Final week, The Wall Road Journal reported that the iPhone 17 Air will price lower than the iPhone Professional fashions, contradicting the long-standing expectation that the brand new ultra-thin iPhone could be much more costly than the iPhone Professional Max fashions. With that being the case, the cellphone really makes extra sense than ever.
New pricing rumor
In a new report, The Wall Road Journal stated the next in regards to the long-rumored iPhone 17 Air:
Beginning subsequent 12 months, Apple plans to introduce an iPhone that can be thinner than the roughly 8-millimeter profile of present fashions, stated folks conversant in the corporate’s plans. The mannequin is meant to be cheaper than Professional fashions, with a simplified digicam system to scale back prices.
This goes in opposition to what had been beforehand reported. Again in Could, when The Data revealed among the first particulars in regards to the system, this was what they acknowledged:
The slimmer iPhone might be launched concurrently with the iPhone 17, anticipated in September 2025, in response to the three folks with direct data and two others conversant in the mission. It might be priced greater than the iPhone Professional Max, presently Apple’s most costly mannequin beginning at $1,200, they stated.
Why it issues
Clearly, dearer than the iPhone Professional Max implies a price ticket of no less than $1199 – probably whilst excessive as $1299. For a thinner iPhone with much less options, a compromised battery life, and a single digicam. That didn’t appear very price it. Certain, it will’ve appeared very good, and doubtlessly would’ve laid the groundwork for future iPhones to be thinner, however it wouldn’t have made an excessive amount of sense to purchase.
Extra not too long ago, we’ve even heard that the iPhone 17 Air will lack a second speaker, relying solely on the earpiece to output audio. With so many compromises, it by no means would’ve made sense to pay such a big premium for.
Nonetheless, if newer stories are to carry true, we’re now anticipating a mannequin cheaper than the Professional fashions. It isn’t clear what this implies precisely, since there may doubtlessly be a worth hike with the iPhone 17 Professional, however regardless, the iPhone 17 Air ought to are available beneath $1000. If there isn’t a worth hike on the iPhone 17 Professional, then the 17 Air may doubtlessly be as little as $899, taking the identical worth level as iPhone 16 Plus.
That drastically modifications the worth proposition there, making the brand new mannequin as much as $400 cheaper than we initially thought.
Wrap up
Certain, you’d nonetheless be dropping out on battery life and a second digicam in comparison with the iPhone 16 Plus, and also you’d even be lacking a second speaker. All that being stated although, you’d be getting the cool, shiny wanting, and much thinner iPhone – for a similar worth you paid final 12 months. Apple might be betting on that being the enchantment. This would be the first iPhone in a lot of years that’ll look really totally different in comparison with the prior mannequin.
Plus, not like the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the bottom mannequin iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will equip 120Hz ProMotion shows, making it extra interesting to techies as effectively.
My favourite iPhone equipment on Amazon:
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