Next Year's Slim iPhone 17 Could Be an 'iPhone Air'

Apple's rumored iPhone 17 "Slim" could be positioned as an iPhone "Air" to boost sales, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained how the "fourth" model in the ‌iPhone‌ lineup since 2020 (the iPhone 12 mini, ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus) has largely been a commercial failure. In the case of the Plus model, this is likely because it is just $100 less than the Pro, so most customers simply opt for the higher-end model.

There has been uncertainty in recent months about the intention of the so-called ‌iPhone 17‌ "Slim" and its rumored position in the lineup. Last week, YouTuber Jon Prosser was first to suggest that the device could be positioned as an "‌iPhone‌ Air." Now, Gurman seems to have supported this idea.

The ‌iPhone 17‌ "Air" will represent a new approach to this fourth model in the lineup, offering a device with a substantially thinner design that sits between the ‌iPhone 17‌ and iPhone 17 Pro. Gurman compared the device to the original MacBook Air from 2008, which sat between the regular MacBook and MacBook Pro in the lineup.

The sales pitch will probably go like this: If you want something snazzier than a standard iPhone — but don't really need the performance, screen size or cameras of a Pro model — you can get something that looks much cooler while still having the specifications of a regular iPhone.

At minimum, Gurman expects the ‌iPhone‌ "Air" to be more popular than the ‌iPhone‌ mini and Plus devices from recent years.

Gurman added that the thinner design of the ‌iPhone 17‌ "Air" will "just be a step toward something better" since Apple will eventually want to "squeeze the power of a Pro model into this smaller design." However, he does not expect this to occur before 2027 at the earliest.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...

Top Rated Comments

dz5b609 Avatar
8 months ago
The more I hear about this phone the less sense it makes.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2540497 Avatar
8 months ago
This is going to flop badly if this is the case. Pay more for the same phone just thinner?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coffeemilktea Avatar
8 months ago

Apple will eventually want to "squeeze the power of a Pro model into this smaller design."
I can predict this phone will also squeeze my wallet into a smaller size. ?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
8 months ago
And no, it won't be more advanced than iPhone Pro Max.

I do believe that there will also be iPhone Ultra at some point in the future.

Also kinda off-topic: I don't see Apple ever ditching 'i' from their product names entirely. iPhone is too iconic a name. And how would they rename iCloud?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2761216 Avatar
8 months ago
Think it’s time to fire their marketing dept.:rolleyes:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Andres Cantu Avatar
8 months ago
From mini to plus to air.

Apple really wants a 4th model to work out, huh?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)