A recent report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air could be a game-changer in the company’s design strategy. According to Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air will be a mid-range device with a thinner profile than any previous iPhone, priced at a lower point than the Pro models.
Gurman believes that while the Air may not sell as well as the Pro models, it will still be more popular and profitable for Apple than its predecessors. He notes that the Air’s design is already a success for other Apple products like the MacBook and iPad lines.
However, some analysts, such as James Rogerson at Tech Radar, are skeptical about the iPhone 17 Air’s prospects. They argue that while it may look stylish, it will likely be outperformed by the Pro models in terms of specs, particularly when it comes to camera quality and battery life.
New images from respected leaker Sonny Dickson show four iPhone dummies side by side, revealing the relative sizes and designs of each model. The Air is strikingly thin, but this raises questions about its audio capabilities and potential pricing strategy.
One key takeaway from these images is that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have SIM card trays, which could indicate that eSIM technology won’t be available globally this year. This means that some countries may receive a different version of the phone with a traditional SIM card slot.
Overall, Apple’s new design strategy for the iPhone 17 Air has significant implications for the company’s future product roadmap, including the potential development of thinner Pro models and foldable devices.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2025/04/28/apple-iphone-17-latest-leak-shows-new-designs-in-striking-detail