Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Air, Its Thinnest iPhone Ever at 5.6mm

Apple revealed its thinnest iPhone yet, the iPhone 17 Air, at its major launch event on September 9. The device marks the most dramatic design shift in years, with Apple returning to a slim-and-light philosophy that has been absent from the smartphone market for years.

At just 5.6 mm, the iPhone 17 Air is the thinnest iPhone ever produced. Apple describes it as “a paradox you have to hold to believe.” Replacing the iPhone 16 Plus, the new model features a large 6.5-inch LTPO Super Retina OLED display with a 120 Hz ProMotion refresh rate.

The screen is protected by Apple’s updated Ceramic Shield 2 and achieves a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits, making it one of the brightest panels on the market.

Design Choices and Cameras

The pursuit of thinness comes with trade-offs. Apple has equipped the iPhone 17 Air with a single 48MP rear camera, a step down from the dual and triple setups on other iPhones. For selfies and video calls, there’s an 18MP front camera with Center Stage support.

Despite a pared-back camera array, the phone does not compromise on power. The iPhone 17 Air runs on Apple’s new A19 Pro chip, featuring a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. Apple claims this silicon delivers MacBook Pro-level performance, pushing the boundaries of what a lightweight iPhone can handle.

Performance and Availability

The iPhone 17 Air is also the first device to debut Apple’s N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. It is paired with the Apple C1X modem, a successor to last year’s C1, offering speeds twice as fast while using 30 percent less energy compared to the Snapdragon X71 modem inside the iPhone 16 Pro.

Apple says the iPhone 17 Air will deliver “all-day battery life.” For those who need more, Apple is offering an optional $99 low-profile MagSafe battery pack, which extends video playback up to 40 hours.

The phone will be available in four colors: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. Pricing starts at $999 for the 256GB base model. Pre-orders open on Friday, September 12, across 63 launch markets, with deliveries beginning September 19.

Countries in the first wave include the US, UK, Canada, China, India, Germany, Japan, and the UAE, among others. A second wave of 22 countries will see availability on September 26.