Apple recently sent out invitations to an "awe-dropping" special event on Sept. 9, which is widely presumed to be its annual iPhone announcement extravaganza.
Rumors about the upcoming iPhone lineup have been circulating for months now, with leaks dropping as early as last year. One of the most well-circulated rumors is that, in addition to the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, Apple will also introduce a brand-new ultra-thin model called the iPhone 17 Air.
I'm in the market for a new iPhone, but the more I hear about the Air, the less I'm excited about it.
The iPhone 17 Air is code-named for its skinny profile, much like its competitor the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. It's rumored to be smaller than the Pro Max but larger than the baseline iPhone. The iPhone 17 Air is supposed to have a 6.6-inch display (slightly smaller than the iPhone 16 Plus but larger than the iPhone 16 Pro). It's not entirely clear whether the iPhone 17 Air will have the standard A19 chip or the A19 Pro.
Apple appears to be positioning the iPhone 17 Air as a stopgap for those who think the baseline iPhone is too basic but don't quite have the cash to upgrade to the Pro.
So why am I not enthused about the iPhone 17 Air? Here's my reasoning.
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Apple's iPhone 16E, pictured here, has one camera. It's presumed that the possible iPhone 17 Air will also only have one. James Martin/CNET
One camera is just not enough
Apple supposedly made some hardware trade-offs with the iPhone 17 Air to slim down the device. The iPhone 17 Air might only have one rear camera instead of two, which is one less than the baseline iPhone and would match the $599 iPhone 16E. According to long-time Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air will only have one rear camera for wide-angle shots.
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