iPhone 17 Air To Headline Apple's Launch Event But Will It Be A Hit?
Apple is preparing to unveil its next generation of mobile and wearable products at its "Awe Dropping" (groan) event, set to take place tomorrow, September 9. While many are anticipating a launch with hardware improvements that may seem incremental in the short term, all eyes are on a single device that could mark a new direction for the company: the ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air.
Still, for those willing to part with $1,100 of their hard-earned cash, there's more than the appeal of the iPhone 17 Air's slender build than meets the eye. The device is expected to feature a 6.6-inch 120Hz ProMotion display, slotting between the standard and Pro Max models (at 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively), which in and of itself could be a nice middle ground for certain buyers.
Like the rest of the iPhone 17 family, the front camera of the 17 Air is expected to get a healthy bump from 12MP to a new 24MP sensor. Powering it all will be the A19 Pro chipset, shared with the Pro and Pro Max models, although RAM will the same as the entry level iPhone 17 at 8GB versus 12GB for the flagships.
Industry analysts believe this new Air model could be a catalyst for a massive upgrade cycle, because, after all, it's been a while since Apple has offered such a meaningful form factor update to its current lineup of slab phones. But then again, will the 17 Air's compromises (don't get us started on the 3,000-ish mAh battery size) be too great to overcome its technical shortcomings of the similar-priced Pro and Pro Max? What's your take? Drop us a comment below.
So yes, even though tomorrow’s launch will include the Apple Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3, and quite likely a new AirPods Pro, all eyes (no doubt including Apple's leaders and investors) will be fixed on the iPhone 17 Air.
