The thin and light design of Apple's rumored "iPhone 17 Air" will require some compromises. The device is rumored to lack three features found on many iPhone models, including a bottom speaker, an Ultra Wide camera, and a SIM card slot internationally.
The Information last year reported that the ultra-thin iPhone 17 model will have only a single speaker, built into the earpiece at the top of the device. This rumor appears to be accurate, as 3D renders of the iPhone 17 Air that have surfaced in recent weeks show only a few holes on the bottom edge of the device, which are likely for microphones.
Like the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be equipped with a single 48-megapixel rear Fusion camera, which is a main 1× camera combined with a 2× zoom option with "optical-like" quality. This means the iPhone 17 Air would lack an Ultra Wide camera for 0.5× photos, but this extra internal space should allow for a larger battery.
Apple started phasing out the physical SIM card slot on iPhones in the U.S. with the iPhone 14 lineup in 2022, so it should come as no surprise that the iPhone 17 Air is also expected to work with digital eSIMs only in that country. However, The Information reported that Apple planned to eliminate the SIM card slot on iPhones in more countries this year, so the iPhone 17 Air might only work with eSIMs internationally too.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 Air in September.
Top Rated Comments
So I'd take any claim of specifics on the iPhone "Air" to be either guesswork based on the idea that thin = fewer features, or fevered imaginings that don't have a reliable source for the time being.