That "shovel": Apple iPhone 17 Air glass in comparison with the rest of the line

It is expected that invitations to the presentation of the next iPhone 17 series will appear this month, and the event will take place in about four weeks. One of the most anticipated updates this year is the iPhone 17 Air, which will replace the iPhone 16 Plus and will receive an ultra-thin body.

Insider Majin Bu published X has a comparative photo of the protective glass for the three upcoming models. According to it, the iPhone 17 Air’s display is almost midway between the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max in size.

Changing the approach to screen sizes

For several years, standard iPhones and Pro models had the same display diagonal, and the Plus and Pro Max versions also shared the same size category. With the iPhone 16 series, Apple has reduced the already thin bezels of the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, which has resulted in a few extra pixels compared to regular models.

Now, after three generations of Plus, the release of the iPhone 17 Air changes the usual lineup. The new model is expected to have a 6.6-inch display — slightly smaller than the 6.7-inch screens of the iPhone 14/15/16 Plus. All models in the new series will have different display sizes:

• iPhone 17 — 6.1 inches
• iPhone 17 Pro — 6.3 inches (same as its predecessor)
• iPhone 17 Air — 6.6 inches (ultra-thin body)
• iPhone 17 Pro Max — 6.9 inches (iPhone record)

For those who prefer the largest screens, the Pro Max remains the undisputed leader. And fans of the «tabletphone» format will have to wait another year: the first foldable iPhone is rumored to have an internal 7.58-inch display.

It seems that the iPhone 17 Air is aimed at those who appreciate compactness and lightness combined with a large screen area. But there are nuances. The developers have simplified the camera. The new model will have only one main module instead of the triple camera in the Pro versions. So, there will be no telephoto module. Engineers also cut the battery. The smaller body requires the use of smaller batteryso the battery life may be worse than the Plus. According to insiders, Apple plans to release an official external battery backupto partially resolve this issue. Another strange one is called atypical location of the front camera.

At the same time, the Air can become a kind of «testbed» for Apple before the release of the foldable iPhone: the company will test the technology of ultra-thin cases, but in a classic form factor.

Source: 9to5mac