iPhone 17 Air set to be Apple’s thinnest-ever phone; A19 Chips to leverage TSMC’s latest tech: Report

Apple is reportedly developing its slimmest iPhone yet, the iPhone 17 Air, for release next year. The phone will incorporate the next-generation A19 chip, fabricated using TSMC's advanced 3nm technology.

Key Highlights:

Apple is set to unveil an ultra-slim iPhone model next year.

The A19 chips are expected to have increased transistor density.

The iPhone 16 series was launched in September.

iPhone 17 Air Could Be Only 6mm Thick

Reports suggest that Apple might replace the iPhone Plus model with a new iPhone 17 Slim version. According to renowned analyst Jeff Pu from Haitong International Tech Research, the iPhone 17 Air will be approximately 6mm thick. This would make it Apple's thinnest phone to date, surpassing the iPhone 6's 6.9mm thickness. Currently, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are 8.25mm thick, while the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus measure 7.8mm.

Apple’s Thinnest Phone Yet

The iPhone 17 Air, anticipated to be only 6mm thick, is set to break Apple's record for the thinnest phone ever. If the rumors are accurate, it will surpass the slim profile of the iPhone 6.

Advanced A19 Chips

The iPhone 17 lineup will reportedly feature the A19 and A19 Pro chips, built with TSMC's latest N3P technology—an evolution of their third-generation 3nm process. Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are expected to use the A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will likely be powered by the A19 Pro chip.

Currently, the A18 and A18 Pro chips in the iPhone 16 series are manufactured using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, known as N3E. The A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro series is based on the earlier N3B process. The A19 chips' N3P process promises increased transistor density, which should translate to improved performance and power efficiency for the iPhone 17 models compared to their predecessors.