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The iPhone 17 Air will be Apple’s sacrifice for its vision of the future

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman lays out why the new design comes with too many compromises.

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By Johanna Romero

Published: Sep 07, 2025, 8:50 AM

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Leaked render of the upcoming iPhone 17 Air

iPhone 17 Air leaked render. | Image credit — FPT.

This coming Tuesday is shaping up to be a huge day for tech enthusiasts and Apple fans alike, as Apple is set to reveal its new iPhone lineup. While the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be the star of the show, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has delivered an early dose of reality. In his latest newsletter, he draws a compelling, and cautionary, parallel between the upcoming super-thin iPhone and the original MacBook Air from all the way back in 2008.

That original MacBook Air was expensive, underpowered, and had mediocre battery life. It was awkwardly priced between a cheaper, more capable MacBook and a far superior MacBook Pro. Gurman argues that Apple is repeating that exact history with the iPhone 17 Air, as it will reportedly be significantly thinner, but at the cost of what users actually care about: battery life and camera performance. We’re talking a single rear camera in an era where two or three is standard.

Which iPhone (if any) are you planning to pre-order this Tuesday?

iPhone 17

4.48%

iPhone 17 Air

22.03%

iPhone 17 Pro

13.82%

iPhone 17 Pro Max

26.44%

No iPhone for me this year

33.23%

This new "Air" model is expected to be sandwiched between the base iPhone 17, which will have a better battery and more cameras, and the iPhone 17 Pro, which will be superior in every meaningful way. The main selling point is thinness, an attribute that just doesn't carry the same weight it did when laptops were genuinely bulky. Today's phones aren't exactly unwieldy, and as Samsung discovered with its similar S25 Edge, which saw underwhelming sales, consumers aren't clamoring to trade power for a slimmer profile.

Person holding up a Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on its side

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is an engineering marvel, but hasn’t seen much success in sales numbers. | Image credit — PhoneArena

I happen to agree with Gurman in his assessment that the iPhone 17 Air’s existence in the iPhone lineup won’t be about it becoming a blockbuster product right now. Much like the first MacBook Air, it will be a technology preview — Apple’s way of testing new engineering, battery chemistry, and production methods that will eventually trickle down to the entire lineup.

This device will pave the way for a thinner future for all iPhones and will even lay the groundwork for a foldable device. However, as Gurman so eloquently explained, while the iPhone 17 Air may be an awe-inspiring glimpse into tomorrow, on Tuesday your money will be better spent on the iPhone 17 or the iPhone 17 Pro.

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Johanna 'Jojo the Techie' is a skilled mobile technology expert with over 15 years of hands-on experience, specializing in the Google ecosystem and Pixel devices. Known for her user-friendly approach, she leverages her vast tech support background to provide accessible and insightful coverage on latest technology trends. As a recognized thought leader and former member of #TeamPixel, Johanna ensures she stays at the forefront of Google services and products, making her a reliable source for all things Pixel and ChromeOS.

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