Apple is said to overhaul its iPhone 17 lineup in 2024, with a long-rumoured iPhone Air coming that’s much thinner than the slim iPhone 13, and in fact it’s rumored to replace the Plus model. The iPhone Air would be the last iPhone to measure a mere 5.5mm, but not at the expense of performance or battery life.
The iPhone Air will be packing a 6.6-inch 120Hz OLED display, the engine room will be run by Apple’s new A19 chip with a huge 12GB of RAM also inside the new smartphone according to a new report from Front Page Tech. That will consist of a lone 48MP rear camera — computational photography will be key for the V20 in providing various shooting experiences, even without a wide-angle or a zoom lens.
Thinness, Not Bargaining, in Focus
With the iPhone Air, Apple’s plan is to produce a high-end design with less hardware, aimed at those who care more about form and function over a camera system’s complexity. The 5.5mm form factor, would be the thinnest iPhone ever, but there will be no performance sacrificed as innovation is brought towards the exterior.
iPhone air will have a silicon anode battery, Because with silicon anode you can store more energy in limited space. On top of that, Apple’s in-house C1 modem is designed to slash power draw while ensuring fast connectivity. All of these enhancements, combined with the power efficiency A19 chip, make for battery life that should keep up despite the fact that life under heavy use won’t be as good as the iPhone 17 Pro.
Hardware Built for AI
While the A19 Pro chip won’t be used, the standard A19 microchip and 12GB of RAM are made for supporting all of Apple Intelligence functionality. This is a massive step up from the previous base iPhones, and falls in line with Apple’s continued push into AI and machine learning, which require more on-device resources.
Design Tweaks and Simplified Components
In order to keep it ultra-thin, the iPhone Air will not have multiple rear cameras. Instead, the company is relying on AI-enhanced imaging and digital zoom capabilities to cater to its users. The USB-C port is still there but will be set further back on the shell, which is a result of interior changes that allow the slightly thinner design.
While the relatively plain appearance would lend the iPhone Air to a wider variety of mainstream use cases, this would effectively position the iPhone Air as a high-profile middle ground between the four-figure standard and Pro models in the iPhone 17 range.
Pricing and Market Position
It was originally rumored to cost $1,300, but it’s now believed the iPhone Air will cost somewhere between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. It’s Apple’s new middle signed iPhone and it replaces the now discontinued Plus version in the company’s pricing hierarchy and aims at those such with fashion and status rather than features.
The move also suggests a long-term change of heart from Apple’s current design philosophy – more devices where the physical build has been slimmed down and simplified, if the iPhone Air performs well in the market.
Final Thoughts
The iPhone Air may be the first part of a new design era for Apple pinpointing to slim design, basic tools, and better efficiency. Taking over for the 2024 iPhone 17’s Plus model, this device is perfect for those looking to get the best of both worlds with their phone’s power and design. It’s not official yet (of course), but leaks indicate that Apple is set to rewrite the rules on thin phones with this audacious release.
