The upcoming iPhone 17 Air is set to debut with Apple’s A19 Pro chip, but there’s a twist. 
Unlike the iPhone 17 Pro models, which will feature a 6-core GPU, the Air variant is expected to have a 5-core GPU. This downgrade in graphical performance means that gaming on the Air could be a bit less smooth compared to the Pro versions, but for average users, the difference may not be noticeable.
The iPhone 17 Air will be positioned slightly above the base iPhone 17 model but below the Pro variants. It will also come with 12GB of RAM, similar to the Pro iPhones. This positioning and the use of the A19 Pro chip give the Air a performance boost that is likely to make it more powerful than the standard iPhone 17 model, even though its GPU is slightly weaker.
While some leaks indicate that the iPhone 17 Air will be powered by the A19 Pro chip, there’s another report claiming it will feature the standard A19 chip, the same as the base iPhone 17. The conflicting information leaves us wondering how Apple will ultimately position this device in its lineup. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously mentioned that the standard iPhone 17 would use the A18 chip, which makes the potential inclusion of the A19 in the Air even more intriguing.
Despite the rumored GPU downgrade, the A19 Pro chip is expected to provide solid performance, especially in terms of efficiency, which will be key for the iPhone 17 Air’s battery life. Apple is expected to unveil the entire iPhone 17 lineup in September, and we will be following the announcement closely.
1 comment
A19 Pro chip but 5-core GPU? Seems a bit odd, but maybe it’s all about battery life?