When Apple releases its next flagship iPhones next fall, the iPhone 17 series may be dominated by an all-new design for one model at least. This is the super-slim model that’s caught a lot of people’s imaginations. And the good news is it may be more affordable than was expected.
First rumors about this skinny model focused on it being very expensive, with the new design being costly to make. But it now seems that it will be “cheaper than Pro models,” according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal.
This is in contradiction with reports from earlier in 2024 which suggested it would be pricier than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, making it the most expensive iPhone ever.
The new phone has been dubbed iPhone 17 Air by many, though it could come with a different title when Apple launches it. And even if it’s not the most expensive ever, it’s likely to have another superlative to its name: thinnest-ever.
It’s part of “a series of major design and format changes… in a bid to revive growth after years of offering largely incremental upgrades,” the report says.
In details that fit with previous reports, Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie say, “Starting next year, Apple plans to introduce an iPhone that will be thinner than the approximately 8-millimeter profile of current models, said people familiar with the company’s plans.”
But then, it goes on: “The model is intended to be cheaper than Pro models, with a simplified camera system to reduce costs.”
Note the simplified camera system reference, which may refer to a single- or at most dual-camera set-up.
But if the report is right and it’s cheaper than the Pro models, that’s likely to mean that the iPhone 17 Air will be around the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus, which the 17 Air is thought to replace. This is a big change as the perception of the Air has consistently been something more premium than the Plus.
If current prices hold, this would mean that the Air would be less than the $999 currently charged for the iPhone 16 Pro. And since Apple likes to keep a decent distance between prices, that points to an $899 sticker, for the Air, the same as the iPhone 16 Plus right now.
