The rumor mill has been churning out speculation about a new phone that would replace the iPhone Plus model. The excitement level was boosted when the early speculation called for the phone, now dubbed the iPhone Air by everyone but Apple, to be priced higher than the Pro Max model. This indicated to many that it would be an overkill in terms of specifications.
But just as quickly as hopes were raised by the rumors, they were humbled as though the hopes of iPhone power users had been dragged over those spikes strips. Now, a chart post on “X” by Leaker Ice Universe was the catalyst as it claimed to show specs for all the iPhone 17 models including the model now expected to be called the iPhone 17 Air.
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iPhone 17 Air Won’t Outperform The Pro Lineup
The specs don't come across as an overkill, as the smartphone is said to pack a 6.65-inch OLED panel with proMotion and a dynamic refresh rate with a range of 1Hz-120Hz depending on the content being shown on the display. The device is said to be powered by the plain Jane A19 application processor (AP). The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will both pack the more capable A19 Pro AP.
While the iPhone 17 pro models will feature 12GB of RAM, the highest amount of memory ever seen on an iPhone, the iPhone 17 Air will pack 8GB offering the minimum amount of memory that will support Apple Intelligence. There is a rumor that the phone will have one rear camera located in the top middle of the rear panel. The starting price, at $1,299, which is $100 more than the starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
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Why Will the iPhone 17 Air Be Priced Higher?
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in his weekly newsletter, explained how he sees Apple marketing the iPhone. He sees the company positioning the device as a "snazzier" model than the basic iPhone 17 model but for those who don’t need "the performance, screen size or cameras of a Pro model."
The only issue here is what the iPhone 17 Air does come with which is a higher price tag than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. For that extra amount users will be paying for, as Gurman suggests, something that looks cooler while still featuring the specs of a regular iPhone.