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The upcoming iPhone 17 ‘Air’ may be thinner than previous models

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Photo: Framesira / Shutterstock.com

The upcoming iPhone 17 “Air” may be Apple’s first step towards slimmer smartphones without charging ports. The new iPhone is rumoured to be slimmer than the other models while incorporating a combination of pro-level and low-end functionalities.

Apple has launched four iPhone models each year since 2020, including two entry-level phones and two high-end models. However, the models released this year are set to break the pattern. Apple will roll out a device that falls between pro and entry-level devices, dubbed the iPhone 17 “Air.”

The new version is said to use new components with fresh design standards. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg said that if it all goes as intended, “these changes will make their way to the rest of the product line.” The news comes as a set of iPhone 17 Air dummies were made public in a leak from Sonny Dickson, who has a reliable history of leaking nonfunctional versions of phones used by case and accessory makers to prepare for upcoming devices.

The dummies support the rumours that the model is set to be a 6.6-inch device. It is expected to be 5.5mm thin and have only a single 48-megapixel back camera, similar to the iPhone 16E. It is rumoured to come with a 120Hz ProMotion display while housing a standard A19 chip. It appears to have thin bezels with a Dynamic Island cutout and a Camera Control button.

The battery life will be similar to that of other iPhones regardless of its thinness. However, Gurman said, “Apple did have to make some compromises to slim down the device.” While it will come without a physical SIM card slot, the new device will have Apple’s new power-efficient in-house modem chip, dubbed C1, which was introduced with the iPhone 16E in February. The model is expected to be priced roughly at $900.

A port-free device would indicate that the company would lose the USB Type-C port used for charging, which could be a controversial move. Many Apple users continue to have objections about the switch from Lightning to USB Type-C on phones.

However, the company has decided to avoid a port-free design due to “concerns that removing USB-C would upset European Union regulators, who mandated the iPhone switch to USB-C and are scrutinising the company’s business practices,” Gurman said.

If the 17 Air model is liked by people, Apple plans to do more challenging things with the phone, such as making it port-free. The company may also introduce a slimmer approach to other iPhones. The methods and technologies used to create the iPhone 17 Air are part of the preparations to release its own folding phone, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z fold.

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Arun Maity

Arun Maity

Arun Maity is a journalist from Kolkata who graduated from the Asian College of Journalism. He has an avid interest in music, videogames and anime. When he's not working, you can find him practicing and recording his drum covers, watching anime or playing games. You can contact him here: arunmaity23@proton.me

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