The iPhone 17 Air could have echoes of the original MacBook Air, if the latest rumors are true
- Next year’s iPhone 17 Air may include Apple’s own modem
- This component may experience short-term performance drops
- But it could also pave the way for a new era of Apple products
Apple is on the cusp of what could be its biggest iPhone refresh in years, with a speculated “iPhone 17 Air” that will slim down the phone to unheard of proportions when it’s expected to launch next year. It parallels previous Apple devices where thinness was a priority, but will the iPhone 17 Air be a powerhouse like the MacBook Air or a flop like the 12-inch MacBook?
The key to this dilemma is the most unlikely part: the iPhone’s modem. There are rumors that Apple is building its own cellular modem and could integrate it into iPhones as early as next year. But the performance of your phone calls and internet connections can be noticeably affected, with The Information reporting that “peak speeds are slower and the ability to stay connected to mobile networks is slightly less reliable” compared to the modems in existing iPhones.
Does this mean that the iPhone 17 Air will be a device that makes costly sacrifices on the altar of thinness and lightness? There have certainly been people who have preemptively warned about a new ‘antenna port’, which harkens back to the calling connection scandal that plagued the iPhone 4.
It’s probably too early to make such comparisons – even if The Information’s report is correct. We don’t know if the performance difference between old and new modems will even be noticeable, let alone disastrous. However, it illustrates how Apple’s move could be risky but rewarding.
MacBook Air or 12-inch MacBook?
Previous reports, including those from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, have made it clear that the modem switch is a long-term project for Apple. While the company appears willing to accept the performance costs in the short term, the long-term goal is to reduce Apple’s dependence on third-party manufacturers and lower costs.
Apple’s chip team is one of the best in the world, and judging by the overwhelming success of Apple’s silicon chips, we have little to worry about in the long run when it comes to Apple-made modems.
If that claim turns out to be correct, the iPhone 17 Air could follow in the footsteps of another clever experiment: the MacBook Air. When Apple launched the MacBook Air in 2008, it was an astonishing creation that redefined the meaning of thin and light. Sure, it had its drawbacks – low power output, limited internal storage, disappointing speakers – but in the years since, Apple has improved all of these aspects so much that it’s now one of the best laptops you can buy. The shortened frame had its detractors, but it proved to be a help rather than a hindrance.
But there’s also a risk that the iPhone 17 Air could evolve into another sleek Apple laptop: the 12-inch MacBook. This device was the ultimate expression of Apple’s obsession with minimalism: it was almost impossibly thin and light, but at the expense of power; its thermal envelope was so restrictive that Apple could only equip it with a mobile processor, despite its eye-wateringly high price. Unsurprisingly, it flopped and was withdrawn from sale just a few years later.
We’ll have a better idea of where the iPhone 17 Air is headed when it arrives next fall, but the real test will be how both it and its successors fare in the coming years. Apple will no doubt be hoping that it will resemble the MacBook Air, and not the 12-inch MacBook.
