The speculation surrounding Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air continues to grow. This new model is set to take the place of the “Plus” version in the iPhone 17 series. A recent leak has raised eyebrows with a potentially contentious design element: a camera bar positioned on the back.
Design Speculations for the iPhone 17 Air
There have been various reports regarding the thickness of the iPhone 17 Air.
- A supply chain analysis indicated that the iPhone 17 Air will likely be around 6.25mm thick.
- The Information mentioned that prototypes of the iPhone 17 Air range from 5 to 6 millimeters in thickness.
- More recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the slimmed-down design would feature a minimum thickness of 5.5mm.
For context, all these estimates show that the iPhone 17 Air will be much thinner than the current iPhone 16 models, potentially earning the title of Apple’s slimmest iPhone to date, surpassing the iPhone 6’s 6.9mm frame.
- iPhone 16: 7.80mm
- iPhone 16 Plus: 7.80mm
- iPhone 16 Pro: 8.25mm
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8.25mm
Another debated feature of the iPhone 17 Air is its camera bump. It’s anticipated that this model will house a single 48MP camera on its back, contrasting sharply with the dual cameras found on the iPhone 16 and the triple camera setup on the Pro versions.
Leaker Majin Bu recently shared an image on social media that purportedly displays the design of the iPhone 17 Air’s rear.
While Majin Bu’s reliability with Apple hardware predictions is spotty—especially at this stage of leaks—there have been separate CAD representations from credible sources that align with this camera bar design for the iPhone 17 Air.
If this camera bar shape is accurate, it suggests the single camera will be located in the same position as on current iPhone models. Earlier sources hinted at a centered camera placement, but this hasn’t been confirmed. Interestingly, the camera’s flash appears to be positioned on the side opposite to that of the camera bar.
Should the iPhone 17 Air indeed incorporate this camera bar design, it could explain Kuo’s claim of a thickness of 5.5mm at its most slender point. The overall device thickness would increase where the camera bar is located.
Nonetheless, we are still eight months out from Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 17 Air. There remains ample opportunity for Apple to modify the design in any number of ways. It is common for Apple to explore several design prototypes before making a final decision on the iPhone 17 Air’s appearance.
Stay updated with all the latest rumors regarding the iPhone 17 Air in our comprehensive guide.
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