“iPhone 17 Air”: Thinner than iPhone 6?

After several years, the iPhone is getting a different form factor – at least in one model. The rumor mill has been believing this for months. The “iPhone 17 Air” or “iPhone 17 Slim” could replace the previous Plus model, which previously replaced the iPhone 13 mini. At the same time, Apple’s iPhone Pro models will still be available. Now more details about the “iPhone 17 Air” have emerged, related to its casing thickness, which is said to be the standout feature of the new device.

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Comparable models reduced to 6.9 mm

While it was initially reported last week by well-known leaker/news aggregator yeux11222 from Korea Having said that the “iPhone 17 Air” will be “less thin than Apple planned”, an analyst now claims that the manufacturer will at least succeed in creating “the thinnest iPhone ever”. The comparable model is 2014’s iPhone 6, which Apple has yet to beat. Its thickness was 6.9 mm. For comparison: the iPhone 6 Plus (also in 2014) was 7.1 mm and the iPhone 5S (2013) was 7.6 mm.

For the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, Apple has now dropped to 7.8mm, while the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are noticeably thicker at 8.25mm. According to Yeux1122, due to technical problems, especially in the production of the battery substrate, Apple has now reached a “technical compromise” with the iPhone 17 Air. Therefore, it is “not much thinner” than the iPhone 6. However, it would be surprising if such difficulties occurred relatively late in the development process – Apple plans new models years in advance – that would require a new design.

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Not as thin as iPad Pro M4

With the iPad Pro M4, which overtook the iPod nano as Apple’s thinnest device to date, Apple achieved a thickness of 5.1 mm. Jeff Pu, an analyst at Hong Kong investment house Haitong, now writes in a report to investors that he believes a thickness of “about 6mm” for the “iPhone 17 Air,” aka “iPhone 17 Slim.” “We share the latest whispers,” he said.

This means that the new model will still be the thinnest iPhone ever and will be about three quarters as thick as the current Pro model of the iPhone 16. Then clearly there won’t be enough room in the housing for the iPad Pro M4 dimensions. The slimmer iPhone is said to be internally worse than the Pro model, with an A19 processor and a 6.6-inch display. There is reportedly only a 48-megapixel camera on the back. According to Pu, the A19 and A19 Pro SoCs in the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro are manufactured using TSMC’s new N3P process – third-generation 3nm processors.

(B.Sc.)