Apple’s massive iPhone 17 changes LEAKED ahead of highly anticipated release – this is what next year’s flagship could look like

Apple is about to make a big change to the iPhone 17, according to a new leak.

Apple insiders say that Apple will most likely release a new, slimmed-down iPhone model alongside the Pro and Pro Max variants.

Veteran Apple analyst Mark Gurman says the ‘iPhone 17 Air’ or ‘iPhone 17 Slim’ is expected to be a lighter, thinner option with less powerful hardware.

Mr. Gurman says next year’s flagship phone will be “a mid-range phone at a great price, for people who don’t need the most impressive specs.”

According to previous leaks, the iPhone 17 Air will have a 6.6-inch display and be just over 6mm thick.

That would make it more than 25 percent slimmer than the current iPhone 16, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.

There’s a trade-off, though: rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Air will only have a 24-megapixel front camera and a single 48-megapixel rear camera.

This would be a significant technical downgrade from the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s three rear cameras.

Apple has struggled for years to find a fourth model to fit alongside the more expensive Pro and Pro Max variants of its smartphones.

In previous years, the company has experimented with several alternative sized options, such as the short-lived iPhone Mini and the larger iPhone Plus.

However, the iPhone Mini generated meager sales and the reception of the iPhone Plus was unenthusiastic at best.

With the next generation of iPhones, it is widely expected that Apple will discontinue the iPhone Plus in favor of the yet-to-be-announced iPhone Air or iPhone Slim.

In doing so, Mr. Gurman is trying to copy the success of the extremely popular MacBook Air.

The MacBook Air was first released in 2008 and was a perfect option for Mac users who preferred portability over power.

However, there are doubts whether a formula that worked so well for laptops will lead to smartphone success.

Mr. Gurman, in his Bloomberg newsletter (via PhoneArena), writes: ‘I predict that the “iPhone Air” will suffer the same fate as the Mini and Plus lines.’

Apple has struggled to find a suitable model to fit alongside the standard, Pro and Pro Max models of the iPhone. According to leaks, the replacement for the iPhone 16 (pictured) could also include a Slim or Air variant

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a 6.6-inch display and be just over 6mm thick. That would make it more than 25 percent slimmer than the iPhone 16 Pro Max (photo). However, the slimmer model is expected to have just one rear camera, compared to the Pro Max’s three

Although Mr. Gurman does not provide reasons for this belief, there are some obvious problems.

First, while it makes sense to slim down a heavy and bulky laptop, the latest generation of iPhones is already quite slim.

At just 7.80mm thick, the iPhone 16 is less than 2mm thicker than Apple’s clear target for the iPhone 17 Air.

With such small margins, it’s not clear how much difference that would make for most consumers.

Additionally, some leaks suggest that the iPhone 17 Air may not be as thin as Apple previously hoped.

According to leaker @Jukanlosreve, both Apple and Samsung have failed in their attempts to produce denser, thinner batteries for their next generation of smartphones.

That suggests the iPhone 17 Air will use the same battery technology as existing phones, putting a limit on how slim the device can get.

If this rumor is true, it means that the iPhone Air will be slightly thicker than the 6mm that Apple is reportedly targeting.

Analysts suggest this is driven by the lackluster response to the larger iPhone Plus (left). Instead, it’s rumored that Apple is trying to emulate the success of the MacBook Air (right), which offered customers a lighter, lower-spec alternative

Combined with a move back to a single rear camera, these small weight and size reductions may not be enough to make customers put up with the loss of hardware.

According to Mr Gurman, the only viable alternative to the current Pro and Pro Max variants would be for Apple to go in a completely new direction.

Mr Gurman writes: ‘In my opinion, the only alternative iPhone that will sell well is a foldable model.’

While nothing has been confirmed, some leaks suggest that Apple may be working on a foldable iPhone that could launch as early as 2025.

However, with little left to do, Apple fans will have to wait and see what’s next for the iPhone maker.

MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment.