'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device.

iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux
Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM card slot worldwide, and an A19 chip instead of the more powerful A19 Pro chip. Of course, the device will also be equipped with a smaller battery than other iPhone 17 models.

Below, we recap 10 key changes rumored for the "iPhone 17 Air" as of January 2025:

Bookmark our iPhone 17 roundup to stay up to date with more rumors over the coming months.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 17 (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...

Top Rated Comments

Thanatoast Avatar
11 months ago
what does this phone accomplish? what need does it fulfill?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neptuna Avatar
11 months ago
I know I am very much in the minority, but can we just get & keep a solid SMALL phone in the iPhone lineup? I miss the 13 Mini. I don’t think I will buy another phone until forced to at this rate, because I don’t want a huge slab of glass in my pocket
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robertosh Avatar
11 months ago

what does this phone accomplish? what need does it fulfill?
My need :D
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
11 months ago
Same answer to both of the above posts: Great profitability for AAPL. It fulfills the corp need to get to keep spinning "another record quarter." ???

Also, priced above Pro Max- if true- because Apple thinks fans will pay more than Pro Max for it. If they thought people would pay more than Vpro for it, it would be priced above Vpro. ???

Now through the other lens: customers could reject this product because they collectively feel it is priced too high... as many seems to have done with Vpro. Or reject because "we" no longer want "thinner" at the expense of some functionality or battery or whatever is compromised to support it. But the big question is: will customers vote with their wallets (as a group)?

Other than Vpro, there is a long history of Apple charging whatever they want for new stuff and people falling all over themselves to try to buy, buy, buy. That trains Apple executives to expect that outcome. Customers as a group can either teach them a lesson OR reinforce this idea that "we" will buy (almost) anything... and pay anything for it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kirky29 Avatar
11 months ago
Wait, is launching without something (physical sim card tray) considered a feature? ?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Mac Daz Avatar
11 months ago
Still can’t get my head round why it’s priced above a Pro Max
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)