Thinner iPhone, Thicker Price: iPhone 17 ‘Air’ Might Cost $1,300 CAD

We now have some more details about Apple’s rumoured iPhone 17 ‘Air’, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his PowerOn newsletter.

The iPhone 17 ‘Air’ will be thinner than current models, reducing its depth by about 2 millimetres, roughly a 20% decrease. Despite its slimmer build, Apple is aiming to maintain battery life that’s comparable to existing iPhones. Achieving this balance has required significant redesigns in the phone’s display, silicon components, and software.

From the front, the iPhone 17 ‘Air’ won’t look drastically different. It will feature a 6.6-inch display with slim bezels similar to the iPhone 16 Pro, support for ProMotion for smoother scrolling, and the same standard-sized Dynamic Island interface. A new Camera Control button will also be included for easier photo adjustments.

We’ve seen dummy units of the alleged iPhone 17 series showing rear camera bars, similar to what are on Google’s Pixel series smartphones.

However, to achieve the slim profile, Apple made some compromises, says Gurman. The device will feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera, similar to the iPhone 16e, instead of multiple lenses seen on Pro models. It will use the standard A19 chip, while the higher-end Pro models will be equipped with the A19 Pro chip.

Also, the iPhone 17 ‘Air’ will lack a physical SIM card slot, which is already standard for U.S. models but a notable change for international markets. In Canada, our iPhones still have SIM card trays to go with eSIM.

The new model will introduce Apple’s in-house modem chip, the C1, which is more power-efficient than previous chips but lacks support for mmWave 5G, a faster variant that will remain exclusive to Pro models. The C1 made its debut in the iPhone 16e.

Initially, Apple experimented with the iPhone 17 ‘Air’ to have a 6.9-inch screen, but the plan was scrapped over concerns about the device’s durability. The company feared a larger, thinner phone could face bending issues.  Everyone remembers “bendgate” from 2014 when the iPhone 6 Plus faced criticism for warping in tight pockets (you can thank Canadian YouTuber Unbox Therapy for helping to kick that off).

While Apple considered removing the USB-C port and only have wireless charging, the company ultimately decided against it. Why? Possible pushback from the European Union and its forced adoption of USB-C for all electronics was likely a factor.

The iPhone Air is expected to be priced around $900 USD, positioning it similarly to the iPhone 16 Plus. With today’s exchange rate that’s about $1,300 CAD. But if Apple uses a 1.50 exchange rate like the iPhone 16e, that would be about $1,350 CAD.

Now, Gurman says the tech in the iPhone 17 ‘Air’ will make its way into future models, such as possible foldable iPhone, rumoured to launch in 2026. Apple’s Pro line of iPhones are said to get a redesign in 2026 or 2027, with the Dynamic Island likely to get smaller.