Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the ‌iPhone 17‌ "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the ‌iPhone 17‌ Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the ‌iPhone 17‌, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max.

iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature
We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but there have been mixed rumors on just how thin Apple will be able to make it. Rumors have coalesced around 6mm, though in a recent report, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that he expects the ‌iPhone‌ to measure in at about 5.5mm.

iPhone 17 Air Size Feature
At 5.5mm, the ‌iPhone 17 Air‌ will be the thinnest ‌iPhone‌ to date, a title currently held by the 6.9mm ‌iPhone‌ 6 that came out in way back in 2014. 5.5mm would be approximately 30 percent thinner than the iPhone 16, which measures in at 7.8mm thick, and 33 percent thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro models, which are 8.25mm thick.

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature
It won't be too far off from the 13-inch iPad Pro that Apple came out with last year. The new ‌iPad Pro‌ is also super thin, measuring in at 5.1mm. It's Apple's thinnest device to date, in fact.

Apple is hoping a super thin design will entice people more than the ‌iPhone‌ mini and ‌iPhone‌ Plus models, neither of which has sold as well as the standard and Pro models. Apple discontinued the 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ mini option after the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, and the ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus will apparently be the last "Plus" ‌iPhone‌.

Kuo says the ‌iPhone 17 Air‌ will be 5.5mm at its "thinnest point," so it sounds like we can still expect a camera bump. Apple is planning for a single 48-megapixel rear camera, with the company opting for just one lens because of space constraints in such a small chassis.


Some of the early rumors about the ‌iPhone 17 Air‌ suggested it would be more expensive than the Pro models, but it doesn't sound like that's going to be the case. It will be a mid-tier model in size and functionality, featuring a 6.6-inch display and an A19 chip that won't be as quick as the A19 Pro expected for the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models. It's also going to sport Apple's custom modem chip, which won't offer the fastest mmWave 5G speeds.

While Kuo has targeted 5.5mm, it is worth noting that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in December that the ‌iPhone 17 Air‌ will be 2mm thinner than the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models, which would actually put it at 6.25mm. 5.5mm will be closest to the ‌iPad Pro‌, but even at 6.25mm, it will be the thinnest ‌iPhone‌ to date.

The ‌iPhone 17 Air‌ is expected to launch alongside the ‌iPhone 17‌, ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max in September of 2025. More information on what to expect from the entire ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup can be found in our dedicated roundup.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

red elma Avatar
24 weeks ago
Why the obsession for thinner?
How about getting rid of the ugly camera bump on all the phones and make them a few millimeters thicker.
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProbablyDylan Avatar
24 weeks ago
I really just want a narrower phone. Something nice to use with one hand.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pjpetrozelli Avatar
24 weeks ago
Talk about splitting hairs...

2.75mm is truly near as makes no difference... There is however a massive difference between a device with a 5.4" display (aka "mini") and a device with 7" display.

My hand doesn't seem to be growing year over year the way most of y'alls do - I don't understand how they sell these massive phones. The line between iPhone and iPad mini continues to blur...

Phone = 1 handed use
Laptop = 2 handed use
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daneoni Avatar
24 weeks ago
Was more hoping for an iPhone with 6000mAh battery but what do i know...
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bryo Avatar
24 weeks ago
That render makes the camera bump look really silly. Would be really appealing if it could be flush.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ken Linger Avatar
24 weeks ago
Get ready for Bend-Gate 2.0
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)