Possible iPhone 17 Air design looks strangely familiar

By Bryan M. Wolfe Published February 14, 2025

A rendered concept of what the iPhone 17 Air might look like. — WEIS Studio

The biggest Apple story in 2025 is likely to be the launch of the iPhone 17 Air in the fall. Design leaks about the new phone, which is expected to replace the iPhone Plus in the iPhone 17 series lineup, have gradually emerged. Now, WEIS Studio has released an Instagram video that shows what the phone could look like.

As you can see, the phone’s back looks nothing like any iPhone currently on the market. This is because rumors suggest the rear camera system will sit horizontally, not vertically.

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This design looks strikingly similar to phones already on the market. Namely, the phone looks much like the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, right?

Beyond this, the WEIS design considers another massive feature of the iPhone 17 Air: its skinny profile, which could measure as little as 5.5mm. By contrast, the iPhone 16 is 7.8mm thick. Two other comparisons: The 13-inch iPad Pro (2024) is 5.1mm thick, while the 11-inch model has a depth of 5.3mm.

Google Pixel 9 Pro. — Google Pixel 9 Pro Google

The iPhone 17 Air will likely have a 6.6-inch display that, like the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, will be a 120Hz ProMotion display. An A19 chip, Wi-Fi 7, and an Apple in-house 5G modem will be inside.

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to include a single 48-megapixel rear camera.

Like millions of others, I am eagerly anticipating the release of the iPhone 17 Air. It’s not often that Apple introduces a new handset design. And yet, I hope the final product stands out from the existing phones on the market. It’s not in Apple’s nature to mimic competitor designs, and I don’t expect them to start doing so now.

Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup is expected to launch in early September.

Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer

Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.

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