iPhone 17 Air Turned Out To Be More Pro Than We Thought

Unlike we previously thought, the iPhone 17 Air is not getting an A19 chip. Instead, it’s getting the A19 Pro chip – something typically reserved for the Pro lineup. However, there’s also a small limitation you should be aware of.

A Pro Chip for the Air

For years, Apple has reserved its Pro chips for the Pro models, while the standard and Plus models got the regular chips. But this time, things might change.

According to leaker Fixed Focus Digital, the iPhone 17 Air will get the A19 Pro chip, just like the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. This is surprising because earlier, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said it would use the regular A19 chip.

The Catch: A Missing GPU Core

However, there’s a catch. While the Pro and Pro Max will feature a 6-core GPU, the iPhone 17 Air’s A19 Pro chip will have only a 5-core GPU. In simple terms, its graphics performance might be slightly lower than that of the Pro models, especially for gaming or demanding visual tasks. But for normal users, it shouldn’t make a big difference.

Apple typically performs chip binning in this manner. When producing chips, some may have a single flawed core. Instead of throwing away the entire chip, Apple disables that one core and uses it in slightly cheaper devices. For example, the iPhone 16e got an A18 chip with only a 4-core GPU, while other phones with the same A18 chip have 5 cores. This smart approach saves costs while maintaining decent performance. 

Here’s how the current chip expectations look:

• iPhone 17: A19 chip, 8GB RAM
• iPhone 17 Air: A19 Pro chip (5-core GPU), 12GB RAM
• iPhone 17 Pro: A19 Pro chip (6-core GPU), 12GB RAM
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: A19 Pro chip (6-core GPU), 12GB RAM

This represents a significant leap for the Air model. Earlier reports suggested it would just be a slightly better base iPhone. However, it now appears that Apple wants it to sit somewhere between the base and Pro models. It’s also said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will come with 12GB RAM, matching the Pro models, while the base iPhone 17 will stay at 8GB.

What Does This Also Mean?

While the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to replace the iPhone 17 Plus, its pricing is still a mystery. It’s expected to cost around $899, similar to the iPhone 16 Plus, as it replaces the standard Plus variant.

However, some rumors suggest a price as high as $1,299, even higher than the Pro Max, which seems unlikely until now. But with its Pro chip, slim design, and premium upgrades, could Apple actually price the Air this high?

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series in September 2025. Until then, we can only wait to see which leaker gets it right – Fixed Focus Digital or Ming-Chi Kuo.

Either way, the iPhone 17 Air is shaping up to be a far more interesting model than anyone expected.

Also Read:

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• iPhone 17 Air Leak Hints at Unexpected Camera Shift
• Why Apple’s C1 Modem Was Worth the Wait
• 11 Reasons why buying the iPhone 17 could be totally worth it