The iPhone Plus model (pictured) may potentially be replaced by the iPhone Air/Slim.
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Apple is rumored to be spicing things for this year's iPhone event.It could introduce an ultra-thin model for the 2025 iPhone lineup called the iPhone 17 Air.It's thought to be much slimmer than any iPhone so far --andit will totally replace the Plus line that's been around for over a decade.
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Due this September alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 family, it's been repeatedly described as a super-slim new tier, with a target price around$900. But what else makes this phone so different,andwhy should you care?
Let's go rumor by rumor.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman hasdescribed to the upcoming model as "skinny" andrepeatedly calls it "iPhone 17 Air." So, that's what everyone else is calling it. Apple itself hasn't confirmed the name, so consider "Air" a working moniker until it debuts in September.
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With any pre-release reporting, details can change. But Gurman is a managing editor with a strong record on Apple scoops. AppleTrackcurrently rates his accuracy around 86%. This is a site that meticulously tracks, verifies, and rates the accuracy of Apple's biggest leaks and rumors. MacRumors even graded Gurman'sWWDC 2025 predictions with an A+ .
If the rumors are true, the iPhone 17 Air could be the thinnest iPhone ever.
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Notedanalyst Ming-Chi Kuo , who has a 72% accuracyaccording to AppleTrack , says the phone will measure 5.5mm at its slimmest point -- but the camera bump is still alive and well.Bloomberg's Gurman said the Air is slimmer than the current models and has suggested it could be a step toward Apple's long-rumored port-free future.
For comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25mm thick.
Renders and videos from Jon Prosser's Front Page Tech point to an ultra-thin chassis as well as a "camera bar" stretching across the back. On one side of it sits a single rear lens, while the other houses a mic and LED flash. Prosser is beingsued by Apple for allegedly leaking iOS 26 information, but his leaks align with a supposed iPhone 17 Air shell that surfacedweeks ago .
iPhone 17, the design seems confirmed. pic.twitter.com/5Wh6alUiMr
- Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) January 21, 2025
Of course, making a phone this thin requires some engineering trade-offs.AppleTrack posted a video with dummy models suggesting some compromises, like the USB-C port being nudged closer to the back edge instead of sitting neatly in the middle.
As for weight,MacRumors spotted South Korean leakeryeux1122 had claimed in a blog that the Air will come in at about 145g. That would make it much lighter than the 199g iPhone 16 Pro and slightly heavier than the 141g iPhone 13 Mini.
Several leakers and analysts , includingMing-Chi Kuo , said the iPhone 17 Air will have around a 6.6-inch display with very slim bezels. It could have a refined front layout , but it will keep the Dynamic Islandlargely the same as current models . Meanwhile,Macworld recently spotted a new 1260×2740 wallpaper resolution in iOS 26 betas that doesn't match any existing iPhones.
To keep the iPhone 17 Air as thin as possible, Apple is expected to make some changes in the camera department.
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BothKuo and Bloomberg's Gurman reported the iPhone 17 Air will drop both the ultrawide and telephoto lens. Instead, it's shipping with a single rear camera -- likely 48MP. Jon Prosser's renders back this up, showing just one lens inside the top camera bar.
Up front, analystJeff Pu said all iPhone 17 models will feature a 24MP selfie camera.AppleTrack has Pu's record at about 50%.
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If you're wondering about which A-series chip the iPhone 17 Air will get or how much RAM it'll have, here's what's leaked so far:
Leaker Majin Bu -- posting on hisown site and X -- has repeatedly said the iPhone 17 Air will be available in four colors: a very light "sky" blue, silver, black, and a light gold. You can see these colors, as well as the other iPhone 17 models' colors, in the tweet below.
Which model and color will you choose this year? pic.twitter.com/AtDFutgSX0
- Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) August 3, 2025
Bloomberg's Gurman reported that the iPhone 17 Air will be priced around$900, in line with the idea that it will replace the Plus tier.
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However,in May 2025 , President Donald Trump publicly threatened a 25% tariff on iPhones not built in the US -- a move that, if enacted and applied to the Air's supply chain,could affect pricing .
Apple traditionally holds its iPhone event in early to mid-September to unveil the latest models, which then go on sale within a couple of weeks. While Apple hasn't confirmed the iPhone 17 Air, its next event will take place on Sept. 9, 2025, and multiple reports, includingBloomberg's Gurman most recently, suggest the ultra-thin model will debut during this event.
Here's a quick list of all the rumors and leaks I mentioned above for the iPhone 17 Air:
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Bloomberg uses "Air" to describe the thin model replacing Plus, but Apple's official names are only confirmed on event day.
Kuo says it will, and Prosser's renders show the same. If true, Apple seems to be prioritizing thinness with the iPhone 17 Air.
Yes. Multiple reports point to a four-phone lineup in September 2025: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air (replacing the "Plus" models), iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
For the past few years, Apple has offered four models: a standard iPhone, a slightly larger Plus model (which costs$100 more), and two iPhone Pro models (a regular Pro and a larger, more expensive Pro Max). It sounds like the iPhone 17 Air will adopt the starting price of the iPhone 16 Plus, and its screen size will be close to that model. Add it all up, and there's just no need for a Plus anymore.
Kuo estimated the iPhone 17 Air's display at about 6.6 inches, which would put the Air between the standard iPhone 17 and the Pro models.Display analyst Ross Young , however, more specifically listed it at 6.55 inches in his breakdown of the lineup, as shown below. With a92% accuracy rating from AppleTrack , his numbers are likely close to what we'll actually see.