Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air is expected to be the company’s thinnest and lightest iPhone yet. However, this sleek design will come with some trade-offs. According to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Air will lack three key features found in many previous iPhone models.
The device will reportedly have only one speaker located in the earpiece at the top. This means there won’t be a bottom speaker, which could impact stereo sound quality. The decision to remove the second speaker is likely due to the device’s ultra-thin frame.
Another missing feature will be the Ultra Wide camera. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature a single 48-megapixel Fusion camera with 1x and 2x zoom options but no 0.5x Ultra Wide lens. This change will allow for a larger battery while simplifying the camera setup.
Apple also plans to eliminate the physical SIM card slot internationally. The iPhone 17 Air will rely entirely on eSIM technology, which Apple has been pushing since the iPhone 14 in the U.S. This move is part of Apple’s ongoing effort to transition to digital-only connectivity.
The iPhone 17 Air’s slim design will appeal to users seeking a lightweight device, but those who value audio quality, camera versatility, or physical SIM cards might find these omissions disappointing. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup later this year.