Apple's rumored iPhone 17 Air will replace the 'Plus' model in the lineup, and taking its place would mean that the device will share the same specifications as the base model. However, this does not appear to be the case as the company will position the device slightly higher than the base model but lower than that of the premium iPhone 17 Pro models. It was recently reported that the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with the same 12GB of RAM as the Pro iPhones, and a leaker now claims that the handset will be powered by the A19 Pro chip, but with fewer GPU cores.
The iPhone 17 Air will sit between the base and Pro models with subtle performance and GPU downgrades
According to a prominent Weibo-based leaker, Fixed Focus Digital, the iPhone 17 Air will feature Apple's A19 Pro chip with a 6-core GPU in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. However, the leaker also claims that the iPhone 17 Air will feature the A19 Pro chip but with a 5-core GPU, which means that the graphical output of the device will not be on par with the 'Pro' models. If this is the case, you should expect comparatively lower gaming performance than the Pro-branded models. Take note that the chip is plenty fast, and average users will not be able to tell the performance apart, making it a negligible downgrade. However, the efficiency of the chip will likely remain the same, which will be a crucial element for the Air's battery life.
What's interesting is that industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the iPhone 17 Air will feature the standard A19 chip, the same chip that will power the standard variant of the lineup. Since the reports are conflicting at this stage, it remains to be seen how Apple will position the device. Considering that the iPhone 17 Air will feature the same RAM as the 'Pro' models, giving the device the A19 'Pro' treatment will make the performance levels much closer to the higher-end models.
Kuo also previously stated that the standard iPhone 17 Air will get the A18 chip from last year, which would make the A19 chip in the iPhone 17 Air a major differentiating factor. Kuo has never mentioned that the Air will get the Pro chip, but we are gradually moving closer to the launch, and the company's decisions will be evident soon. Jeff Pu also claimed that the standard iPhone 17 will feature the A18 chip, which adds more credibility to the news, but users should take the notion with a grain of salt. Apple will announce the iPhone 17 lineup in September, and we will be covering the event in extensive detail.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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