The next Apple special event is almost upon us and one phone, a slim version of the iPhone possibly called iPhone 17 Air (or possibly something else), will be a key element. Now, it looks like we have a clue to the pricing — and one design element, the entry-level storage, may be a surprise.
Apple iPhone 16: will the iPhone 17 Air be pricier than the iPhone 16 Plus it replaces?
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A new report from TrendForce released on Sept. 4 claims to reveal prices for all four of the expected iPhones, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Air, and it differs from a recent analysis on all models expect the iPhone 17. Both this and the research note from JPMorgan predict the price of the base model, iPhone 17, will remain unchanged at $799 and up.
So, how about the iPhone 17 Air? Remember, though it’s sliding into the non-base, non-Pro slot vacated by the iPhone 16 Plus, it’s a whole new deal. Which means predicting the price has always been tricky.
However, TrendForce has had a go. “The Air’s price point is expected to compete directly with Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, underscoring Apple’s strategy of strengthening brand appeal through product differentiation,” it reported.
TrendForce believes that the iPhone 17 Air with lowest storage capacity will cost $1,099, which is $200 more than the cheapest iPhone 16 Plus. But there’s a twist: the iPhone 16 Plus has 128GB storage but the iPhone 17 Air, it’s claimed, will start at 256GB storage.
That’s still pricier than the equivalent iPhone 16 Plus, which costs $999 with 256GB storage.
Again, the iPhone 17 Air is not a direct replacement and is aiming at an audience wanting to pay for a striking design-led iPhone, it’s thought.
There would then be two more storage levels, 512GB and 1TB, which would cost $1,299 and $1,499 respectively.
Such a change would make sense of the claim that the iPhone 17 Pro will start at 256GB storage for the first time, as it might seem peculiar if the Air beats the Pro in this regard.