iPhone 17 Shocker: Ultra-Thin 'Air' Model, Pro's Camera Bar & Big Upgrades Revealed

by Marcin Frąckiewicz
in Uncategorized
on 1 September 2025

Key Facts:

Four New iPhone 17 Models: Apple is expected to unveil four iPhone 17 variants on September 9, 2025 tomsguide.com – the standard iPhone 17, a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 “Air” replacing the Plus model tomsguide.com tomsguide.com, and the premium iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
All Models Get Major Upgrades: Every iPhone 17 is rumored to feature a faster 120Hz display (finally bringing Apple’s smooth ProMotion tech to non-Pro iPhones) tomsguide.com tomsguide.com, a new 24MP front camera (double the current resolution) for sharper selfies tomsguide.com, and faster charging up to 35W wired tomsguide.com with support for the Qi 2.2 wireless standard (potentially boosting wireless charging up to 50W) tomsguide.com.
Radical New “Air” Model: The iPhone 17 Air is incredibly thin – just 5.5mm at its thinnest tomsguide.com – making it the thinnest iPhone ever. It packs a large 6.6-inch OLED display with 120Hz support macrumors.com macrumors.com, but makes big trade-offs to achieve its slim design: a smaller ~2,800–2,900 mAh battery tomsguide.com macrumors.com that may not last a full day of use tomsguide.com, and only a single rear camera (a 48MP wide lens with no telephoto or ultra-wide) tomsguide.com macrumors.com.
Pro Models Overhauled: The iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max adopt a striking new design with a full-width camera “bar” across the back (a first for any iPhone) tomsguide.com tomsguide.com, resembling a Pixel-style camera island. Inside, the Pros get a powerful new A19 Pro chip (3nm) with 12GB RAM for improved performance tomsguide.com tomsguide.com and possibly vapor-chamber cooling to sustain high speeds tomsguide.com. The telephoto camera is tipped to jump to 48MP (up from 12MP) for up to 8× zoom shots tomsguide.com, meaning all three rear cameras would be 48MP.
Mid-Tier Gets Apple’s Own Modem: The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly use Apple’s custom C1 cellular modem (first seen in the iPhone 16e) to save space and battery tomsguide.com. However, this comes with a catch – it won’t support ultra-fast mmWave 5G speeds macrumors.com. All iPhone 17 models should include Apple’s new Wi-Fi 7 capable chip for faster wireless networking macrumors.com.
Pricing on the Rise: Apple is rumored to be raising iPhone 17 prices across the board tomsguide.com. The base iPhone 17 may start around $849 (up from $799) tomsguide.com. Early leaks pegged the iPhone 17 Air at about $899 (similar to the prior Plus model) tomsguide.com, but newer speculation warns its price could climb closer to $1,049–1,099 given its unique design tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro might start around $1,049 (up from $999) tomsguide.com, with the Pro Max potentially reaching $1,249 for the base configuration tomsguide.com.

iPhone 17 (Standard Model) – Finally Gets Pro-Level Display and New Design

The iPhone 17 base model is expected to receive some long-awaited upgrades that bring it closer to Apple’s Pro phones. Most notably, Apple is reportedly equipping the iPhone 17 with a 120Hz OLED panel for the first time tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Until now, the smooth 120Hz “ProMotion” refresh rate was reserved for Pro variants since 2021’s iPhone 13 Pro. If true, this means the regular iPhone 17’s UI and scrolling will feel much more fluid, and it could even support mobile games or apps up to 120 FPS tomsguide.com. (However, there’s a chance the non-Pro screens might not drop to 1Hz for always-on display functionality, unlike Pro models macrumors.com.)

Apple is also bumping up the display size. The iPhone 17 is rumored to have a 6.27-inch screen – about the same size as the current iPhone 16 Pro tomsguide.com. The device isn’t expected to physically grow much; instead, Apple will slim down the bezels to fit the larger display in a similar footprint tomsguide.com. In design, the iPhone 17 will not get the titanium chassis used on Pro models, sticking with an aluminum frame tomsguide.com. But leaked renders show a tweak: a two-tone back with a glass “patch” around the MagSafe charging area and Apple logo while the rest remains aluminum tomsguide.com. This partial glass back could be for aesthetics or improved wireless charging alignment, and it gives the iPhone 17 a fresh look compared to its predecessors.

Another big upgrade is coming to the front-facing camera. After using a 12MP selfie camera since 2019’s iPhone 11, Apple is poised to double the resolution to 24MP on the iPhone 17’s TrueDepth camera tomsguide.com. Famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports the new 24MP lens will also use a 6-element design, promising “substantially improved selfie image quality” compared to current iPhones tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. This means sharper, clearer selfies with better low-light performance and less distortion. (Kuo noted that the iPhone 16 in 2024 is likely sticking with 12MP, making the 2025 iPhone 17 the debut of this upgrade tomsguide.com tomsguide.com.)

The standard iPhone 17 is also expected to charge faster than before. Leaked info from regulatory filings suggests Apple will support 35W wired fast charging on iPhone 17 (up from a 20W max on recent models) tomsguide.com. While 35W isn’t blazing by some Android standards, it’s a significant boost for iPhones – potentially filling 50% battery in under 30 minutes. In addition, Apple appears to be embracing the new Qi 2.2 wireless charging standard, which could theoretically allow wireless charging up to 50W on future iPhones tomsguide.com. (For context, current MagSafe wireless chargers cap out at ~15W or 25W depending on model tomsguide.com.) It remains to be seen if Apple will actually enable the full 50W speed, but support for Qi2 means the iPhone 17 will work with a new generation of high-powered wireless chargers.

One potential disappointment: chipset. Unlike the Pro models, the baseline iPhone 17 might not get Apple’s latest A19 chip. Multiple reports claim the iPhone 17 will instead reuse the same processor from the iPhone 16 tomsguide.com (likely the A18 Bionic). This continues Apple’s trend of tiering its chips – giving non-Pro iPhones last year’s silicon. The A18 (if that’s what iPhone 17 uses) will still be very capable, but the brand-new A19 would be reserved for the iPhone 17 Air and Pros tomsguide.com. On the bright side, all iPhone 17 models should run Apple’s latest software (iOS 26) out of the box engadget.com, benefiting from new features and optimizations.

iPhone 17 Air – Ultra-Thin Marvel with Big Compromises

Apple is reportedly launching a completely new model this year, tentatively called the iPhone 17 Air – an ultra-slim 6.6-inch iPhone aimed at replacing the lackluster “Plus” series tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. According to MacRumors and other insiders, the iPhone 17 Air represents “the biggest design update…since the iPhone X” and is being hailed as “the most exciting iPhone release in years” macrumors.com. Here’s why the tech world is buzzing about this model:

Incredibly Thin Design: The iPhone 17 Air will be dramatically thinner than any prior iPhone. Leaks indicate it measures only 5.5mm at its thinnest point tomsguide.com – over 2mm thinner than even the iPhone 16 (which is ~7.8mm thick) macrumors.com. To achieve this, Apple uses a redesigned chassis and camera bump. The device reportedly has a pill-shaped horizontal camera bump on the back (spanning the width to house its single lens) and a hybrid metal frame. Interestingly, Apple may opt for a titanium-aluminum alloy frame for strength without weight, targeting around just 145 grams – about as light as an old iPhone 13 mini despite the Air’s large screen macrumors.com macrumors.com. For durability, the frame and rear also use less glass than current models macrumors.com, which could help it survive drops despite the thinness.
6.6″ Pro-Level Display: Despite its slim profile, the iPhone 17 Air isn’t small – it packs a 6.6-inch OLED display, only slightly smaller than the 6.7″ Plus it replaces macrumors.com. This screen is said to use the same Samsung-made LTPO OLED panels as last year’s iPhone 16 Pro macrumors.com, meaning it can reach higher brightness (rumored ~30% brighter than an iPhone 16 standard display) and supports variable refresh rates. Notably, the Air is expected to feature 120Hz ProMotion for smooth scrolling and animations macrumors.com macrumors.com. This would mark the first time Apple’s mid-tier iPhone gets 120Hz. Always-On Display capability is possible (since LTPO can theoretically drop to 1Hz to save power macrumors.com), but one rumor claims the Air’s panel might support 120Hz but not 1Hz low-refresh mode, meaning Apple might disable an always-on mode on this model macrumors.com – perhaps to preserve its limited battery life. Like all iPhone 17s, the Air will have the Dynamic Island cutout for notifications and likely the new Camera Control button on the side (more on that later) engadget.com.
New A19 Chip (with a Twist): Unlike the base iPhone 17, the 17 Air is expected to get Apple’s next-gen A19 chipset – but possibly a binned variant. Reports suggest it will use an A19 or “A19 Pro” chip with one fewer GPU core enabled than the full version in the Pros macrumors.com. This still means a leap in processing and graphics power over last year’s chip, and Apple is said to complement it with a robust 12GB of RAM (matching the Pro models) in the Air macrumors.com macrumors.com. To keep this fast chip cool in a tiny chassis, Apple will employ vapor chamber cooling technology across the iPhone 17 lineup macrumors.com tomsguide.com – a first for iPhones – to dissipate heat during intensive tasks.
Single Rear Camera: In perhaps the most controversial design choice, iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have only one rear camera tomsguide.com. Apple is allegedly sacrificing the secondary lenses (ultrawide and telephoto) to save space and thickness. The sole camera is expected to be a 48MP Wide lens (the main camera) capable of high-res shots tomsguide.com. It’s essentially like the main camera from recent models but standing alone. This means the Air likely won’t have optical zoom or true wide-angle abilities – a big downgrade from even the standard dual-camera iPhones. In fact, experts note the single-lens setup means features like spatial video (3D capture for Vision Pro headset) probably won’t be supported on the Air macrumors.com, since that requires multiple cameras. Apple is betting some users will accept fewer cameras in exchange for an ultra-slim device. (For context, Apple’s budget iPhone 16e also uses a single 48MP camera, and the Air seems to follow that minimalist approach macrumors.com.)
Battery Life Concerns: The flip side of extreme thinness is a smaller battery. Leaked specs suggest the iPhone 17 Air will carry roughly a 2,800–2,900 mAh battery capacity tomsguide.com macrumors.com – comparable to the old iPhone 12/13 mini’s battery and far below the ~4,400 mAh in an iPhone 16 Plus. Additionally, to achieve its 5.5mm profile, the internal battery pack is reportedly just 2.5mm thick (half the thickness of a 17 Pro’s battery) engadget.com. Not surprisingly, battery longevity could be a weak point. One insider went so far as to warn the iPhone 17 Air “won’t last a single day” on a charge under heavy use tomsguide.com, which could be a deal-breaker for power users. Apple is said to be mitigating this with several tactics: using the efficient C1 modem and 3nm A19 chip, employing new high-density battery chemistry, and even designing a special smart battery case accessory for the Air tomsguide.com to give it extra juice on long days. Still, prospective buyers of the Air should expect to charge more frequently. (On the bright side, it will at least charge faster – supporting the same 35W wired charging and Qi2 wireless charging up to 25W as the rest of the lineup macrumors.com tomsguide.com. Apple may limit the Air’s wireless charging to ~25W max, matching MagSafe’s current peak macrumors.com, likely to avoid overheating such a thin device.)
Apple’s First Custom 5G Modem: To save space and power, the iPhone 17 Air will use Apple’s own C1 cellular modem chip instead of a bulkier Qualcomm modem tomsguide.com. The C1 debuted in the niche iPhone 16e and is designed in-house to optimize efficiency. However, this first-gen Apple modem lacks support for ultra-fast mmWave 5G macrumors.com. That means outside the US (or in models not containing a separate mmWave module), the Air might be limited to sub-6GHz 5G speeds – which are still fast (hundreds of Mbps) but not the gigabit speeds mmWave can reach in ideal conditions. U.S. iPhones might still include a mmWave antenna by using a hybrid solution, but details are unclear. On the wireless front, all iPhone 17 models including Air will feature Apple’s new Wi-Fi 7 chip for faster Wi-Fi connectivity macrumors.com and Bluetooth upgrades, so networking should be cutting-edge aside from the mmWave omission.
No SIM Tray (eSIM-Only): Apple has been pushing eSIM technology (eliminating physical SIM cards) starting with U.S. iPhone 14 models. With the iPhone 17 Air, it’s rumored Apple might remove the SIM tray in more countries beyond the US macrumors.com. The extremely thin design leaves little room for a SIM slot, so the Air could launch as eSIM-only in many markets – a move that foreshadows an all-eSIM future. This means users will activate service digitally and cannot insert a physical SIM. While eSIM adoption in Europe and elsewhere is growing, this could inconvenience some who rely on swapping SIMs (for travel, etc.), so it’s a bold call by Apple if true.

The iPhone 17 Air clearly represents Apple experimenting with design extremes. As Tom’s Guide notes, Apple is hoping “third time’s the charm” after the small iPhone mini and big Plus both saw disappointing sales tomsguide.com. The Air aims to offer a compelling reason to choose the mid-tier model: an ultra-light, futuristic iPhone with top-tier display and chip – but customers will have to accept its trade-offs (single camera, likely mediocre battery life, possibly premium pricing). If Apple prices it too high, the Air could risk being a niche device. But there’s genuine excitement around it: it “will feature the biggest design update” in years and could be the headline of Apple’s fall event macrumors.com. Tech experts are eager to see if the iPhone 17 Air can redefine the iPhone lineup or if its compromises limit its appeal.

iPhone 17 Pro & Pro Max – Camera Upgrades and a Bold New Look

Apple’s flagship iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to receive more iterative (but still significant) improvements, building on the foundation of the iPhone 15/16 Pro. However, one change is immediately eye-catching: a radical redesign of the rear camera module. Leaked images and dummies suggest the iPhone 17 Pro will feature an extended “camera bar” spanning the entire back width tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Unlike the familiar separate camera bumps, this design puts all lenses and sensors in one horizontal bar across the top – reminiscent of Google’s Pixel 6/7 series or older Nexus phones. The camera lenses still maintain the triangular arrangement within that bar tomsguide.com, but the surrounding bar brings a new aesthetic and possibly functional advantage (it could allow a larger camera sensor or additional components). Reactions are mixed – even a Tom’s Guide editor admitted “it’s different, but I’m not sure it was well thought out” tomsguide.com – yet it certainly sets the 17 Pro apart from previous iPhones. Unless that extra bar space hides some new feature (like improved flash, microphones, or a new sensor), this design seems to be mostly about accommodating larger cameras and giving the Pro iPhones a fresh look.

Importantly, both Pro and Pro Max are rumored to have identical features this year (apart from screen and battery size). In the past, Apple gave the largest model an edge – e.g. only the Pro Max had a periscope 5× zoom lens in iPhone 15. For 2025, leaks say the 6.3-inch iPhone 17 Pro and 6.9-inch Pro Max will share the same camera system and specs tomsguide.com. The only differences would be screen size and the battery (the Max naturally having a bigger battery for longer life) tomsguide.com. So what upgrades are in store for both Pro models? Here’s a rundown:

Chip & Performance: The Pro series will debut Apple’s new A19 Pro chip, manufactured on a 3nm process tomsguide.com. This should bring modest CPU and GPU gains, but Apple is reportedly focusing on AI and machine-learning boosts as well tomsguide.com (sometimes branded as “Apple Intelligence” improvements tomsguide.com). Additionally, RAM is getting a bump – from 8GB in the iPhone 16 Pro to 12GB in iPhone 17 Pro tomsguide.com. Extra memory can help with multitasking and heavy camera features (like processing 48MP images or multi-camera recording). To sustain the higher performance, vapor chamber cooling is expected in the Pro chassis tomsguide.com, which should reduce thermal throttling during gaming or 4K video recording. Early leaked images also show the Pro’s internal design accommodating that cooling and a new layout, hinting at significant internal changes engadget.com engadget.com.
Camera System Enhancements: The headline change is a 48MP Telephoto lens on the iPhone 17 Pro/Max tomsguide.com. Currently, the telephoto (zoom) lens on iPhones is 12MP; upgrading to 48MP allows for higher detail zoom shots and better low-light performance. Some leaks claim this new telephoto could achieve up to 8× zoom range tomsguide.com (likely combining optical zoom with sensor cropping). However, there’s conflicting info: one report suggests Apple might use a shorter-range 3.5× optical lens (down from the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 5×) in exchange for the higher resolution sensor tomsguide.com. If true, Apple could use the 48MP resolution to crop and still get 5×-8× effective zoom with “optical quality” digital zoom tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. We’ll have to see which approach Apple takes. In any case, all three rear cameras are expected to be 48MP (Wide, Ultra-Wide, Tele), unifying the sensors and potentially enabling more consistency and features. For example, 48MP ultra-wide could improve detail in landscape shots and enable macro photography enhancements. The front camera on the Pro models will be the same upgraded 24MP module shared across the lineup tomsguide.com, so selfie and Face ID improvements apply here too. One nifty rumor for the Pros is they might support dual-angle video recording – filming with front and back cameras simultaneously tomsguide.com, which could be great for vlogs or creative shooting. Apple introduced dual-cam recording via third-party apps before, but native support could tie into the powerful A19 chip and larger RAM.
Build and Features: After just two generations with titanium alloy frames (iPhone 15 and 16 Pros), Apple might revert to an aluminum frame for the iPhone 17 Pro tomsguide.com. Leaked chassis photos indeed showed a metal frame that looks more like aluminum, and insiders say this change would significantly reduce weight compared to the heavy titanium bodies engadget.com engadget.com. A lighter Pro iPhone would be welcome, as recent Pros have been quite dense. To maintain premium feel, Apple could use a high-grade aluminum or a hybrid. Interestingly, one leaked shell showed a large circular cutout in the back (behind the Apple logo) — believed to accommodate the MagSafe charging coil in that new camera-bar design engadget.com engadget.com. This aligns with the standard model’s two-tone design approach too. The Pro models are also very likely to feature the new Action button (which replaced the mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro). In fact, dummy units show both the Action/Camera Control button and the power button on the sides of iPhone 17 Pro tomsguide.com. Apple will retain these – possibly even enhancing the Action button with “Camera Control” functions, as Mark Gurman has suggested. This could mean a half-press/full-press behavior for camera focus and shutter, or simply the ability to quickly launch and snap photos with that button. The leaked dummy images confirm the presence of what’s labeled a “Camera Control” side button in addition to volume and power tomsguide.com, indicating Apple doesn’t plan to remove or drastically alter these physical controls in the new generation. Another long-requested feature may finally appear: reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 17 Pro/Max are rumored to support wirelessly charging accessories (like AirPods or Apple Watch) by placing them on the back of the phone tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Apple has allegedly held back this capability for years, but could enable it now – making the iPhone a charging pad for your smaller gadgets. This would be a convenient addition, especially as Apple further integrates the ecosystem (for instance, charging AirPods on the go).
Battery & Charging: The Pro and Pro Max should benefit from the across-the-line charging upgrades – i.e. up to 35W wired charging and faster wireless with Qi2. The Pro Max, with its larger size, will still have the longest battery life. No huge battery capacity increases have been rumored, likely because Apple is focusing on making the devices lighter (switching away from heavy titanium and perhaps optimizing internals). However, efficiency gains from the A19 Pro chip and possibly slightly larger batteries may yield a bit more endurance. Also, vapor cooling on the Pros could indirectly help battery life by allowing the chip to run cooler and more efficiently under load.

On the software side, these iPhone 17 Pros will ship with iOS 26, which Apple aligned with the year (2026) naming scheme engadget.com. iOS 26 might bring new camera software tricks to leverage the upgraded hardware (for example, improved night mode from that wider aperture telephoto, or new AI editing features taking advantage of the A19’s neural engine).

Color options for the 17 series have also leaked: according to Macworld and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has some bold new finishes planned. The iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max are expected in Black, White, Gray, Dark Blue, and a new Orange (a deep orange hue) engadget.com engadget.com. Gurman himself confirmed the new orange is coming for the Pro line, alongside a light blue for the Air engadget.com engadget.com. The standard iPhone 17 may come in more playful shades: rumored colors include black, white, steel gray, green, purple, and light blue engadget.com. The Air will have a more limited palette (reflecting its “lighter” vibe): black, white, light blue, and light gold macrumors.com. Leaker Sonny Dickson even shared images of dummy units in these colors, giving a sneak peek at how the new designs look in real life engadget.com.

Final Thoughts – A Big Year for iPhone Upgrades

If these leaks pan out, Apple’s 2025 iPhone lineup will be one of the most significant in years. The introduction of the iPhone 17 Air marks a daring attempt to reignite interest in the mid-tier model by combining a Pro-level display and chip with an unprecedentedly slim design macrumors.com. “It’s the most exciting iPhone release in years,” one tech editor enthused macrumors.com, highlighting how much buzz the Air’s design is generating. On the high end, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max refine the formula with faster silicon, more RAM, and camera improvements that could please photography enthusiasts – all wrapped in a fresh look that literally turns the iPhone’s camera into a centerpiece bar tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Meanwhile, even the baseline iPhone 17 is getting long-requested features like 120Hz and better selfies tomsguide.com tomsguide.com, making Apple’s “standard” iPhone more compelling than it has been in a while.

Of course, with Apple, nothing is official until the launch. The company famously “never comments on product rumors,” as analysts remind us tomsguide.com. But the consistency of these leaks – coming from veteran sources like Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, and supply chain filings – gives them credence. Kuo, for instance, has a strong track record and based the 24MP camera report on supply chain info that “ultimately [winds] up in Apple phones” tomsguide.com. Similarly, design leaks (from dummy units to case manufacturer molds) have repeatedly shown the camera-bar and ultra-thin chassis, adding confidence that these changes are real.

One relief for users: earlier rumors claimed Apple might go completely port-less on the iPhone 17 Air (eliminating the USB-C port for an all-wireless design), but Bloomberg’s Gurman says Apple “changed plans” and will keep the port – thankfully avoiding a charger revolution just yet engadget.com. So, the Air should still charge via cable (likely USB-C, since Apple switched the iPhone 15 series to USB-C in 2023).

All eyes now turn to Apple’s upcoming event (dubbed “Awe Dropping” according to MacRumors macrumors.com) on September 9, 2025. There, Apple will officially unveil the iPhone 17 family and confirm which rumors hit the mark. Will the iPhone 17 Air live up to the hype as a trend-setting supermodel of smartphones? Can the iPhone 17 Pro’s new camera system wow us and justify a higher price tag? We’ll know soon. For now, the leaks paint an exciting picture: Apple is about to shake up its iPhone lineup with big display upgrades, an ultra-thin design marvel, and powerhouse Pros – with plenty of bold firsts for the iconic device macrumors.com tomsguide.com.

Sources: Ming-Chi Kuo via Medium, Tom’s Guide, MacRumors, Engadget, Bloomberg. All cited content and quotes are derived from reporting by these outlets and reputable analysts tomsguide.com macrumors.com tomsguide.com engadget.com, providing the latest insight into Apple’s iPhone 17 plans as of today. The final feature set may vary, but one thing is certain: this year’s iPhone launch is shaping up to be one of Apple’s most interesting in a decade macrumors.com.