The iPhone 17 Air may not cause a price surprise, after all.

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      Since the first whispers about Apple planning to launch an ultra-slim iPhone emerged, there has been much speculation about a correspondingly high price. However, it appears that buyers won’t face an outrageous "innovation tax" for the iPhone 17 Air model expected later this year. According to Bloomberg, the new phone might be priced at “approximately $900.” For context, that’s the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus. The iPhone 17 Air is anticipated to replace the “Plus” model in Apple's lineup later this year.

      A few nice surprises

      The features of the device are expected to include a variety of surprises. For instance, the slim phone will have a 6.6-inch display and will borrow the ProMotion technology from the higher-priced Pro models. Historically, the high refresh rate feature has been exclusive to Apple's top-tier iPhones and iPads.

      Additionally, despite its slim design, the iPhone 17 Air will still include a Camera Control button. However, the most surprising aspect may be its battery life. According to Bloomberg’s report, even with a slimmer battery, the device is expected to deliver a per-charge performance that matches current iPhones.

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      Naturally, some compromises have been made to achieve the slim design. The most notable is the downgraded camera hardware. Despite its premium price, the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to feature just a single 48-megapixel rear camera, which is the same as the camera on the $599 iPhone 16e. In terms of processing power, it will be equipped with the new A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature the faster A19 Pro variant. Apple has also decided to eliminate the physical SIM tray for this model, opting solely for eSIM technology.

      Lastly, the thin phone will come with Apple’s own C1 modem, which was first seen in the iPhone 16e earlier this year. The modem has not raised any performance concerns, but it does lack support for the faster mmWave 5G technology, which is a significant connectivity upgrade available in Qualcomm modems. Apple is not the only brand venturing into ultra-slim phones this year. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is anticipated to launch in the coming months, while Tecno’s Spark Slim is reportedly on track for a 2025 release. Several Chinese manufacturers are also looking to introduce their own ultra-slim devices this year.

      Nadeem is a technology and science journalist who began exploring smartphone technology out of curiosity and soon became invested in the subject.

      The Apple Watch urgently needs an update similar to that of the iPhone 16e.

      Apple tends to be slow in refreshing its lower-cost products, but one model that definitely needs attention is the Apple Watch SE. The prolonged neglect of the SE has been adversely affecting Apple's performance, and it is crucial that an Apple Watch SE 3 is released alongside the Apple Watch Series 11 later this year.

      Addressing the issues

      Apple Watch shipments saw a 19% decrease in 2024 compared to 2023, according to Counterpoint Research. A statement in the report mentioned, “The stagnation of the existing Apple Watch SE lineup and the absence of new SE models contributed to the decline.” While the overall smartwatch market experienced a slowdown during this period, Apple faced the sharpest drop in shipments, indicating some underlying problems within its current product lineup.

      More information

      A leak regarding the Google Pixel 10 serves as a reminder for Apple to enhance its iPhone offerings.

      Google's Pixel phones have earned a strong reputation for their remarkable camera capabilities. In 2025, Google may elevate the situation with the Pixel 10, potentially surpassing the core iPhones in performance. According to a recent leak, the upcoming flagship might excel in zoom capabilities.

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      An image highlights the remarkable thinness of the iPhone 17 Air.

      Are you curious to see just how thin the anticipated Apple iPhone 17 Air will be? An intriguing image has been shared, showing the upcoming model alongside the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, revealing a significant difference in thickness. The 16 Pro Max measures 8.25mm thick, similar to the standard iPhone 16 Pro. The image suggests that the iPhone 17 Air could be about half that thickness.

      The images reportedly come from known mobile news leaker Majin Bu on X, with no other sources cited. They seem to be stills from a video, implying that more images might be available soon, as hinted by Bu. If the iPhone 17 Air is indeed