Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the iPhone 17 Air will cost less than the iPhone Pro models, contradicting the long-standing expectation that the new ultra-thin iPhone would be even more expensive than the iPhone Pro Max models. With that being the case, the phone actually makes more sense than ever.
New pricing rumor
In a new report, The Wall Street Journal said the following about the long-rumored iPhone 17 Air:
Starting next year, Apple plans to introduce an iPhone that will be thinner than the approximately 8-millimeter profile of current models, said people familiar with the company’s plans. The model is intended to be cheaper than Pro models, with a simplified camera system to reduce costs.
This goes against what had been previously reported. Back in May, when The Information revealed some of the first details about the device, this was what they stated:
The slimmer iPhone could be released concurrently with the iPhone 17, expected in September 2025, according to the three people with direct knowledge and two others familiar with the project. It could be priced higher than the iPhone Pro Max, currently Apple’s most expensive model starting at $1,200, they said.
Why it matters
Obviously, more expensive than the iPhone Pro Max implies a price tag of at least $1199 – possibly even as high as $1299. For a thinner iPhone with less features, a compromised battery life, and a single camera. That didn’t seem very worth it. Sure, it would’ve looked very nice, and potentially would’ve laid the groundwork for future iPhones to be thinner, but it wouldn’t have made too much sense to buy.
More recently, we’ve even heard that the iPhone 17 Air will lack a second speaker, relying only on the earpiece to output audio. With so many compromises, it never would’ve made sense to pay such a large premium for.
However, if newer reports are to hold true, we’re now expecting a model cheaper than the Pro models. It isn’t clear what this means exactly, since there could potentially be a price hike with the iPhone 17 Pro, but regardless, the iPhone 17 Air should come in under $1000. If there is no price hike on the iPhone 17 Pro, then the 17 Air could potentially be as low as $899, taking the same price point as iPhone 16 Plus.
That drastically changes the value proposition there, making the new model up to $400 cheaper than we initially thought.
Wrap up
Sure, you’d still be losing out on battery life and a second camera compared to the iPhone 16 Plus, and you’d also be missing a second speaker. All that being said though, you would be getting the cool, shiny looking, and far thinner iPhone – for the same price you paid last year. Apple is probably betting on that being the appeal. This will be the first iPhone in a large number of years that’ll look truly different compared to the prior model.
Plus, unlike the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the base model iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will equip 120Hz ProMotion displays, making it more appealing to techies as well.
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