The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are officially released, featuring tougher displays and a horizontal camera module.

Apple officially released the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air at the "Awe Dropping" Apple Event held on Tuesday (September 9, 2025) or early Wednesday (September 10, 2025).

The iPhone 17 Air is the latest model in the iPhone line, replacing the iPhone Plus.

"iPhone Air is a complete game-changer. Designed for users who want 'pro' performance in an incredibly thin design," said Apple CEO Tim Cook, as quoted by Apple's YouTube channel.

This phone boasts a slim body with a thickness of 5.6 mm, making it the thinnest iPhone ever.

The iPhone 17 Air is 5.6mm thin, making it the thinnest iPhone ever. (Apple)

The iPhone 17 Air also features a rear camera module never seen on an iPhone before.

The module now has a horizontal pill-shaped shape that extends to the side. Apple calls this module the "plateau."

The module houses most of the key components, including the front and rear camera sensors, speakers, and chips.

"We had to redesign our iconic 'plateau.' Precision-machined from both sides, this plate is designed to fit our custom cameras, chips, and modules," explained John Ternus, Apple's SVP of Hardware Engineering.

The rear camera module of the iPhone 17 Air houses various important components. This is a new design for the iPhone line. (Apple)

Aside from the horizontal camera module, the rest of the back is entirely occupied by the battery.

Despite its thinness, the iPhone 17 Air is designed with exceptional durability. The phone is coated with Ceramic Shield 2, which boasts three times better scratch resistance than its predecessor.

For the first time, Apple has embedded Ceramic Shield on the back of a phone, claiming it is four times tougher than its predecessor. The frame is made of titanium.

"All of these materials make the iPhone Air more durable than previous iPhones," said Ternus.

Rather the same materials are present in the iPhone 17. Besides the Ceramic Shield coating and display, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air have very different specifications. Here are the details.

iPhone 17 Air Specifications

The iPhone 17 Air is equipped with a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display. This display supports ProMotion at up to 120 Hz and Always-on Display at 1 Hz. Its brightness level reaches 3,000 nits outdoors, claiming to be the highest ever on an iPhone.