Apple is rumoured to be making significant changes to its smartphone lineup next year with the planned launch of the iPhone 17 Air, potentially the thinnest iPhone to date.
According to reports from Digitimes via 9to5mac, the iPhone 17 Air has entered the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase. This initial stage of production involves Apple collaborating with suppliers to evaluate the design’s feasibility and the manufacturing methods needed for assembly.
At this phase, ensuring that the assembly approaches are viable is crucial, which may lead to minor design adjustments to match manufacturing capabilities and costs.
Following the NPI, a small-scale test production line will be established to confirm that the execution is in line with the plans.
The Air model is said to have the same display size as the iPhone 16 Plus but will be significantly slimmer. It’s expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever at approximately 6mm thick, which is about 25% thinner than the standard model, and may feature only a single rear camera.
While it’s still early in the development process for the iPhone 17 Air, progress is being made towards its eventual production.