'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie.

iPhone 17 Slim Feature
The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous rumors have indicated the device could be anywhere from 5mm to 6.25mm thin, whereas the iPhone 16 lineup starts at 7.8mm. The thinnest-ever model was the iPhone 6 at 6.9mm, so the iPhone 17 Air would beat that record.

In line with previous rumors, the report said the iPhone 17 Air will be "giving up" some features available in the Pro models. For example, the report said the device will have a "simplified" camera system, but no other details were provided. Accordingly, the report said the device will be priced lower than the Pro lineup, which in the U.S. starts at $999.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 Air in September 2025.

Apple is also planning two foldable devices for release later, according to the report. It said one of the devices will essentially be the largest-ever MacBook with a foldable 19-inch screen, while the other is a foldable iPhone that would unfold to have an inwards-facing display that is larger than the one on the 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The report said Apple is aiming to release the foldable iPhone in 2026 or 2027, while the MacBook with a foldable screen would likely debut later. Both of the devices have been rumored to be in development several times in recent years.

Apple is said to have faced major challenges with developing a foldable iPhone, including with the device's hinge and the protective layer that covers the screen. Apple apparently once considered a foldable iPhone with an outward-facing display, but it has settled on a large inner display, according to the report.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Resolutions Leak With Under-Screen Camera Tipped

Monday April 14, 2025 3:12 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold") will feature two screens as part of its book-style design, and a Chinese leaker claims to know the resolutions for both of them. According to the Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station, the inner display, which is approximately 7.76 inches, will use a 2,713 x 1,920 resolution and feature "under-screen camera technology." Meanwhile, the...
iPad Pro iPadOS

iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways

Sunday April 13, 2025 6:43 am PDT by
A common complaint about the iPad Pro is that the iPadOS software platform fails to fully take advantage of the device's powerful hardware. That could soon change. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS." Gurman said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like a Mac" in three ways:Improved productivity Improved multitasking Improved app window management...
Apple Vision Pro with battery Feature Blue Magenta

Vision Pro 2 Rumored to Have Two Key Advantages Over Current Model

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
Apple is working on a new version of the Vision Pro with two key advantages over the current model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Specifically, in his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is developing a new headset that is both lighter and less expensive than the current Vision Pro, which starts at $3,499 in the U.S. and weighs up to 1.5 pounds. Gurman said Apple is also...
Apple Bristol Current

An Apple Store in the UK is Permanently Closing Later This Year

Monday April 14, 2025 7:33 am PDT by
Apple has confirmed that it will be permanently closing its retail store in the heart of Bristol, England, and there is no replacement in sight. Apple Bristol in 2023 Apple Bristol will be closing its doors on Saturday, August 9, due to redevelopment plans at the Cabot Circus Shopping Centre, and the adjacent Bristol Shopping Quarter. According to news reports, and a building application, the ...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

Thursday April 10, 2025 4:19 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...

Top Rated Comments

Klae17 Avatar
17 weeks ago
Commenting that I want a foldable iPhone and Mac before anyone can say "no one wants a foldable iPhone or Mac."
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nfl46 Avatar
17 weeks ago
Well, it’s about time! Lol. All these brilliant people at Apple and this is the only functional design they can come up with? Jeez. Come on, Apple. Their whole marketing with the iPhone 16 series is AI and all its features aren’t available yet. Lol.



Attachment Image
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swm Avatar
17 weeks ago

not sure I would want that foldable macbook
wait, not sure whether you noticed, but the current and all previous MBP generations were foldable. ;)
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zombierunner Avatar
17 weeks ago
19 inch MacBook? but no 27 inch iMac?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
17 weeks ago

Commenting that I want a foldable iPhone and Mac before anyone can say "no one wants a foldable iPhone or Mac."
Aren’t the MacBooks already foldable? ;)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
goodthymes Avatar
17 weeks ago
I'd love a phone that has just enough battery for a 15 minute doom scrolling on Macrumors. Can't wait!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)