6 mm thick.
For context, the iPhone 16 is already considered slim at 7.8 mm, and the iPhone 17 Air would be up to 35% thinner. This would make it Apple’s thinnest iPhone to date, dethroning the iPhone 6 Plus, which has held the record since 2014 with its 7.1 mm case.
In terms of design, the iPhone 17 Air may rival the thinness of the iPad Pro 13, which measures 5.1 mm. However, achieving this sleek profile comes with compromises, such as a single rear-facing camera. Interestingly, this contradicts a previously shared render by AppleTrack, suggesting uncertainty about the final design.
The ultra-slim form factor means a couple of other changes
Alongside its slim design, the iPhone 17 Air may see several other changes. Reports indicate that it will forego mmWave 5G network support and a physical SIM card slot. While the latter has been standard for US iPhones since the iPhone 14, the lack of mmWave support could affect network performance in regions where it is prevalent.
Apple is also expected to equip the iPhone 17 Air with its in-house 5G modem. However, this modem is rumored to offer slower transfer speeds compared to the Qualcomm chips used in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. Another omission could be the down-firing speaker, which may further streamline the design.
Durability remains a concern with such a thin device, particularly since Apple’s similarly slim iPads have faced structural challenges in the past. This raises questions about how well the iPhone 17 Air will withstand everyday use.
Notably, Samsung is also working on its version of a slim Galaxy flagship as part of the S25 series, which is also rumored to be significantly slimmer than the existing models. You can learn more about Samsung’s development of the ‘Slim’ phone here.
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