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iPhone 17 Air: Release date, price, features, and everything we know
With theiPhone 16now available, rumors focus on the upcoming iPhone 17. This model is expected to be released in the second half of 2025. One of the highlights of this generation could be the iPhone Air, as it seemsApple will no longer bet on a Plus model. Apple executives are calling the upcoming new models theirmost ambitious iPhones ever. Heres what we know about this future phone so far.Release dateIf Apple follows the trend, the new iPhone 17 lineup, including the new iPhone 17 Air, should be released in September this year. If we dive a bit deeper, Apple will likely announce the iPhone 17 lineup during the second week of September, with preorder availability to begin that week and a release likely set for the following week.That means the iPhone 17 Air release date will likely be Friday, September 19th, 2025, following a preorder launch on September 12th.According toThe Information, Apple has started the manufacturing process tomake the regular iPhone 17 models in India. This is the first time Cupertino began the production of a new iPhone line outside China.In this early manufacturing phase, Apple needs to tweak the iPhone design and experiment with new materials and equipment to ensure that millions of iPhones can be produced a day across different locations with minimal defects. This phase will last until early next year.Apple is already making iPhone 17 Air modelsin China as it enters the new product introduction phase (NPI). The NPI phase is responsible for bringing this iPhones concept to life with design validation and prototype testing.As of May 2025, Apple has finished theEngineering Validation Testing for at least one iPhone 17 model, as theyre scheduled to be released without a delay.6 rumored iPhone 17 features Apple may have delayed or canceledSlim or Air? What's the name of the iPhone Plus replacementImage source: Jos Adorno for BGRRumors so far point to two different possible names for the iPhone Plus replacement: Slim or Air. At first, Slim was the nomenclature used by leakers. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes Apple will likely call it "Air" due to other successful products using this name.Apple sees the Air strategy as a tried-and-true winner, given its unprecedented success with the MacBook Air over the past 15 years not to mention the iPad Air. Consumers will probably still ultimately gravitate more toward the iPhone Pro and Pro Max models, but the Air should at least outsell the iPhone 16 Plus.That said, we'll only know the name for sure once Apple reveals it in September. iPhone Air could be the internal nomenclature the company's employees are using, but not necessarily the name of the final product.iPhone 17 Air could hint at future foldable iPhoneSince Apple introduced the iPhone 12 mini, it has struggled to find a market for the unique variations of its regular iPhone models. The company has seen low sales of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus. While we need to know how the iPhone 16 Plus will sell, Cupertino might beplanning a different approach for the iPhone 17.So far, analysts don't expect the iPhone 17 Air to be a success, even though it's expected to drive more sales than the iPhone 16 Plus. In addition, Gurman believes there's a better reason why Apple wants to manufacture this smartphone:The iPhone Air also serves as a testing ground for future technologies, including ones that could allow forfoldable devices. To fold, iPhones and iPads will need to have bodies and displays that are as thin as possible and the Air is a step toward that.Display and designImage source: Jos Adorno for BGRThe iPhone 17 Air is expected to have several design changes, the most important of which is a thinner body. Rumors point to a device between 5.5 mm and 6.5 mm thick. South KoreasSisa Journalsaidthis device would be 6.25mm thick, which would make it the thinnest iPhone ever. A Chinese leaker believes this iPhone will be 5.5mm thick with a maximum thickness of 9.5mm on the camera module.If these rumors are true, this device would be around 20% thinner than the base iPhone 16 models and 25% thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro. Top insider Ming-Chi Kuoalso believes Apple could make this device at around 5.5mm. A studio made a concept video of what this iPhone could actually look like. Eventually, this design was also highlighted as the most likely official look for this device. You can even see a 3D-printed version of it.Image source: Sonny Dickson/XTo achieve this ultra-thin design, Apple will have to accept several trade-offs, including an eSIM-only option. Besides that, analyst Jeff Pu expects this device to feature a 6.6-inch OLED display. It's unclear if it's going to feature ProMotion and Always-On Display as the iPhone 17. However, a Weibo leaker says all four iPhone 17 models will get these technologies.This device is expected to feature the Action Button, Camera Control, and a single rear camera, although some rumors suggest it might get two. Another possible change is that the titanium frame will be available for this iPhone only.In addition, there's something weird about this device that may frustrate designers.Finally, it seems Apple canceled a display feature that iPhone users would have loved,an anti-reflective coating.SpecsIf Apple follows its familiar trend, the A19 family of chips will power the iPhone 17 lineup.The Informationsays Apple is developing two new chips, the A19 and A19 Pro, with the latter using a new TSMC technology for improved efficiency. It seems these chips will continue to use a 3nm manufacturing process.Its unclear how much faster they will be, although Neural Engine cores will likely be a priority as Apple plans to improveApple Intelligence features. While it was first rumored that only the iPhone 17 Pro Max would get 12GB of RAM, Apple will offer it for the other Pro models and the iPhone 17 Air. There's a possibility that even the regular iPhone 17 will get it.BGRs Chris Smith believes the RAM bumpmeans Apple will unveil better AI features soon.ConnectivityImage source: Apple Inc.AnalystsMing-Chi KuoandJeff Pubelieve Apple will use a proprietary Wi-Fi modem for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, which we now know is called C1. The company wants to rely less on Qualcomm and Broadcom and eventually create a chip that will feature cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth technologies in a single silicon.Apple's current C1 chip supports Wi-Fi 6 and regular 5G speeds. Reliableanalyst Ming-Chi Kuosays the company plans to replace Qualcomms Wi-Fi chips on the entire iPhone 17 series later this year.The analyst writes: My latest industry survey indicates that all new 2H25 iPhone 17 models will feature Apples in-house Wi-Fi chips (vs. only the slim iPhone 17 will adopt Apples C1 modem chip). Beyond cost reduction, the switch to in-house Wi-Fi chips will enhance connectivity across Apple devices.BatteryArumor suggests that the entire iPhone 17 lineup will feature thesame battery glue techthat Apple used for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.As shown byiFixit, all you need to do to remove the battery from the chassis is apply a low-voltage current. The battery will come off like magic. The procedure further improves the repairability of the iPhone 16, making battery replacements even easier. The process only works in one direction, allowing you to detach the battery from the frame. Each new battery will feature its own glue strip, and no current will be needed during installation.While we believe battery life will be a concern for the iPhone 17 Air, a new display component might help Appleimprove the battery life of the iPhone 17 Pro models while increasing durability. In addition, if Cupertino uses its C1 chip on the iPhone 17 Air, it might greatly improve its battery, even if it's physically smaller. Here's what we think will be the secret sauce for solid battery life.A new Apple Intelligence feature might be responsible for improving the iPhone 17 Air's possibly poor battery life, as the company also works on a Smart Battery Case accessory.iOS 19 and Apple Intelligence features will be key for iPhone 17Apple Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro. Image source: Jos Adorno for BGR Image source: Jos Adorno for BGRSo far, we know that Apple has started developingiOS 19, which has a codename of Luck. Its unclear what features will be included in iOS 19. Still, it's possible that Apple might revamp its look to give a more consistent design between iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. In addition, Apple Intelligence will continue to play a big part in iOS for the foreseeable future.By the end of 2025 or early 2026, well get the all-new Siri with the ability to understand context. These are some of the features expected to be available on the iPhone 17 models regarding Apple Intelligence and that are available in iOS 18:Writing Tools:Users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps;Image Playground:Users can create playful images in seconds, choosing from Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. This app is built right into apps like Messages and is also available in a dedicated app;Memories in Photos:Users can create stories they want to see just by typing a description. Apple Intelligence will pick out the best photos and videos based on the description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc;Clean Up tool:This Photos app feature can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo without accidentally altering the subject;Siri:Users type to Siri and switch between text and voice to communicate with Siri in whatever way feels right for the moment.ChatGPT integration:When you feel Apple Intelligence isnt enough, you can allow ChatGPT to access Writing Tools and other features for a better response.More recently,Bloombergs Mark Gurman said iOS 19will make Siri AI more like ChatGPT. However, this might take longer to occur. He said that Siri will have new abilities to access user data for contextual information about the user and control third-party apps via the new App Intents software. However, Gurman points out that Siri isnt getting a ChatGPT-like model for these tasks:These upcoming upgrades will make Siri easier to use on a day-to-day basis, but its not the brain transplant that the service really needs. Siri is still based on an outdated infrastructure AI models that have been overtaken by the technology used by ChatGPT and Googles Gemini. Siri hasnt yet been rebuilt for the generative AI age, even if Apple is trying to create the impression that it has.Price and storageRumors say Apple might be planning to add a 2TB tier for the iPhone Pro models, starting with the iPhone 17. That said, these could be the possible storage options:iPhone 17:128GB, 256GB, and 512GBiPhone 17 Air:256GB and 512GBiPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max:256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TBA rumor says Apple couldcharge more for the iPhone 17 models. So far, we have heard that the company wants to charge way more for the future Air model, which could cost $1,299. However, new rumors state that it wont be more expensive than the Pro models. That said, this iPhone's price would range between $899 and $1,299. Still, the iPhone 17 could be 9% more expensive due to Trump's tariffs.A recentWall Street Journalreport reveals thatthe entire iPhone 17 lineup might get a price hike. Cupertino wants to use these new features as the main reason for the new devices higher cost.Wrap upThis is everything we know about the iPhone 17 Air so far. Well keep updating this article.Don't Miss: iPhone 17: Release date, rumors, features, A19, price, and Slim modelThe post iPhone 17 Air: Release date, price, features, and everything we know appeared first on BGR.Today's Top DealsBest Apple deals for May 2025Todays deals: $399 iPad mini 7th-Gen, $395 75-inch smart TV, $400 eufy Omni C20, Energizer batteries, moreTodays deals: $99 AirPods 4, $350 off eufy X10 Pro Omni, $25 Fire TV Stick 4K, $250 KitchenAid mixer, moreTodays deals: $4 iPhone chargers, 51% off Beats Studio Pro ANC headphones, $80 Roku Ultra, more
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