iPhone 17 Air to be thinner than iPhone 16 Pro, fresh leak suggests

iPhone 17 Air to be thinner than iPhone 16 Pro, fresh leak suggests

Apple is expected to launch a thinner version of the iPhone alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This new model, speculated to be called the iPhone 17 Air, will be about two millimetres thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro, as reported by Mark Gurman in his weekly newsletter.

For those who don’t know, it’s hardly been a couple of months since the iPhone 16 series launched, but, we have already started getting leaks and rumours around the iPhone 17 series, expected to debut in Q4 2025.

To provide context, the current iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25mm thick. If the iPhone 17 Air is 2mm thinner, it will be approximately 6.25mm, making it the thinnest iPhone ever. The previous record was held by the iPhone 6 at 6.9mm. Over time, iPhones have generally become thicker, starting with the iPhone X, to accommodate larger batteries, improved cameras, Face ID technology, and various other features.

Some earlier rumours had suggested that the iPhone 17 Air might be even thinner, somewhere between 5mm and 6mm. This also corroborates some reports that suggest the iPhone 17 Air might not even come with a SIM tray. However, most sources now believe the phone will be around 6mm thick. Additionally, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a 6.6-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a single rear camera and Apple’s in-house SoC, the A19 or whatever the company plans to name it in 2025.

The iPhone 17 Air is also expected to include Apple’s own 5G modem. This chip is smaller than the ones currently used, which come from Qualcomm. Gurman explained that Apple designed its modem chip to work more closely with its other hardware, saving space inside the phone. This extra space is what allows Apple to make the iPhone 17 Air thinner while keeping the same battery life, camera quality, and display performance. In addition to the iPhone 17 Air, Apple plans to use its custom modem chip in the upcoming iPhone SE, which is expected to launch in early 2025, and a low-cost iPad.

As Apple continues to improve its modem chip technology, the extra space created could make way for innovations like a foldable iPhone. And, this could happen sooner rather than later. Gurman notes that Apple is actively working on foldable iPhone concepts. Over the next three years, Apple aims to gradually replace Qualcomm modems with its chips. In the future, Apple might even introduce a SoC that combines the processor, modem, Wi-Fi, and other components. This approach would optimise space and enable better integration of hardware.Gold falls Rs 10, silver down Rs 100; precious metal trading at 91,900Rs

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