iPhone 17 Air could be Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet — and the first step towards iPhone Flip

iPhone 17 Slim render
(Image credit: Front Page Tech)

A new report has given us another idea of how thin the iPhone 17 Air could be, as well as how important the tech is to the future of Apple.

In his most recent Power On newsletter Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the iPhone 17 Air, expected to release in the fall, will be "a testing ground for future technologies." This includes the tech that will likely be used to create the first Apple foldable. This makes sense, as one of the hardest parts of designing a foldable phone is adapting the battery and chips to fit in a thinner frame.

On top of that, Gurman states that the iPhone 17 Air will be around 2mm thinner than current iPhones, which would make the Air 5.8mm or 6.3mm thick (0.23 or 0.25 inches) depending on if you're using the standard or Pro models as a basis. For reference, the iPhone 17 Air has been reported to be around 5.5mm or 6.25mm thick in other reports.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Slim thickness rumored

(Image credit: Front Page Tech)

There's a lot of excitement around the iPhone 17 Air, originally reported as the iPhone 17 Slim. The idea of a much thinner iPhone released alongside the upcoming iPhone 17 series is enticing by itself. While we have seen a lot of rumors about the phone, it's also important it could be in the journey to the iPhone Flip or the rumored MacBook/iPad crossover.

The iPhone Air may not just be a proving ground for a future foldable design. It could be one of the first devices with Apple's in-house designed modem alongside the iPhone SE 4. However, there's no mention of whether the Air will be one of the devices to have an Apple-designed Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip.

Aside from that, we have heard a few mixed things about the iPhone 17 Air. For instance, some leaks point to the iPhone 17 Air having just a single rear camera. Meanwhile, it looks like the iPhone 17 Air will feature a 120Hz screen alongside the other iPhone 17 models, like the iPhone 16 Pro.

Even if you aren't that excited about the actual iPhone 17 Air, there's no doubt it's an important hardware move for Apple. We may have to wait a while to see what this means for future Apple devices, but it certainly promises to bring some interesting evolution to the brand's biggest product.

More from Tom's Guide

Josh Render
Staff Writer

Josh is a staff writer for Tom's Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer. 

Read more
iPhone Air render
iPhone 17 Air might be even thinner than expected
The iPhone 17 Air next to an iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Air could be this thin — new photo vs iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Air render
iPhone 17 Air could be just 5.5mm thick — but 9.5mm when you throw in the camera bump
iPhone 17 Air render
iPhone 17 Air leaker just tipped how thin it will be — this is nuts
iPhone 17 Air render
iPhone 17 Air tipped for massive battery upgrade despite the thin design — here's what you need to know
iPhone 17 Air render
iPhone 17 Air screen size and specs leak — here's what you need to know
Latest in iPhones
iPhone 17 Pro render
iPhone 17 Ultra just tipped to replace Pro Max in new leak — with these key upgrades
RCS messaging on an iPhone
Forget green bubbles — iPhones will soon get encrypted RCS messaging to Androids
an iPhone 15 Pro playing ambient music in iOS 18.4
My favorite iOS 18.4 addition is the productivity booster I've always needed
iPhone 17 Pro render
iPhone 17 Pro Max leak claims it’s ready for production — and seems to confirm its new design
iPhone 16e review.
iPhone 16e is facing Bluetooth problems — here's what's going on
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Everything we know so far
Latest in News
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Sunday, March 16 (#644)
Nintendo Switch 2
New Nintendo Switch 2 FCC filing suggests this beloved Nintendo controller could make a comeback
(From L to R) Rohan (Nik Dodani), Josh (Brandon Flynn), Dorothy (Edie Falco), John (Dean Norris), and Liddie (Lisa Kuthrow) in The Parenting
Max top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #378 (Sunday, March 16 2025)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE renders
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE price leak is bad news for budget-conscious buyers
Google Assistant
Gemini to kill off Google Assistant on most Android phones — here's what you need to know