The so-called "iPhone 17 Air" model expected to launch later this year will have an ultra-thin design that is 5.5mm at its thinnest point, according to the latest information shared by reputable Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a blog post today, Kuo added that the device will lack a physical SIM card slot, and instead rely entirely on digital eSIM technology. This is something we've heard before for this device, and the entire iPhone 17 lineup could be eSIM-only in more countries.
If the 5.5mm measurement ends up being accurate, the "iPhone 17 Air" would become the thinnest iPhone ever, topping the current 6.9mm record set by the iPhone 6. It also means the device would be around 30% thinner than the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, and around 33% thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The device measuring 5.5mm only at its "thinnest point" likely means it will have an ultra-thin chassis with a thicker rear camera bump. The device is expected to have only a single 48-megapixel rear camera.
There have been conflicting rumors about the device's exact thinness, but several sources have agreed on around a 5mm to mid-6mm range.
The latest 13-inch iPad Pro model measures just 5.1mm thick, so the "iPhone 17 Air" could be approaching that impressive territory.
Kuo said the ultra-thin iPhone 17 model will enter mass production in the second half of 2025. The device is expected to launch in September alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. There is no iPhone 17 Plus expected, with the "iPhone 17 Air" effectively set to become a replacement for the Plus model in this year's lineup.
Due to its thin design, the "iPhone 17 Air" is expected to have some reduced specifications compared to the Pro models. In addition to the single rear camera, the device is rumored to have a standard A19 chip instead of the A19 Pro chip, and only a single speaker. However, Kuo believes Apple will still charge a "high price" for the device.
Other rumored "iPhone 17 Air" specifications include a 6.6-inch display, 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence, an Apple-designed 5G modem, and more.
