Apple’s iPhone 17 should deliver a big change compared to the previous years. Most rumors say that Apple will introduce a new type of iPhone next September. The so-called iPhone 17 Air will be thinner than the other three models, replacing the iPhone Plus in Apple’s lineup. As an iPhone 16 Plus owner who thinks this model is definitely too thick, I can’t wait to see Apple make an iPhone 17 Air.
The 2025 iPhone series should also deliver another big change. All four models will reportedly support a 120Hz refresh rate (ProMotion). That’s a feature buyers of the cheaper iPhone models have wanted for years. I think Apple is finally doing it, not because it has to catch up to the competition, although that’s always a good reason. Apple is doing it because it needs the feature on the iPhone 17 Air.
The reasons we don’t have ultra-thin iPhones concern battery life and the rear cameras. While Apple’s chips have become increasingly efficient, Apple has also increased iPhone thickness in recent years to accommodate larger battery sizes and improve battery life.
The increasingly thicker rear-facing camera module is also a reason Apple had to make thicker iPhones.
Then, earlier this year, Apple proved it could make ultra-thin flagship devices. The M4 iPad Pro is incredibly thin, yet battery life hasn’t taken a hit. The rear camera did lose a lens, which probably foreshadows what will happen with the iPhone 17 Air.
The OLED iPad Pro’s display is one reason battery life is so good. The screen is more efficient than previous technologies, and the dynamic refresh rate plays a role in that.
ProMotion also benefits the battery life of the iPhone Pro and Pro Max. The screen’s ability to dynamically adjust the refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz is a key factor in ensuring battery life doesn’t suffer when content is displayed at 120Hz continuously.
The iPhone 17 Air should be slimmer than the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The battery will take a hit as a result. It’ll surely end up being much thinner than the current iPhone batteries.
Therefore, a thinner iPhone will need components like the next-gen A19 chip and an LTPO display that can deliver dynamic refresh rates running up to 120Hz. That’s how the iPhone 17 Air gets efficiency gains that will help Apple improve battery life.
As someone already eying the iPhone 17 Air, I’m hoping the device will offer decent battery life. I don’t expect it to match the iPhone 16 Plus. But it’d still be great to see the iPhone 17 Air get at least a day of battery life.
If the iPhone 17 Air gets its ProMotion screen, keeping the base iPhone 17 model on the same 60Hz display tech Apple has used for years in its cheapest models wouldn’t make sense. Most of Apple’s competitors sell smartphones with 120Hz displays priced either similarly to the base iPhone or more affordable. If the iPhone 17 Air gets ProMotion, the base iPhone 17 should have it, too.
Thankfully, we’re seeing plenty of reports that say the entire iPhone 17 series will feature 120Hz OLED LTPO panels. The latest such report dropped last week from South Korea when ETNews noted that Samsung and LG would be the main beneficiaries of Apple’s OLED panel orders for next year.
All four iPhone 17 versions should feature LTPO panels. Only Samsung and LG have mature enough LTPO screen tech to supply the kind of screens Apple needs for the iPhone 17 series.
The report follows a different story from Korea that said display makers are paying attention to the Apple Watch Series 10’s LTPO3 screen tech, which is even more efficient than the LTPO2 displays Apple uses for the iPhone. In the future, LTPO3 should reach the iPhone. The report also noted that all four iPhone 17 models will pack LTPO2 screens and support ProMotion.
