iPhone 17 Lineup to Cost More, With 'Air' Model Joining Series [TrendForce]

A new forecast from TrendForce sheds light on Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup, pointing to a shake-up in the product mix with the debut of an "Air" model, significant memory and camera upgrades, and possible price hikes at the higher end. The research firm expects shipments of the iPhone 17 series to rise about 3.5% over the iPhone 16, with the Pro models once again leading sales.



According to the report, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be powered by the A19 processor, while the Pro and Pro Max will run on the more advanced A19 Pro chip. In a notable bump, the Air, Pro, and Pro Max are all said to feature 12GB of RAM, while the base iPhone 17 will get 8GB. Storage for the three higher-tier devices will reportedly start at 256GB. These numbers match earlier rumors that most models would see a RAM increase.


The addition of the iPhone 17 Air marks Apple's first attempt at a thin-and-light flagship. To achieve its slim profile, Apple is expected to scale back on battery size and camera specs, trade-offs that have already appeared in leaks and hands-on dummy videos showing a "scary thin" build. Battery life remains a concern, but the model is said to incorporate a silicon anode battery—new tech that could offset the smaller capacity and lines up with reports of Apple supplier TDK ramping up silicon-anode production.

On cameras, the entire lineup is tipped for a major overhaul. The front camera is expected to double in resolution from 12MP to 24MP, while all rear cameras will move up to 48MP. The Pro models are also said to adopt a new rectangular camera array with optimized software for sharper zoom and improved image quality—a design that has surfaced in previous renders.

Pricing is where things may sting. TrendForce expects the standard iPhone 17 to stay flat, but says the Air, Pro, and Pro Max could see increases of $50–$100 depending on storage tier. That view matches other reports pointing to a price hike on premium models. Positioned head-to-head against Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge, the Air seems designed to target users who value design over endurance.

TrendForce also notes this diversification could foreshadow bigger changes in Apple's release cycle. The company may eventually stagger launches, with sub-flagship devices in the spring and mainline models—including the rumored foldable—arriving in the fall. That aligns with a leaked roadmap that suggested Apple is preparing to split iPhone launches into two waves.


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