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Apple just announced the brand new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro lineup. Pre-orders are almost open, which means now is the time to make a buying decision. Should you upgrade, or wait another year? Let me provide three reasons for waiting until next year’s iPhone 17 Air arrives.
Brand new, ultra-thin design
The iPhone 17 Air first came on to the rumor scene with the name ‘iPhone 17 Slim.’ That’s because one of its defining features will be a radically thin new design.
We don’t know exactly how thin it will be, but the change is expected to be significant.
This year’s M4 iPad Pro was the thinnest device Apple has ever made. Considering what Apple did with the iPad, and the physical requirements of the USB-C port, we have a good sense of what the 17 Air could bring.
The brand new iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are each 8.25 mm thick. Expect to see the 17 Air get a lot closer to the iPad Pro’s 5.1 mm size—a huge reduction.
Camera upgrades on all sides
Apple didn’t change anything about the iPhone 16’s front-facing camera. Enhancements were all on the back of the device. But with the iPhone 17 line, a major upgrade is coming to the selfie camera. It’s going from 12 MP to 24 MP and will surely have new software features to take advantage of that boost.
Flip it around, and the iPhone 17 Air’s rear camera design will be all-new. Rather than the multi-camera system in the top-left corner, Apple will debut a top-center placement for a single powerful camera. There’s not much we know about the new system at this point, but it’s fascinating to see what this big design change could mean for the rear camera.
It’s a glimpse at the future, today
Like the original MacBook Air did for laptops, the iPhone 17 Air is set to change the game for smartphone design. It won’t be as powerful as the 17 Pro models, but it will undoubtedly represent the future.
If the iPhone 16 doesn’t excite you, next year’s model should. Most iPhone models contain iterative enhancements, but every so often there’s an iPhone X moment. The iPhone 17 Air is poised to bring that new phone excitement back. And it may make all other iPhones feel just a bit dated.
For a lot of users, the iPhone 16 line provides their only opportunity to try Apple Intelligence. The only older iPhone models that support the new AI features are last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
But Apple’s staggered rollout of AI features could make it easier to hold out for the iPhone 17 Air. The full slate of features announced for Apple Intelligence will release gradually, as a slow drip over the course of the next year. So waiting until 2025 for an AI-ready iPhone may not be too painful.
Wrap-up
If you need an iPhone today, the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro are very compelling options. But if you’re on the fence, or the new models don’t excite you much, maybe wait for next year. The iPhone 17 Air should provide the radical change you’ve been looking for in a new phone.
