There are plenty of rumors surrounding the upcoming iPhone generation. The new model, called the iPhone 17 Air, is taking center stage. Leakers and analysts are offering mixed information, especially regarding the chip and RAM. Particularly exciting: The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to come with a powerful chip – albeit not without limitations.
Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhones in September. The model lineup is expected to consist of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Numerous leaks regarding the technical specifications are already circulating – especially regarding the processor and RAM. Two well-known sources, namely Fixed Focus Digital from China and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, are offering differing assessments, which is causing controversy.
A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Air – with restrictions
According to a new report from Fixed Focus Digital, the iPhone 17 Air will not come with the standard A19 chip as previously assumed, but with the A19 Pro. However, there is a clear difference compared to the Pro models: The GPU isn't quite on the same level. While the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are said to have a 6-core GPU, the iPhone 17 Air will only have a 5-core GPU. This would make the Air model powerful, but not quite on par with the top models – this could be particularly noticeable in graphics-intensive tasks like games. This is unlikely to be noticeable in everyday use.
Contradictory information from Kuo and Pu
Well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo assumes a different distribution. He claims the iPhone 17 Air will have the A19 chip, not the A19 Pro. According to him, the iPhone 17, however, will only be equipped with the A18 chip. A third voice, analyst Jeff Pu, expressed the same assessment as Kuo a few months ago. The information from Fixed Focus Digital therefore directly contradicts that of Kuo and Pu. It's currently impossible to say who will ultimately be right. Fixed Focus Digital has, at least in the past, correctly predicted the name "iPhone 16e," but is not yet considered a consistently reliable source. Kuo, on the other hand, has often been correct in previous Apple leaks.
According to the leak, this is what the new models contain
According to information from Fixed Focus Digital, the technical specifications of the iPhone 17 models look like this: The base model will get the A19 chip, the iPhone 17 Air will get the A19 Pro with the weaker GPU, and the Pro and Pro Max will also feature the A19 Pro – but with a full 6-core GPU. According to Kuo and Pu, however, the lineup looks different: The standard model will get an A18, the Air an A19, and only the Pro devices will get the A19 Pro.
More RAM for three models
In addition to the chip, the RAM is also a topic of conversation. Fixed Focus Digital reports that the iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12 GB of RAM. This would be a significant upgrade over the current iPhone 16 generation, in which all models – including the Pro versions – have to make do with 8 GB. The base model of the iPhone 17, on the other hand, is expected to remain at 8 GB of RAM. Here, too, Ming-Chi Kuo essentially agrees. Back in April, he indicated that Apple would use 12 GB of RAM in three of the four models. Only with the iPhone 17 was he unsure whether 8 or 12 GB was realistic – partly due to possible bottlenecks in the RAM supply chain. He hasn't said anything new since then.
iPhone 17: New model strategy emerging
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series in September. Whether rumors will be confirmed by then remains to be seen. One thing is already clear, however: The new series will likely bring greater differences between the models than before. The iPhone 17 Air, with its A19 Pro chip and 12 GB of RAM, could move closer to the Pro devices – but with a specific differentiation in GPU performance. The base model will apparently retain its usual performance level. As usual, Apple will only announce the exact lineup at the official event. Until then, insiders and analysts remain conflicting. But even at this stage, the leaks clearly show that Apple is focusing more on differentiation and clear performance levels with the iPhone 17 than ever before. (Image: Shutterstock / BadPixma)
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