I haven’t been excited for an iPhone in a long time. In fact, the last time I’ve had this much anticipation was with the iPhone X. But now that Apple has revealed its September 9 ‘Awe Dropping’ event, I’m genuinely looking forward to the iPhone 17 Air for a number of reasons.
Every few generations yields an evolutionary model that moves the needle forward, like how the original iPhone revolutionized the modern smartphone — or how the iPhone 4 helped to introduce us all to FaceTime. These are the kind of devices that make a lasting impression, and we could be in store for something similar at Apple’s next event.
I’ve tested every iPhone released and wonder where the iPhone 17 Air will land in my all-time best iPhones list. It’s going against some notable stuff, but here’s how I think it'll be compelling.
Design is paramount
All of my all-time favorite iPhones have one thing in common: their designs made them so memorable. From the size upgrade of the iPhone 6 Plus over previous models, to the ultra-premium design language of the iPhone X, a memorable design is paramount — and I think the iPhone 17 Air has what it takes.
That’s because as its name implies, its thin and lightweight design is probably going to garner the most attention. If you’ve held the Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy Z Fold 7, then you probably have a good idea of how crazy thin the iPhone 17 Air is going to be. It’s one thing to read off a specs sheet, but it’s totally another to see and hold it.
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max measure in at 8.25mm, but the iPhone 17 Air is tipped to be as skinny as 5.5mm. To put that size into perspective, the Galaxy S25 Edge is 5.8mm thin. But it wouldn’t matter if it feels fragile, or susceptible to damage.
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max measure in at 8.25mm, but the iPhone 17 Air is tipped to be as skinny as 5.5mm. To put that size into perspective, the Galaxy S25 Edge is 5.8mm thin. But it wouldn’t matter if it feels fragile, or susceptible to damage.
Leaks indicate it’s going to get the same premium finish as Apple’s other phones, including a sturdy titanium frame and available in a few different colors.
Uncompromised power with the A19 chip
The rumors around the iPhone 17 Air hint at two possibilities: one where it’ll be powered by the A19, the other being that it could get the A19 Pro with one less GPU core than the version that powers Apple's iPhone 17 Pro models. In order to truly establish itself as one of the all-time best iPhones ever released, I’m hoping it gets the latter.
Apple’s A-series chips have shown strong promise, and when benchmarked against its rivals, iPhones have by and large been uncompromising with their power. I anticipate the iPhone 17 Air to deliver the smooth responsiveness that iPhones are known for, especially around gaming where I’ve always found flagship models like the iPhone 16 Pro Max to have minimal latency.
A camera that just works
Alright, this one might end up being the most controversial thing about the iPhone 17 Air — but hear me out, its camera could still be hard to beat. At this point in the game, it’s almost guaranteed that it’ll be sporting just a single rear camera. Believe me, it’s hard for me to accept, but I’m still very confident about it.
That’s because sometimes you need just one really good camera, and the 48MP one rumored to come with the iPhone 17 Air could be all it needs. While it wouldn’t match the utility of a triple camera setup, it would still be able to deliver some ‘optical-like quality’ through a combination of using pixel binning techniques and newer image processing algorithms.
If it were to get just one camera, I would want none other than the main one that would come with the Pro models. Usually speaking, the main camera in the Pro models tend to deliver the best performance — including low light, which is where I see the biggest drops.
Setting the tone for future models
Much like my other all-time favorite models, the iPhone 17 Air could effectively set the tone for everything Apple releases going forward. Perhaps this thin and light design language could become the new norm, including a phone with just a single rear camera.
Everything rumored to come with the iPhone 17 Air makes it the most compelling out of the bunch, but there are still variables that could prevent it from being one of those all-time great iPhones. Apple Intelligence definitely needs a strong showing here because its rivals have proven to be a few steps ahead, while battery life performance is still one area that will be scrutinized heavily.
And then there’s the matter of price. Where does it fit in the lineup? Ideally I’d love to see it at the same price as the previous ‘Plus’ models, but realistically it might be priced in between the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Anything more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max would make it even tougher. That’s unless there are other surprises in store for it that we’re not aware of.
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