2 min readNext year's iPhone lineup might be a little different than the one that came before it.
As reported by MacRumors and other outlets, Apple may be looking to change up its four phone strategy in 2025 by opting for an iPhone 17 Air instead of a successor to this year's iPhone 16 Plus.
The name tells most of the story here. Where earlier iPhone Plus and iPhone Mini models sought to differentiate themselves on screen size, Apple's first-ever iPhone Air would look to offer a slimmer form-factor that could be as thin as 6mm.
According to reputable Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and infamous leakers like Ice Universe, the rumored iPhone 17 Air (which could end up branded as the iPhone 17 Slim) will feature a 6.6-inch LTPO display. Then, on the inside, the device is said to run the A17 Bionic processor and 8GB of RAM.
As for the battery, that's something of a question mark. The smaller one that came with the iPhone Mini was behind one of that device's biggest shortcomings and given the ultra-thin form factor attached to the iPhone 17 Air, it's easy to worry that history might repeat itself on that particular front.
Last but not least, there's the matter of the camera. While some early rumors suggested that a slimmer form-factor might see Apple move the camera module on the back of the iPhone 17 Air away from its usual perch, speculation has since shifted towards the idea that the device might drop down to a single 48MP camera-lens setup from the dual-lens one found on the standard iPhone 17.
According to a blog post by analyst Ming Chi Kuo, the Plus model only accounts for around 5% to 10% of new iPhone sales. He argued that retiring it in favor of the iPhone 17 Air was less about it being the most unpopular option and more about the potential upside of reaching consumers who aren't able to get what they want from the current roster of standard and pro iPhones.
