Apple has begun production of a new model of its iconic smartphone, which is supposed to eclipse all previous ones. So what will the iPhone 17 be like, and what can we expect from the iconic gadget?
Apple has begun production of a new model of its iconic smartphone, which is supposed to eclipse all previous ones. So what will the iPhone 17 be like, and what can we expect from the iconic gadget?
Most years, flagship smartphones are unveiled in September. Apple’s flagship iPhone lineup is likely to arrive this fall, and a new report claims that one of the models, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, will have a thicker body than the iPhone 16 Pro Max it replaces. 2025 could be the year the first iPhone Ultra appears.
Insider design data suggests that Apple is working on an ultra-thin smartphone, which will likely be called the iPhone 17 Air, similar to the name of Apple’s ultra-light laptop.
This new iPhone is rumored to be the thinnest iPhone ever if it replaces the Plus model in Apple’s lineup.
But the iPhone 17 Pro Max will likely remain Apple’s true flagship in terms of features, specs, and especially price. Judging by the rumors and specs leaks, there will likely be quite a few big differences between the two phones.
Here is a preliminary comparison of the iPhone 17 Air vs. the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The iPhone 17 Air could very well be the thinnest phone on the market. There are various rumors about its dimensions, it could be between 5.5 and 6 mm thick.
Rumors suggest that the iPhone 17 Air will have an aluminum and glass design, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max may have just one speaker instead of two.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to feature a new rectangular camera button that will run the entire length of the body and house a triple rear camera.
Apple may also ditch titanium in the iPhone 17 Pro Max and opt for aluminum.
The iPhone 17 Air’s display is rumored to be in the 6.6- to 6.7-inch range, so it’s likely to be smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s screen. Like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to feature a large 6.9-inch panel.
Insider Ice Universe reported that the iPhone 17 Air has the same dimensions as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, except for the thickness, so it’s possible that they could have the same display size.
Rumor has it that Always On and a higher refresh rate will first appear in the base iPhone 17 and 17 Air. The good news is that both the iPhone 17 Air and Pro Max are expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate, although this has not been confirmed for sure.
Interestingly, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to have a larger battery than its predecessor, so it could be even thicker at 8.73 mm.
It looks like Apple is going to keep the iPhone 17 Air very simplistic when it comes to the cameras. In terms of the overall design, the iPhone 17 Air could feature a single rear camera on the back in the form of a long, pill-shaped panel. The flash will be on the far right side.
According to rumors, the new model will be equipped with only one 48MP rear camera.
The front camera will likely be the same 24-megapixel as the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, including the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
In turn, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to be equipped with both a 48-megapixel telephoto lens (presumably with 5x tetraprism zoom) and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera.
So those looking for the best camera phone will want to buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
As expected, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will get more powerful internal hardware. Rumors indicate that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will get the A18 Pro chip, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage to start.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, often a reliable source of cutting-edge information about Apple, reported in January that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with the base A19 chip.
The iPhone 17 Air should get a slightly slower A19 chip, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of permanent memory.
So, both the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro will be able to play equally demanding games, but I would expect the iPhone 17 Pro to offer better frame rates.
Additionally, the additional RAM in the iPhone 17 Pro should lead to better performance for Apple Intelligence features, such as creating images or using writing tools.
There is no specific information yet on the battery size for the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but it is reasonable to expect Apple to install a significantly smaller battery in the Air, given its slim profile.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will reportedly be thicker to accommodate a larger battery. Judging by the teardown, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 4,685mAh battery. In our iPhone 16 Pro Max battery test, Apple’s current premium flagship lasted an average of 17 hours and 35 minutes.
The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly be the second phone after the iPhone 16e to be equipped with Apple’s own C1 modem.
This modem doesn’t support mmWave 5G, so you won’t always get the highest speeds, but the C! performed well in our iPhone 16e testing.
The C1 modem is also designed to be extremely efficient, and the iPhone 17 Air will need this without a large battery to squeeze as much endurance out of it as possible.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to come with a Qualcomm 5G modem, so it should offer better performance in terms of high-speed connectivity.
The iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max seem to be aimed at very different audiences. Judging by rumors and leaks, the iPhone 17 Air will be aimed at people who value portability and style above all else. It should easily fit in a front pocket.
At the same time, the iPhone 17 Air should offer pretty good performance, even if it has a slightly smaller chip with less RAM and storage compared to Apple’s Pro model.
The biggest difference between the iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 Pro Max — aside from the profile — will likely be the triple camera in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Additionally, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will likely offer a slightly larger display and a larger battery.
