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Latest rumored specs for the ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air make you wonder about the expected price tag

By Alan Friedman

Published: Oct 18, 2024, 11:05 PM

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A render of the ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air is seen showing the left side of the device.

Are you looking forward to next year's ultra-slim iPhone Air? This will be the first change to Apple's flagship lineup since 2022 when the iPhone 14 Plus replaced the iPhone 13 mini. Despite having a large display and a huge battery, the iPhone Plus series didn't sell much better than the small iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini. Will the iPhone 17 Air, with a new svelte design, become a success for Apple?

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We could see the iPhone 17 Air generate a huge increase in revenue for Apple because the device is expected to have the largest starting price of any iPhone model, even surpassing the expected $1,199 and up for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. An earlier roadmap posted by leaker Ice Universe reveals that the price tag for the iPhone 17 Air will start at $1,299. This dovetailed with earlier speculation that the iPhone 17 Air would be the most expensive iPhone in the lineup.

Other specs for the device will have you scratching your head wondering how Apple can justify charging so much for the phone. The design of the iPhone 17 Air must be amazing for Apple to price the handset above its most ambitious phone. Speaking of the design for the iPhone 17 Air, Haitong International analyst Jeff Pu wrote a research note to clients that mentioned some of the specs of the phone. Most of what Pu said in his note repeats what Ice Universe posted in his roadmap back in July.

Render of the 2025's ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air. | Image credit-FPT

That includes the use of a 3nm A19 application processor (AP) to power the device. Note that the iPhone 17 Air will not use the slightly more capable A19 Pro AP that will be found under the hoods of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. And while the Pro models are expected to carry 12GB of RAM, the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with 8GB of the stuff. That will allow it to support Apple's AI initiative known as Apple Intelligence.

The iPhone 17 Air might be even lighter than the titanium iPhone 17 Pro models since it will be made of aluminum, according to Pu. Another rumor that has been making the rounds calls for the iPhone 17 Air to sport only one rear camera. Pu agrees and in his note, he says that this one rear camera will be backed by a 48MP sensor.

As we said, the real selling point for the iPhone Air will be its design and as we get closer to next September (yes, we are still 11 months away!) we should start seeing renders, leaked live images, and more. Once we see the design, perhaps we will understand why the iPhone 17 Air could have the most expensive starting price in Apple's 2025 iPhone lineup.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.