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Apple rumored to have started production on the iPhone 17 Air

January 3, 2025

We could be saying goodbye to the Plus model(Image credit: Future)

The “product introduction phase” has started
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It could be the most interesting model in the iPhone 17 series, and it could be the slimmest iPhone ever – and now the iPhone 17 Air (or is it the iPhone 17 Slim?) has officially entered production, according to a new report.

As per DigiTimes (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Air has now officially entered the “product introduction phase” at Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer that puts together a lot of gadgets for Apple.

It means pilot production runs can begin, alongside design validation and prototype testing. It’s a precursor to mass production on the device getting underway, which puts it on course for a debut in September next year.

We don’t get too much more information about the iPhone 17 Air from this report, but DigiTimes again draws a link to a potential folding iPhone. If Apple can successfully produce a super-thin iPhone, it will help in the development of a folding model too.

Squeezing space

The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be a mere 6mm thick, which makes it substantially slimmer than the iPhone 16 Plus that it’s supposedly replacing – that phone measures a relatively chunky 7.8mm from front to back.

Sources have suggested that the phone is going to come with a single rear camera, placed in the center at the top. The handset might also be too slim to fit a SIM card slot in, so it’ll rely entirely on eSIM technology.

There are obvious challenges with making a super-skinny iPhone, such as managing to fit all the necessary circuitry in there without it overheating. No doubt the experience of manufacturing the various iPads will stand Apple in good stead here.

Whatever Apple has got planned for the iPhone 17 Air, it should make an appearance alongside three other iPhone 17 models sometime in September 2025. Before then, we should get the launch of the iPhone SE 4.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.