iPhone 17 Air to Feature A19 Pro Chipset with Slight GPU Downgrade
Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup is rumored to debut on September 9, and one of the most talked-about models is the new iPhone 17 Air — set to replace the iPhone 16 Plus due to weaker sales. While design and pricing leaks have been circulating, the big question has been: which chipset will it use?
A19 Pro Power — With a Twist
According to a new leak from China, the iPhone 17 Air will indeed use the A19 Pro chipset, typically reserved for Pro models. However, there’s a slight difference — the Air’s A19 Pro will have one fewer GPU core than the Pro and Pro Max versions.
iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max: 6 GPU cores
iPhone 17 Air: 5 GPU cores
This minor tweak could mean slightly less graphical performance, but overall CPU capabilities should remain the same as its Pro siblings.
Other Hardware Differences
The leak also claims the iPhone 17 Air’s display won’t match the quality of the Pro model’s screen. Additionally, the Air is expected to measure between 5.65mm and 5.7mm in thickness, making it one of the thinnest iPhones yet.
Conflicting Reports
Interestingly, this contradicts an earlier July rumor suggesting the Air would get the standard A19 chip — the same as the vanilla iPhone 17. With conflicting information, it’s still unclear which report is accurate.
If true, this approach positions the iPhone 17 Air as a midpoint between the vanilla and Pro models — powerful enough to attract performance-minded buyers, but with small compromises to maintain a lower price point.
Image Credit: Apple Hub/X
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