Two More iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Drop Before Apple Event

It is now the eve of Apple's annual iPhone event, and last-minute rumors about the iPhone 17 devices continue to surface out of China.

iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo
The latest rumors pertain to the iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

First, the account Fixed Focus Digital on Chinese social media platform Weibo today said the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air is unlikely to launch in China, due to its lack of a SIM card slot. However, regulatory database listings suggested there would in fact be a variant of the iPhone 17 Air with a SIM card slot, so the situation is unclear. In any case, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to rely entirely on eSIM technology in most countries.

Second, the account Ice Universe on Weibo today reiterated that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be 8.725mm thick, whereas the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25mm thick. If this information is accurate, the iPhone 17 Pro Max would be approximately 5% thicker than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The account previously suggested the device would be thicker in order to accommodate a larger battery with a leaked 5,088 mAh capacity.

Both of the Weibo accounts have pretty good track records. We will find out if these rumors prove to be true in around 24 hours from now.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...

Top Rated Comments

Eminemdrdre00 Avatar
3 weeks ago
The iPhone 17 Air will look even thinner if they make the other phones thicker
[MEDIA=giphy]d3mlE7uhX8KFgEmY[/MEDIA]
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sebosz Avatar
3 weeks ago

I guess the thing I'm most curious about is what necessitated the bigger battery that resulted in the 5% increase in thickness?

Is there some technical reason, all that extra juice a requirement to support a feature inside the phone, or are they just letting the truck be a truck because the Air is an option for people who want a thin phone?
Gotta support those advanced and power hungry Apple “Intelligence” features we all love to use ?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cdsapplefan Avatar
3 weeks ago
iPhone Thick Pro Max ??
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ReliableSource Avatar
3 weeks ago
I wonder if the extra 0.475mm will even be noticeable to me. Bring on the extra battery I say
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
3 weeks ago

Why even watch the event at this point...
drinking game



Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wilhoitm Avatar
3 weeks ago

Too funny. People are going non-linear about an extra 0.5mm (0.02 inches) of thickness. The sky is falling, the sky is falling.
This happens at every Apple event! The "Apple is doomed" people come out of the woodwork!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)